Cn 1916, when Berlin, Ontario changed its name to Kitchener, Mennonite diarist Susannah Cressman wrote, “Such is the wisdom of our…town fathers who are making [military contract] money out of it.” That same year preacher U. K. Weber persuaded his congregation to adopt the name “First Mennonite Church” to avoid naming the church after “warlord” Kitchener. In 1918, Mennonite conscientious objector Joseph Smith worried that he would be court-martialed. Later that year, soldier and Mennonite Gordon Eby acted as interpreter when his battalion marched into a defeated Germany, where the warmth and hospitality of the people he met made a deep impression. Meanwhile in Russia, Mennonite field chaplain J.H. Janzen won the respect of the men by eschewing officers’ privileges; he would soon become an immigrant to Canada.
At the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, Laureen Harder-Gissing is preparing to commemorate the First World War anniversary through Mennonite eyes. On January 31, 2014, Laureen will present her timely research in the Grebel board room (CGR 1301) from 12:30-1:30 pm. By presenting an exhibit of individual Mennonite stories “side by side” in all their complexity, she hopes to inspire deeper conversations about collective memory. This paper will present her research and emerging questions in preparation for the exhibit. She will also introduce the Archives’ new Guide to Peace Research.