John Horsch, 1867-1941

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Hist. Mss. 1-8
Contained in 32 boxes: 22 Green,4 Long, 7 Gray

Biographical Sketch

John Horsch was born in Giebelstadt near Wuertzburg, Germany to Jacob Horsch and Barbara Landes. John's father was a deacon and he grew up in a Mennonite home. His nonresistant convictions forced him to leave Germany in 1887 Horsch traveled to America where he attended the Indian Mission School of Christian Krehbiel, where he learned English.

John was hired by the Mennonite Publishing Company to edit some of the German-language periodicals that John F. Funk published in Elkhart. He worked there from 1887-1895 while also studying at various colleges.

In 1908, Horsch and his family moved to Scottdale, Pennsylvania, where he was employed by the Mennonite Publishing House as German editor. He did much research and writing in his years at Scottdale.
Horsch had an avid interest in Mennonite history and thought. He translated many documents and wrote of their significance in articles and books. His Mennonites in Europe was published post-humously in 1942, by the Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale Pennsylvania.

Although history was perhaps Horsch's greatest forte, his thoughts were not immersed in the past. Harold Bender wrote of John Horsch, "[Horsch's life was] the Mennonite Church. He strove to help her to attained maintain the ideal of the church, `without spot or wrinkle,' wholly devoted to her Lord."

Box Listing

Box 1 Correspondence 1873-1899 Gray
Box 2 Correspondence 1900-1924 Gray
Box 3 Correspondence 1925-1926 Gray
Box 4 Correspondence 1927-1929 Gray
Box 5 Correspondence 1930-1933 Gray
Box 6 Correspondence 1934-1940 Gray
Box 8 Notes & Manuscripts: Adam Pastor - Anabaptists in South Germany Green
Box 9 Notes & Manuscripts: Anabaptists of Muenster - Hans Denck Green
Box 10 Notes & Manuscripts: Divine Illumination - Hubmaier Green
Box 11 Notes & Manuscripts: Hutterian Brethren Green
Box 12 Notes & Manuscripts: Hutterian Brethren - Luther Green
Box 13 Notes & Manuscripts: Lutheran Reformation - Menno Simons Green
Box 14 Notes & Manuscripts: Menno Simons - Muensterite Green
Box 15 Notes & Manuscripts: Muensterites - Persecutions Green
Box 16 Notes & Manuscripts: Philips, Dirk - Sattler Michael Green
Box 17 Notes & Manuscripts: Schaffhausen - Swiss Brethren Green
Box 18 Notes & Manuscripts: Trinity of God - Zwingli Green
Box 19 Notes & Manuscripts: "The Anabaptist" Long
Box 20 Notebooks clippings Green
Box 21 Notebooks clippings Green
Box 22 Notebooks clippings, War and Peace Green
Box 23 Notebooks clippings, Religion and Peace Green
Box 24 Notebooks clippings, Notebooks Green
Box 25 Notebooks clippings, Notebooks Green
Box 26 Notebooks, Notes and indices Green
Box 27 Notebooks, Notes and indices Green
Box 28 Notebooks, Notes and indices Green
Box 29 Notebooks clippings Long
Box 30 Notebooks clippings Long
Box 31 Notebooks clippings Long
Box 32 Miscellaneous Green

Series Headings

Correspondence Boxes 1-7
Notes and manuscripts Boxes 8-19
Notebooks Boxes 20-29
Miscellaneous Box 30

Hist. mss. 1-8-1 Correspondence, 1873-1940

Box 1 (Gray) 1873-18991/1 Correspondence, 1873-1877 (German)
1/2 Correspondence, 1885 (German)
1/3 Correspondence, 1886 (German)
1/4 Correspondence, 1887 (German)
1/5 Correspondence, 1888 (German)
1/6 Correspondence, 1889 (German)
1/7 Correspondence, 1889 (German)
1/8 Correspondence, 1890 (German)
1/9 Correspondence, 1890 (German)
1/10 Correspondence, 1891 (German)
1/11 Correspondence, 1891 (German)
1/12 Correspondence, 1892 (German)
1/13 Correspondence, 1893 (German)
1/14 Correspondence, 1893 (German)
1/15 Correspondence, 1894 (German)
1/16 Correspondence, 1896 (German)
1/17 Correspondence, 1897 (German)

Box 2 (Gray) 1920-24 A - G
2/1 Correspondence, 1900 (German)
2/2 Correspondence, 1901-1902 (German)
2/3 Correspondence, 1904 (English)
2/4 Correspondence, 1904 (German)
2/5 Correspondence, 1906 (English)
2/6 Correspondence, 1908 (English)
2/7 Correspondence, 1908 (German)
2/8 Correspondence, 1910-1913 (German)
2/9 Correspondence, 1914-1916 (English)
2/10 Correspondence, 1914-1916 (German)
2/11 Correspondence, 1917-1919 (English)
2/12 Correspondence, 1917-1919 (English)
2/13 Correspondence, 1920 (English)
2/14 Correspondence, 1920 (German)
2/15 Correspondence, 1921 (English)
2/16 Correspondence, 1921 (German)
2/17 Correspondence, 1922 (English)
2/18 Correspondence, 1922 (German)
2/19 Correspondence, 1923 (English)
2/20 Correspondence, 1923 (German)
2/21 Correspondence, 1924 A - G (English)
2/22 Correspondence, 1924 A - G (German)

Box 3 (Gray) 1924-26 G - N
3/1 Correspondence, 1924 G - N (English)
3/2 Correspondence, 1924 G - N (English)
3/3 Correspondence, 1924 O - Z (English)
3/4 Correspondence, 1924 O - Z (German)
3/5 Correspondence, 1925 A - B (English)
3/6 Correspondence, 1925 A - B (German)
3/7 Correspondence, 1925 C - F (English)
3/8 Correspondence, 1925 C - F (English)
3/9 Correspondence, 1925 G - K (English)
3/10 Correspondence, 1925 G - K (German)
3/11 Correspondence, 1925 L - O (English)
3/12 Correspondence, 1925 L - O (German)
3/13 Correspondence, 1925 P - Z (English)
3/14 Correspondence, 1925 P - Z (German)
3/15 Correspondence, 1926 A - B (German)
3/16 Correspondence, 1926 A - B (English)
3/17 Correspondence, 1926 C - G (English)
3/18 Correspondence, 1926 C - G (German)
3/19 Correspondence, 1926 H (English)
3/20 Correspondence, 1926 H (German)

Box 4 (Gray) 1926 (I - M) -1928
4/1 Correspondence, 1926 I - M (English)
4/2 Correspondence, 1926 I - M (German)
4/3 Correspondence, 1926 N - Z (English)
4/4 Correspondence, 1926 N - Z (German)
4/5 Correspondence, 1927 A - D (English)
4/6 Correspondence, 1927 A - D (German)
4/7 Correspondence, 1927 E - G (English)
4/8 Correspondence, 1927 E - G (German)
4/9 Correspondence, 1927 H - L (English)
4/10 Correspondence, 1927 H - L (German)
4/11 Correspondence, 1927 M (English)
4/12 Correspondence, 1927 M (German)
4/13 Correspondence, 1927 N - Z (English)
4/14 Correspondence, 1927 N - Z (German)
4/15 Correspondence, 1927 (Carbons)
4/16 Correspondence, 1928 A - B (English)
4/17 Correspondence, 1928 A - B (German)
4/18 Correspondence, 1928 C - G (English)
4/19 Correspondence, 1928 C - G (German)
4/20 Correspondence, 1928 H - L (English)
4/21 Correspondence, 1928 H - L (German)
4/22 Correspondence, 1928 M - Z (English)
4/23 Correspondence, 1928 M - Z (German)
4/24 Correspondence, 1928 (Carbons)

Box 5 (Gray) 1929-1932
5/1 Correspondence, 1929 A - H (English)
5/2 Correspondence, 1929 A - H (German)
5/3 Correspondence, 1929 I - Z (English)
5/4 Correspondence, 1929 I - Z (German)
5/5 Correspondence, 1929 (Carbons)
5/6 Correspondence, 1930 A - B (English)
5/7 Correspondence, 1930 A - B (German)
5/8 Correspondence, 1930 C - G (English)
5/9 Correspondence, 1930 C - G (German)
5/10 Correspondence, 1930 H -Z (English)
5/11 Correspondence, 1930 H - Z (German)
5/12 Correspondence, 1931 A - E (Englsh)
5/13 Correspondence, 1931 A - E (German)
5/14 Correspondence, 1931 F - H (English)
5/15 Correspondence, 1931 F- H (German)
5/16 Correspondence, 1931 I - Z (English)
5/17 Correspondence, 1931 I - Z (German)
5/18 Correspondence, 1931 (Carbons)
5/19 Correspondence, 1932 A - J (English)
5/20 Correspondence, 1932 A - J (German)
5/21 Correspondence, 1932 K - Z (English)
5/22 Correspondence, 1932 K - Z (German)
5/23 Correspondence, 1932 (Carbons)

Box 6 (Gray) 1933-1938
6/1 Correspondence, 1933 A - H (English)
6/2 Correspondence, 1933 A - H (German)
6/3 Correspondence, 1933 I - Z (English)
6/4 Correspondence, 1933 I - Z (German)
6/5 Correspondence, 1934 A - G (English)
6/6 Correspondence, 1943 A - G (German)
6/7 Correspondence, 1934 H - Z (English)
6/8 Correspondence, 1934 H - Z (German)
6/9 Correspondence, 1934 Horsch Carbons
6/10 Correspondence, 1935 A - G (English)
6/11 Correspondence, 1935 A - G (German)
6/12 Correspondence, 1935 H - Z (English)
6/13 Correspondence, 1935 H- Z (German)
6/14 Correspondence, 1935 Horsch Carbons
6/15 Correspondence, 1936 A - J (English)
6/16 Correspondence, 1936 A - J (German)
6/17 Correspondence, 1936 K - Z (English)
6/18 Correspondence, 1936 K - Z (German)
6/19 Correspondence, 1936 Horsch Carbons
6/20 Correspondence, 1937 A - J (English)
6/21 Correspondence, 1937 A - J (German)
6/22 Correspondence, 1937 K - Z (English)
6/23 Correspondence, 1937 K - Z (German)
6/24 Correspondence, 1937 Horsch Carbons
6/25 Correspondence, 1938 A - K (English)
6/26 Correspondence, 1938 A - K (German)
6/27 Correspondence, 1938 L - Z (English)
6/28 Correspondence, 1938 L - Z (German)
6/29 Correspondence, 1938 Horsch Carbons

Box 7 (Gray) 1939 and undated; unidentified
7/1 Correspondence, 1939 A - H (English)
7/2 Correspondence, 1939 A - H (German)
7/3 Correspondence, 1939 I - Z ( English)
7/4 Correspondence, 1939 I - Z (German)
7/5 Correspondence, 1939 Horsch Carbons
7/6 Correspondence, 1940 A - Z (English)
7/7 Correspondence, undated, German
7/8 Correspondence, first pages only
7/9 Correspondence, last page only
7/10 Correspondence, insufficient signatures
7/11
7/12 Correspondence, misc. pages (English)
7/13 Correspondence, misc. pages (German)

Hist.Mss. 1-8-2 Notes and Manuscripts

Box 8 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts, Adam Pastor - Anabaptists in South Germany
8/0 Bibliography of Horsch writings
8/1 Adam Pastor
8/2 Alsace
8/3 American Mennonites
8/4 Amillennialism
8/5 Amish division, Jakob Amman
8/6 Anabaptism
8/7 Anabaptist history
8/8 Anabaptist persecution
8/9 Anabaptist sects, introductory and persecution
8/10 "The Anabaptists"
8/11 Anabaptists - Christian life
8/12 Anabaptists - Current misinterpretations
8/13 Anabaptist - persecution, evangelical spread
8/14 Anabaptists in Austia
8/15 Anabaptists in South Germany

Box 9 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Anabaptists of Muenster - Denck, Hans
9/1 Anabaptists of Muenster
9/2 Attire
9/3 Authority of Scripture
9/4 Avoidance
9/5 Baptism
9/6 Basel
9/7 Bern
9/8 Bruderl Vereingung
9/9 Brudermord
9/10 Canada
9/11 Chaco & Mexico
9/12 Church and State
9/13 "The Church in the teaching of the Mennonite Fathers
and of the More Prominant Reformers"
9/14 Clippings and articles
9/15 "Communism: A Deadly Foe to Christianity"
9/16 Confessions
9/17 Decadence of Apostolic Christianity
9/18 Denck, Hans

Box 10 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Divine Illumination - Hubmaier
10/1 Divine Illumination
10/2 Early Church
10/3 The Educational Problems Confronting the Church
10/4 E. Z. Ernst publishings
10/5 "Anabaptist movement: Erroneous Theories Regarding the Origin of the Anabaptist Movement"
10/6 Feet washing
10/7 First Mennonite printing office
10/8 Franck, Sebastian
10/9 Friesians
10/10 Die Gelehrten
10/11 Unser Gemeindeprinzip
10/12 Gothic, Instrumental music
10/13 Haetzler, Ludwig
10/14 Hoffman, Melchior
10/15 Holiness
10/16 Holland - Liberalism
10/17 Horsch articles (German and English periodicals)
10/18 Hubmaier, Balthasar

Box 11 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Hutterian Brethren
11/1 "The Brethren in Moravia"
11/2 "Hutterian Brethren"
11/3 Hutterian Brethren: book footnotes
11/4 Decline and destruction of the Hutterian Brethren
11/5 H. Breth.: "Der Jesuit Delpini"
11/6 Gemeinde #1, "Die Enstehung den Hutterischen Bruder
11/7 Gemeinde #2, "Die Enstehung . . .
11/8 Gemeinde #3, "Die Enstehung . . .
11/9 Hans Krael letter to Melchoir Platzer
11/10 Hutterian Brethren: Mennonite Quarterly Review
11/11 Hutterian Brethren: Misc. manuscripts & articles
11/12 Hutterian Brethren: Mission, church, life
11/13 H. Breth.: Origins, persecutions, tolerations
11/14 H. Breth.: Faith and principles

Box 12 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Hutterian Brethren - Luther
12/1 "Hutterian Brethren Until the Year 1593"
12/2 "Hutterian Persectution in Moravia and Final Banishment
12/3 "Die Hutterische Brueder Gemeinde"
12/4 Die Hutterischen Brueder #1
12/4a Die Hutterischen Brueder #2
12/4b Die Hutterischen Brueder #3
12/4c Die Hutterischen Brueder #4
12/4d Die Hutterischen Brueder #5
12/5 Immersion
12/6 Incarnation - Socinians - Diety of Christ
12/7 "Influence of Mennonite Church Upon Other Churches and Movements"
12/8 Inneres Wort Erleuchtung
12/9 Kalendar Articles, 1923
12/10 Liberty
12/11 "Early Mennonite Teaching on Liberty of Conscience"
12/12 "Lieder der Tauer"
12/13 Luther, Martin
12/14 Luther and the Anabaptists
12/15 "Martin Luther's Attitude to the Liberty of Conscience"
12/16 "Luther's Relation to Zwinglianism"
12/17 "Luther's Relation to Zwinglianism and Roman Catholicism"

Box 13 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Lutheran Reformation - Menno Simons
13/1 "The Beginnings of the Lutheran Reformation"
13/2 Marpeck, Pilgrim
13/3 "The Melchiorites and Menno Simons' Attitude Toward Them"
13/4 "Menno Simons" (English)
13/5 "Menno Simons" (German)
13/6 "Menno Simons" (German) #2

Box 14 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Menno Simons - Muensterites
14/1 "Menno Simons' Attitude Toward the Anabaptists of Muenster"
14/2 "Menno Simons' Co-workers"
14/3 "Menno Simons' Labors in East Friesland and North Germany"
14/4 "Menno Simons: The Nature of the Church"
14/5 Menno on Rationalism
14/6 "Menno Simons' Relation to the State Church Reformation"
14/7 Mennoniten Bruedergemeinde in Ruszland
14/8 Mennonite fathers
14/9 "The Mennonite Fathers on Church Discipline"
14/10 Mennonite Union
14/11 Mennonites in Europe
14/12 Mennonites in France
14/13 "Mennonites in Holland"
14/14 Mennonites in Prussia
14/15 Mennonites of North Germany and Poland
14/16 "The Mennonites of Russia
14/17 Millenium
14/18 Misc.
14/19 Missionary Church
14/20 Missions
14/21 Muensterites

Box 15 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Muensterites - Persecutions
15/1 Muensterites
15/2 Muentzer, Thomas
15/3 Nonresistance
15/4 Nonresistance - historical
15/5 Old vs. New Testaments
15/6 "The Origin of the Mennonite Church"
15/7 The Origin of the Mennonite Church: Unfounded Ideas"
15/8 A peculiar view of the incarnation of Christ
15/9 "The Ancestors of the Pennsylvania Mennonites in the Palatinate"
15/10 Persection and toleration, religious liberty
15/11 "Persecution of the Swiss Brethren in the Canton of Bern in the Sixteenth Century"
15/12 Persecutions

Box 16 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Philips, Dirk - Sattler, Michael
16/1 Philips, Dirck
16/2 Philips, Obbe
16/3 Philips, Obbe as a Melchiorite
16/4 Pietismius
16/5 "Practice of Avoidance Among the Early Mennonites"
16/6 Predestination
16/7 "The Primitive Church"
16/8 "Propaganda: A Critique" (response to Melvin Gingerich MQR, Ap. 1939)
16/9 Prozess von Worms
16/10 Quakers
16/11 Reform
16/12 Relation between Mennonite and State Churches
16/13 "Rise of Mennonitism in the Netherlands"
16/14 Ruby, Katie (Totesanzeige von Ihr, 1938)
16/15 Russia and Russian Mennonites, including Mexico
16/16 Russian Immigration to Canada, 1873-1880
16/17 Sacraments and ordinances
16/18 St.. Galler Taeufer
16/19 Sattler, Michael

Box 17 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Schaffhausen - Swiss Brethren
17/1 Schaffhausen
17/2 Schwachen
17/3 Schweitzer Brueder
17/4 Schwenkfeld, Caspar
17/5 Sekten der Taeufer
17/6 "The `Semi-Mennonites' in Switzerland"
17/7 Slavery
17/8 Smithson (clipping from The Scottish Baptist Magazine)
17/9 Stiefel
17/10 Story
17/11 Strasburg
17/12 "Die Strasburgen Taeufer"
17/13 Support of Ministers
17/14 Swiss Brethren
17/15 The Swiss Brethren in Saint Gallen

Box 18 (Green) Notes and Manuscripts: Trinity of God - Zwingli
18/1 Teaching of the Early Mennonite Church on the Doctrine of the Trinity of God
18/2 Toleration
18/3 Translations
18/4 Two Kingdoms
18/5 "Unbeschwertes Wasser"
18/6 The Unrighteous Mammon
18/7 Waldenses
18/8 Waldensian descent of Mennonites
18/9 Waterlandian Mennonites
18/10 "The Weakness of the Defence of Infant Baptism"
18/11 "Who are the Mennonites?"
18/12 Wunderzeichen
18/13 John Wycliffe and John Huss
18/14 Zins, Zehnten
18/15 Zuerich
18/16 Zuerich (additions)
18/17 Zuerich (footnotes)
18/18 Zwingli
18/19 Luther, Zwingli on Church and State
18/20 "Zwingli von Taeufer beeinflusst"
18/21 Zwingli's Struggle with the Anabaptists

Box 19 (Long Green) Notes and Manuscripts: "The Anabaptists"
19/1 "The Anabaptists #1 pp.1-80
19/2 "The Anabaptists #2 pp.81-160
19/3 "The Anabaptists #3 pp. 161-243 (end)

Boxes 20 -31 contain the notebooks and clippings of John Horsch.

Box 32 (Green) John Horsch Miscellaneous
32/1 John Horsch writings - non correspondence
32/2 Burkholder family
32/3 Conference of Pacifist Churches - Committee minutes
32/4 Critiques of manuscripts
32/5 Juniata Conference, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, 1923
32/6 Modernism - J. E. Hartzler's reply
32/7 Notes for Horsch biography in Mennonite Quarterly Review
32/8 Horsch - Keller letters, MQR issue
32/9 Intro. and translation several letters for MQR issue
32/10 List of Keller letters for MQR issue
32/11 Robert Friedman article, "Ludwig Keller and John Horsch," MQR
32/12 Correspondence etc., MQR
32/13 Obituaries of John Horsch
32/14 Printed material, Sword & Trumpet etc.
32/15 Waldner, Johannes 1794 letter (partial)
32/16 Miscellaneous writings
32/17 John Horsch and Christine Funk Horsch grave photos