The site of this church near Randolph in the Rural Municipality of Hanover was once in the village of Chortitz (pronounced “gor-teetz”) within the Mennonite East Reserve. Named for a site in Russia from which local Mennonites had emigrated, the only vestige of the former village is a subtle hump adjacent to the road allowance where the main street used to be. The church was constructed between 1896 and 1897 on a design by Gerhard Schroeder (1848-1910) of Eigenhof. It was used for services until 2010. The building, designated a municipal heritage site in January 2014, is now used for community events.
An interpretive shelter featuring historical information about the Chortitz Heritage Church was built in 2018 by Jacob Harder of Blumenort. The church is also one of the waypoints on the new Peace Trail, beginning from the Mennonite Landing site, and heading eastwards to the Dirk Willems Peace Garden in Steinbach.
Chortitz Heritage Church (September 2015)
Source: Ernest Braun
Chortitz Heritage Church (October 2022)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Interior of the Chortitz Heritage Church (October 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Chortitz Heritage Church and interpretive shelter (October 2022)
Source: Rose KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.54622, W96.83082
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Chortitza Mennonite Cemetery (Randolph, RM of Hanover)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
Historical Atlas of the East Reserve Illustrated, edited by Ernest N. Braun and Glen R. Klassen, Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, 2015.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough, Rose Kuzina, and Ernest Braun.
Page revised: 14 December 2022
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