Kappers from Prussia (now Poland and Germany)

People from Prussia (today Poland and Germany) emigrated to Sheboygan (Wisconsin, USA). In 1860 the family of Adam Kappers was registrated in Sheboygan as coming from Prussia.

Two sources were found in Prussia. The first one are the registers of Baptisms of the Mennonite community in Montau, Prussia, a village today called Matawi and located near Nowe (Poland). Here people changed their name from Kopper in Kappers. Some members of the Mennonite community in Montau were emigrants from the Netherlands1) 2) 3) 4).

A second source is found in the registers of Baptisms of the protestant community in Essen, Rheinland, Prussia (today Germany). Five children are christened in the years from 1665 to 1675 with the surname Kappers. Others in the same comunity are baptised later with the surnames Kapperts and Kappert.

More information is not yet available.

Notes
1
Montau: Aus dem mennonitischen Lexikon, Dritter Band, Verlag Heinrich Schneider, Karlsruhe (Baden) 1958
Mennoniten-Gemeinde in Westpreußen bei Neuenburg (Kreis Schwetz). Sie besteht laut Urkunde, die zur sicheren Erhaltung im Staatsarchiv in Danzig unter Montau 358 Nr. 123-137 aufbewahrt wird, seit dem 2. Februar 1568. An diesem Tage haben holländische Mennoniten Thomas und Peter Jansen, Bernhard von Rho, Bernhard von Baygen, Andreas Unrau und ihre Gesellen und Verwandten, wie es im Vertrage heißt, den Pachtvertrag mit dem Hauptmann Hans Dulzkym auf Roggenhausen geschlossen; er umfaßte die Ortschaften Montau und Sanskau in Größe von 50 clm. Hufen. Von hier aus scheint die Ansiedlung in der Schwetz-Neuenburger Niederung vor sich gegangen zu sein. Aus der erwähnten Urkunde ist die Abstammung der Mennoniten aus Holland ersichtlich. Hinweise hierauf finden wir besonders in manchen alten Wohnhäusern holländischer Bauart, in denen sich alte holländische Bibeln erhalten haben. Auch soll noch im 18. Jahrhundert holländisch gepredigt worden sein. Sämtliche Mennoniten dieser Niederung sind Friesen gewesen. Später, als die Mennoniten sich über die ganze Niederung verbreiteten, ist noch zu Obergruppe im Jahre 1776 ein Bethaus als Filiale erbaut worden.
Auch später sind noch einige Einwanderungen aus Holland erfolgt. Als erster Ältester der Gemeinde Montau kann wohl Hilchen Schmidt gelten, der im Auftrage der Gemeinde Haarlem 1588 den Ältesten Quirin van der Meulen in Danzig von seinem Amte absetzte.
2
Renewal in Montau (Matawy)
One of the Association's Board members, Pastor Peter Foth of the Hamburg congregation, once again took a group of interested persons to visit the areas where Mennonites once played a prominent role. This time, the goal was to participate in a special event in Montau (Matawy).
In May 1998, Günter Franz of Bremen, a member of the former Mennonite Church in Montau, announced that an effort to repair the church building was underway. Substantial funding was needed to repair the roof and the foundation; the stained glass windows similarly needed restoration. Those of you familiar with the church will remember that one of the stained glass windows bears the inscription: "Gestiftet: Johann Bartel, Montau." Early fund-raising efforts brought in 10,000 DM. As interest grew, this amount increased.
Since 1998 was also the 100th anniversary of the building of the church in Montau, a number of persons who had direct or family connections with this congregation decided to take part in special celebrations to be conducted in Montau. Peter Foth and Günter Franz organized a tour, and thus took a busload of participants to the commemorative events. The local Catholic priest and Pastor Foth conducted a special service, which included the unveiling of a historical marker with the inscription (in Polish and German): "Hier an der Weichsel haben vier Jahrhunderte lang bis 1945 holländische Einwanderer -- Mennoniten -- gelebt und gewirkt und an diesem Ort Gottesdienst gehalten." Pastor Foth based his sermon on the Hebrews passage: "For here we have no lasting city." In his report of the ceremony, he noted that the German Mennonites felt that this occasion marked a time of release, a deliberate "giving" of the church building to the present congregation by the members of the former congregation. It was a time of remembrance of the past, but also of unitedly facing the future. In this spirit of community, the pastor of the Catholic church in Ladekopp (Lubieszewo) also brought a warm greeting.
3
Information on the Mennonite community in Montau and its elders and leaders. Under them several with the surname Kopper:
Kopper, Hans: Leader at Graudenzischen Niederung/Montau, 1774 - fl.1805 [NV1805];
Kopper, Cornelius: Lehrer at Kasan (Poland), 1833 - fl.1835; from Dtsch. Kasan/Warschau [NV1835]
Kopper, Gerhard: Lehrer at Montau\Graudenzer Niederung. Gewählt 1871 - fl. 1881 [NV 1881];
Kopper, Bernhard: Lehrer at Montau\Graudenzer Niederung. Gewählt 1880 - fl. 1881 [NV 1881];
Adrian, Isaak: Leader at Graudenzischen Niederung/Montau, 1782 - fl.1805 [NV1805];
Baltzer, Cornelius: Leader at Graudenzischen Niederung/Montau, 1801 - fl.1805 [NV1805];
Bartel, Peter: Lehrer at Montau, 1840 - fl.1843; from Niedergrupp/Staudenz [NV1843]; elder at Montau
Boldt, David: Deacon at Montau\Graudenzer Niederung. Gewählt 1871 - fl. 1881 [NV 1881];
4
Information from internet which tells on a paper by Bernh. Kopper:
"I am member Nr.1465 of Mennonitischer Geschichtsverein by persuasion of Paul Schowalter. The first issue of Menn.Geschichtsblätter 1954,30-37 received as a new member contains a paper by Bernh.Kopper,"Gemeinde Montau im Rückblick". It sparks my interest in Mennonite history (Der Mennonit 1954,138) "
Homepage