Mennonites are a group of Christians founded by a former priest from Friesland, Menno Simons, in the 16th century. Despite centuries of persecution and discrimination because of their strong pacifist views and rejection of unconscious baptism, Mennonites still thrive around the world. In fact, because they were not always welcome in the Dutch Republic, they took their excellent farming skills and settled in distant, more tolerant places, such as the Vistula Delta in Poland in the mid-16th century. Mennonites held their third international symposium in Poland in 2002, which offered our reporter Hans Niemandverdriet a golden opportunity to speak with them about their Dutch roots and their efforts to preserve the traces of Mennonite culture.
Producer: Marijke van der Meer
Producer: Hans Niemandverdriet
Broadcast: October 16, 2002