The Mennonitische Siedlungshilfe e.V. (MSH translated as: Mennonite Settlement Aid, Inc.), was founded on 24 July 1953 at Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, Germany, and registered there as a charitable organization on 18 September 1953, with the purpose of promoting the construction of dwellings, meetinghouses, and rural settlements for Mennonite refugees and other needy persons, also the gathering of scattered Mennonites into community settlements and counseling and aiding them in economic, cultural, and religious matters. It furnished financial aid through loans with funds secured primarily from the American Mennonites through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) . It also served as an advisory council for the MCC Pax units working at home-building in Germany. It played a major role in the creation of the Mennonite settlements at Backnang near Stuttgart, Bechterdissen near Bielefeld, Enkenbach near Kaiserslautern, and Wedel near Hamburg. Its work in this field of home building continued.

Through the help of the Mennonitische Siedlungshilfe hundreds of Mennonite refugees from Danzig and West Prussia were gathered together again into communities and congregations, and again found a home, spiritual fellowship, and a solid base for living.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 648. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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