Lunéville is a city (population 20,200 in 1999; 19,065 in 1957) in northeastern France, known as the residence of Stanislaus Leczinski, King of Poland, when he was Duke of Lorraine. Peace was concluded here in 1801 between Austria and France. Luneville was the seat of a small Mennonite church. The Mennonites living here in the 18th century belonged to the Welschland congregation. On account of the distance between the members they divided, the local Mennonites formed the Luneville-Dieuze church (Mannhardt, Jahrbuch, 1888, 42), which met twice a month at the homes of the members. The congregation then consisted of fifteen families, with Christian Schweitzer as elder.

The Franco-Prussian war divided the congregation politically, but they continued to meet together until 1893, when border difficulties made it advisable to separate. The French families joined the congregation at Nancy. The German families continued to meet once a month in Dieuze. The number declined because of emigration and a low birth rate. Finally they joined the congregation at Morhange.

After World War I the Nancy church died out. The Lunéville-Dieuze group joined Gerbéviller, a subsidiary of Baccarat; together they organized the Lunéville congregation. It had then a membership of about 40 souls, and met once a month in a rented hall in Lunéville. There were smaller meetings and prayer meetings in the various homes. In 1954 the membership was ca. 30 souls, with no elder, and with a meeting only once a month. The preacher was Emile Muller, living in Herbéviller.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 414-415. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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