Johann Karl Klatt was an outstanding school man among the Mennonites of South Russia. As a young man he was a teacher on the country estate of Johann Cornies II, son of the well-known Johann Cornies, and later became the son-in-law of the former. He studied systematically, Cornies' rich library offering a good opportunity for such study. Frequent contact with the Russian nobility and high government officials, and his service on the board of the Melitopol Realschule, as well as various other non-Mennonite institutions, gave him vision and social security, which served him well in representing the cause of Mennonite schools to the authorities.

In 1883 Klatt was elected to the school council by the conference (Kirchenkconvent), the head of the district (Gebietsvorsteher) of Halbstadt and Gnadenfeld, and the functioning member of the school council. In 1884 he was elected president of the school council, served in this capacity until 1887, when he resigned to serve as a regular member of the council. P. Heese succeeded him as president.

Klatt and Heese did many things together, such as school visitation, conferences, and examinations. Both also promoted schools financially. Under their influence the school system in the Molotschna took a long forward stride. On 4 September 1884 Klatt received the silver medal "For zeal" in his services to the cause of education. Klatt also served on the board of the Ohrloff Zentralschule in 1880-1890. He was a member of the Gnadenfeld Mennonite Church, and as a youth had been a pupil of Heinrich Franz.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 193. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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