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description archivistique
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives & Gallery Bargen, Franz Soviet Union
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Bargen Letter Collection

  • CA MHCA Vol. 4232-4234, 3972-3973
  • Fonds
  • 1930-1974

This collection of letters is divided into two sections -- over 500 letters written between 1930-1938 and almost 800 letters written between 1939-1977, covering especially the post-World War II period and up to the early 1970s. There is also one file containing family travel documents for Franz and Liese Bargen's immigration to Canada in 1930.

The letters written between 1930 and 1938 present a cross section of the experiences of over 30 families -- relatives of Franz and Liese Bargen. The letters originate in Sagradowka (a Mennonite settlement in Ukraine) and from families in exile. Letters to and from family outside the forced-labour camps operated by Joseph Stalin were the lifeline for many prisoners during this time of terror. The writers of the letters knew the risks of making contact with "the West" -- prison or execution, yet the letters continued to arrive in Canada through circuitous and covert routes. The Bargen family responded with letters, money and packages, knowing that much material would not reach its destination.

Each item in the Bargen Letter Collection is numbered for easy reference. The post-war letters are not totally sorted as the earlier ones. The "pre-war" letters have also been digitally reproduced by the MHC staff in 2005.

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