Wiens, Klaas Klaas (1768-1821) Klaas Klaas Wiens: administrator
and first Mennonite estate owner in Russia; born 16 February
1768 in Herrenhagen, West Prussia, to Klaas Wiens. On 11 March
1788 he married Anna Wiens. The couple had four children. Klaas
died in 1821 on the Steinbach estate near the Molotschna
settlement, South Russia. After his marriage, Klaas Klass Wiens
and his family continued to live in Prussia for some years,
Klaas working as a pin maker and a farmer. In 1803, they joined
other Mennonites in migrating to Russia, moving first to the
Chortitza settlement, where Klaas was chosen as the Oberschulze,
given the task of organizing the new colony planned for the east
bank of the Molotschnaya River. His leadership style was
progressive, and he was seen as a good administrator. He divided
the new settlement into nine village groups, with the site of
the colony and the plots for each farmer chosen by lot. As
Oberschulze of the Molotschna Colony, Klaas Klaas Wiens worked
with all aspects of village li