Johannes Heinrich Janzen, a teacher at the Ohrloff Zentralschule in the Molotschna Mennonite settlement of South Russia and minister of the Gnadenfeld Mennonite Church, born 6 January 1868, at Waldheim (Molotschna), the eldest son of Heinrich Johann Janzen. After studying for three years at the normal school in Theodosia (Crimea), he taught at the Ohrloff Zentralschule until his death in 1917, a period of 28 years. His pedagogical methods led away from dry teaching in the direction of real life situations, and his literary work, Das goldene Zeitalter der Zukunft, clearly shows his leaning toward technical schools. In religious matters he was a doubting seeker and a rationalist until 1906, when he was converted to a somewhat pietistic view. From that time on he was an active and fruitful worker in the Mennonite churches, enjoying unusual popularity and respect.

Like his father, he was an amateur artist; although his work is imperfect in technique it reveals a deep love and understanding for the Molotschna landscape. His sketches, not yet published in the 1950s, form a valuable contribution to the study of the Russian Mennonite milieu. Some have found their way to Canada.

His literary works were for the most part also unpublished by the 1950s. Among them are children's stories like "Das Märchen vom Weihnachtsmann," "Die Geschichte van Miez, Mauz, Murr, und Hinz," lyric poems and prose, pedagogical and philosophical essays and articles. In addition, a few stories have been published in periodical literature—"Der David," and "Das Falkennest."  He also kept a diary.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 96. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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