My grandfathers dad was in the church of the "Mennonites".The founder,Meno Siemens,
reformed the church into something similar like the "Amish people".They where against
any military service,like in the new testament is written.In Germany there was a law
that said, that every healthy man had to do the military service.
One day the russian Zar answered the plea of the Mennonites,and gave them land to own
in Siberia, near Novosibirsk.The whole Mennonite community went there, just to survive
the prosecution of the Military(theyr brothers)
After years,the community had grown to a small town of some thousend people.There was
a majority of Germans,some Duch and even English Mennonites living together and prospering.
My grandfather grew up there and became the Mayor of the town. He married a rich Duch daughter
and had 5 children, including my mother.
She told me about the Native Siberian Tribes,which came by to trade and live during one season.
My mother was 4 years old as the communist revolution started, and the Reds took over,leaving
a bloody trace across the land.
Again, the Mennonites had to flee...it was 1929.
Some of the community left a bit too late, they had to walk all the way via China to the sea,then
by ship to the US,Canada and South America.
My grandpa,smart as allways,sold his goods in time,to a russian guy, who paid him in gold coins.
Grandpa sewed the coins into an old leatherbelt.The Railroad way was still open across Russia to
Germany.Over 1000 Mennonites including Grandpa and his family could escape in a huge cattle-train
Back in Germany , they where put in big concentration-camps like places,with other fugitives of
communism.
Soon many countries offered them asylum.The Brasilian Government even promissed them free Land !
(if they would plant it during 5 years)
Many Mennonites agreed, and so Grandpa, who still was somehow the mayor of this group, came to Brasil.
After some weeks on deck of a cargo-ship(no cabins) , they arrived in São Paulo. Big military trucks
took them some 600 miles to the future village.The trucks stopped...
Djungle! No houses, no tents...nothing!
Many families in a djungle road...Planting ? Where ? Many of them had to give up.How could one survive there?
These familys just knew the Siberian Taiga...few trees...and no trees that took 8 man to embrace them.
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