Feb. 22, 2010 issue
Russia researcher adds to online encyclopedia
By Conrad StoeszHelmut T. Huebert has found it is possible to learn a great deal in a church parking lot.
Huebert
The historian and author connects with people in one-on-one informal settings — what he calls parking lot research.
“It is surprising what comes out of the woodwork,” he said.
Through that method and others, Huebert has gathered a great deal of information on Russian Mennonites, which he has now donated to the growing Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
Huebert, author of nine books and co-author of Mennonite Historical Atlas, has documented settlements, individuals and estates. His books contain a gold mine of biographical information of influential Mennonites.
In his research Huebert consults rare newspapers, family genealogies and other archival documents that detail the Russian Mennonite experience. Often his published work has become the best — sometimes only — major resource on an individual.
Huebert’s aim is to “help people gain a better understanding of Mennonite history and in many cases their own family history,” he said in a phone interview. “The partnering with GAMEO will help make that happen.”
GAMEO’s management board is grateful for access to this significant body of research.
“It is actually quite remarkable to be offered such a wonderful resource,” said Sam Steiner of Waterloo, Ont., GAMEO’s managing editor. “We hope this will prompt other compilers of biographical and congregational data to consider a similar donation.”
Huebert’s materials will be edited according to the GAMEO editorial guidelines and uploaded over the next year.
Huebert’s next project is to document Mennonite involvement in health care in Russia. He has started his research, uncovering names of trained doctors, nurses, midwives and other medical personnel.
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