Schmutz, a Mennonite family name, originating in Switzerland. In 1717 the name is listed for the first time in Anabaptist Registers of the Palatinate, South Germany, when a Christian Schmutz was living at Helmstadt (now Baden). Some members of the family probably immigrated to America at the end of the 18th century, and to England in the middle of the 19th century. It is now most numerous among the South German Mennonites. In 1755, according to the Naamlijst, Abraham and Christian Schmutz were preachers in the congregation called Hasselbach, Martinshof, Helmstedt, and Sennfeld. Christian Schmutz (1799-1873), of Rappenau, Baden, called "Christel-Vetter," was an outstanding leader and preacher in the congregations of the Gemeindeverband.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 468. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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