Genealogical Database Stamboom	Family Photoalbum	Mennonite Church Balk Doopsgezinde Kerk Balk	Smid/Rijstra/Baukema Visser/Haitjema Symensma	Reglement Mennisten Beschrijving Vermaning Wilhelminastraat Balk	Origin Holkema Stamvaders Holkema	River Luts	Donate		Email
			Tietema Leen Holkema Patricier Family Gysbert Japicx Award Friese Familie Lenen Stamvaders Holkema Landerijen Holkema Manuscript Gysbert Japicx Wanda Sage	Lindebomen	Fotoalbum Gaasterland

---

Dutch translation

Mennonites,Amish at Balk Friesland

In general they had to obey strict rules,specifically Balk was very strict,they were called "fijne mennisten" or "Zonnisten" or ""Old Frisians". (the less strict were called "grove mennisten" or "Laministen".) The big differnce between both of them was being rejected out of community when they didn't live according the strict rules. The very strict ones were still rejecting party members and the less strict ones had no rejection rules.

The Balk community were followers of Pieter Jelles ,who was born around 1600 at Kollum,he was an important salesman. For teaching the rules of the mennonite church they used the book "Onderwijzinghe des christelijken geloofs" of Pieter Boudewijns.

This was the teacher of the "Old Vlamingen" at Haarlem (abt.1750). They lived a humble life without any glamour and rejected lot's of normal all today things.
They wear simple clothing,no gold or silver,no mirrors. The interior and exterior of their houses was mainly coloured in blue and doorsteps were painted black.

In 1625 the Mennonites build themselves a gatheringplace place "Vermaning", at the "Westersteke" at Balk (also called "Harichstersteke" and nowedays "Wilhelminastraat")

In a letter of J. van der Ploeg ,vicar at Grouw (abt. 1697) the place was discribed as "a humble place with low ceiling .The listeners were sitting around a fire with their back towards the vicar ,listening to the teacher" and furtheron " the teacher was standing behind a little desk ,at the sides the other teachers on chairs with a high back rest. The "Pupils" on unpainted couches.In fact the whole room was unpainted"
Description of the mennonite church at Balk abt. 1797

On the upper part of the doorframe of the backdoor of the old gatherplace of the Mennonites was written:

 

The original Gothic window of the old
gatherplace Vermaning, with at the right
the original traditional blue paint
used by the Mennonites

Also the outside of the old Vermaning was painted
in the traditional Blue,on a chalk layer

Part of the still existing interior of the old gatherplace,
Vermaning,at Balk,at the left the original blue of the Mennonites

The original Gothic window with at the right,
down under the original blue on the chalk layer.

The old gatherplace at the Wilhelminastraat became in use as granary presumably for the neighbouring Baker shop,
owned by Inne Johannes Betsema (1799-1875) and his wife Baukjen Wabes Wieringa (1808-1879).
Both also Mennonites. Lateron it became in use as a stable for the neighbouring Hotel Teernstra and
later as a stable (on sundays) for the reformed church around the corner (Gaaikemastraat,Westeinde). (Now in use as a Disco called "The String")

In 1811 the General Baptism Society was founded as a "spokesman" for all Mennonite Communities .The Mennonite community of Balk refused to connect with them.
Many conflicts occured also with the Government about military service.
The Mennonite leaders Ruurd Jacobs Symensma and Ruurd Johannes Smid didn't succeed of getting their way. At the end the two teachers left on april 9 1853 with part of their community members to the USA for setting themselves free.

In 1853 en 1854 a total of 19 families emigrated with a total of 60 persons. The settled down in New Parish en Goshen state of Indiana in the USA. The less strict mennonites were left behind

Tettje van der Sluis-Haitjema the last member of the strict mennonite died in 1939 in Balk.

Today the Mennonite community has a total of 60 members (together with neighboring village Woudsend). Every 3 weeks the community is gathering at the church at Balk. World wide abt. 900.000 mennonites ,most of them in North-America and Africa. In Friesland about 1200 mennonites, devided in 36 communities.

Interior of the present mennonmite church Balk (build in 1862):

---

Genealogical Database Stamboom	Family Photoalbum	Mennonite Church Balk Doopsgezinde Kerk Balk	Smid/Rijstra/Baukema Visser/Haitjema Symensma	Reglement Mennisten Beschrijving Vermaning Wilhelminastraat Balk	Origin Holkema Stamvaders Holkema	River Luts	Donate	Guestbook	Email
			Tietema Leen Holkema Patricier Family Gysbert Japicx Award Friese Familie Lenen Stamvaders Holkema Landerijen Holkema Manuscript Gysbert Japicx Wanda Sage	Lindebomen

Visitors

---