Fernheim Colony

Fernheim Colony is a Russian Mennonite settlement of about 5000 in the Chaco of Paraguay. Mennonites from the Soviet Union founded it between 1930 and 1932. Filadelfia is the administrative center of the colony, and as the state capital Boqueron is considered the 'Capitol of the Chaco'. During the 1930s, some Russian Mennonites seeking to escape Stalinism were admitted into Germany because they spoke German and Plautdietsch. Nevertheless they did not want to stay and a year later moved to Paraguay. There already were settlements in Paraguay, like the villages of "Blumengart", "Schönbach" and "Simons" of the Menno Colony founded by Chortitza, Sommerfeld and Bergthal Mennonites from Canada in the 1920's. The Russian Mennonites settled nearby, founding Fernheim Colony.

The journey to Paraguay was extremely difficult. Their destination, set aside by Paraguayan government decree, was completely undeveloped. Travel was exhausting: a steamboat was taken up the Paraguay River to Puerto Casado, from where a narrow gauge railway went 150 km (93 mi) west into the Chaco bush. From there it was a few more long days of travel by oxcart to their settlement area. It was not until 1956 that the construction of the trans-Chaco highway connecting Asunción to Filadelfia was started. The economic base of Fernheim is agriculture and processing of agricultural products. The most important products are cotton, peanuts, beef, milk and dairy products.

Fernheim is the second Mennonite colony in Paraguay, after Menno Colony.

Further reading

* Heinrich Duerksen (Hrsg.): "50 Jahre Kolonie Fernheim. Ein Beitrag in der Entwicklung Paraguays", Filadelfia, Kolonie Fernheim, 1980
* Kai Rohkohl: "Die plautdietsche Sprachinsel Fernheim, Chaco (Paraguay)", Elwert, Marburg, 1993, ISBN 3-7708-1020-1