Basic facts of Konteniusfeld (also spelled Conteniusfeld):
– founded in 1831 by Mennonites from surrounding villages
– named after Samuel Contenius, committee member for foreign settlers in South Russia, who did much to help the Molotschna Colony.
– 1835 population: 245 with 40 establishments
– 1857 population: 450, living in 63 houses
– 1908 population: 540
– 1908: three businesses are listed: a brickyard, two windmills
– 1930s: at least 60 men sent into exile, with another 83 in 1941
– 1942 German army statistics: 483 Mennonites represented 94% of the total population of 514
– 1943: remaining Mennonite population joined “Great Trek” westward to Poland and Germany
– 2025: Google Maps shows former Konteniusfeld and Sparrau combined to form the village of Prostore
source: Molotschna Historical Atlas, pp. 142-143.
Color photos below are from my 2007 trip to Ukraine.
