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History

Canadian Mennonites (1743 people) immigrated to the Paraguayan Chaco, the “Green Hell”, in 1926/27 to found a new settlement called Menno Colony. The name is derived from Menno Simons, the leader of the Mennonites in 16th century Europe. This first Mennonite settlement in the southern hemisphere consisted of 14 villages, land that had been purchased from Carlos Casado. The need for a social and economic structure led to the founding of the “Sociedad Civil Colonizadora Chortitzer Komitee” in 1936. Agriculture was the basis of the economy of Colonia Menno. The almost complete isolation in the Chaco prevented rapid and continuous economic development, and in the first decades, there was a struggle against the harsh climate (especially prolonged droughts), ants and locusts, as well as the lack of roads, communication, and adequate transportation. The Chaco War also significantly affected the development of colonization. This civil administration was responsible for all matters of the Colony, such as sales and transportation of products, trade (purchase and sale of agricultural products and everyday goods), registration of trade marks, cattle, and factories, and many more.