© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated April 30, 2009)
Peter G. Epp, Mennonite literary author and teacher, was born on August 13, 1888 to Gerhard J. and Eliese (Fast) Epp in the village of Petershagen in the Molotschna colony, South Russia. He was educated at the teacher's training institute in Halbstadt, the Freie Evangelische Predigerschule in Basel Switzerland (1906-1908), the University of Heidelberg, Germany and received the Ph.D degree from the University of Basel in 1912. He taught school in Russia from 1912 to 1924 -- six years in Barvenkovo and six in Halbstadt. In 1924 he emigrated to the United States of America where he taught German and Russian at Bluffton College till 1934, and was Assistant professor of German and Russian, and Ohio State University from 1934 to 1951.
Peter Epp was an outstanding Mennonite author. His published works included Die Erlösung, Eine Mutter, Johanna, and Das Geisslein. His wife prepared his largest work, "An der Molotschna," a manuscript, on which he made some entries four days before his death, for publication. Other manuscripts, "Eros Multiformis" and "De Homine," were accepted by the University of Basel for safekeeping until the year 2000.
Peter G. Epp was first married to Helene Matthies (d. 1924), a marriage which produced to children: Arnold (1914) and Constantine (1916). He married Justina Dyck (1898-1998) in 1926, a marriage which produced one more son -- Harry (1928. His wife Justina Epp taught Russian at Ohio State University from 1946 to 1963. She published part of Peter's An der Molotschnaya in English in Mennonite Life in 1969 and as a book in German under the title Die Mennoniten in Russland sometime in the 1970s.
Peter Epp became ill with tuberculosis in 1946. He retired from in 1951, spent 17 months in a sanatorium in 1951-1952. He died in Columbus, Ohio on January 9, 1954 and was buried in Union Cemetery.
This fonds consist mostly of photocopies of Peter G. Epp's manuscripts which were deposited at the University of Basel in 1954 by his widow. According to his specific instructions, these manuscripts were to be held in reserve, not to be published or made accessible until the year 2100. (The year stipulated between Mrs. Epp and the Univesity of Basel is 2000.) Also included are the notes and article published in the Journal of Mennonite Studies by Dr. Peter Pauls of Winnipeg, who studied Peter G. Epp and translated Epp's Eine Mutter under the title Agathchen (Hyperion Press, 1986), as well as the audio recording of Clara K. Dyck of Winnipeg, reading these manuscript, to assist Pauls in his research.
Inventory file lists available
Peter G. Epp Collection, Mennonite Library and Archives, Newton Kansas.
Peter Pauls was permitted to make copies of these manuscripts at the University of Basel in 1990. He wrote about them in an article published in the Journal of Mennonite Studies, Vol. 12 (1994), and deposited the photocopies in 1996, with a further letter of explanation to MHC director, Lawrence Klippenstein dated 24 June 1997. The audio cassettes containing the voice of Clara K. Dyck reading these manuscripts were deposited at the MHC by Peter Pauls in 2009.
Mostly in German
Described by Alf Redekopp, May 2009
University of Basel, Switzerland.
none for access
Acc. No. 96-058; 09-022
Unpublished works
- Notes from Peter Pauls, Winnipeg on his Epp research:
- Letter to Lawrence Klippenstein, June 24, 1997 re. inventory of P.G. Epp papers
- "Many Kinds of Love: The Unpublished Works of Peter G. Epp" / Peter Pauls, University of Winnipeg, Journal of Mennonite Studies, Volume 12, 1994.
- List of holdings in the Peter Epp Collection, Bethel College
- Nachlass von Peter Epp, University of Basel
- A Tribute to Peter G. Epp by Justina D. Epp (published in Mennonite Life)
- MLA. MS104 Peter G. Epp: a bio and list of Epp’s published works
- A table of contents for Epp’s "An der Molotschnaja"
- Memo from Peter Pauls received 28 Apr 2009 about the unpublished works of Peter G. Epp, the audio cassettes, and a list of publications which to be consulted by readers/researchers interested in Peter G. Epp’s writings.
- Obituary of Justina Epp (1898-1998), Der Bote 3 June 1998, p. 6.
Published works- Eine Mutter / Peter Epp
- Erlösung / Peter Epp
- Die Mennoniten in Russland / Peter Epp
- Das Wunder / Peter Epp
"Eros Multiformis (Many Kinds of Love)" / Peter Epp (also wrote under the pseudonym “Ubique Peregrinus”, loosely translated as “World Traveller.”
See also, MHC audio cassettes 2750 to 2801 for reading of these manuscripts.Volume 4465
Volume 4466
- Die Stimme
- Die Jugens
Volume 4467
- Willie Schoppske
- Ohm Esau
Volume 4468
- Die Wege des Herrn
Volume 4469
- De Profundis
- In der Stille
Nos. 2750 to 2757 Willie Schoppske (8 tapes)
Nos. 2758 to 2766 De Profundis (9 tapes)
Nos. 2767 to 2777 Die Wege des Herrn (11 tapes)
Nos. 2778 to 2786 Ohm Esau (9 tapes)
Nos. 2787 to 2789 Die Stimme (3 tapes)
Nos. 2790 to 2796 In der Stille I (7 tapes)
Nos. 2797 to 2801 In der Stille II (5 tapes)