NORKA
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People > Stories > Ackerbestunde

Prayer Hour for the Farmers (Ackerbestunde)

​As winter eased its icy grip on Norka, thoughts began to turn to the start of spring plowing. A great deal of attention was paid to the preparation of the land. The soil needed to be dry, but not too dry, since summers were very hot and rainfall was rare.

On the chosen day, certain farmers left their homes in the early morning to plow the first furrows in the fields that lay far beyond the village.
​
In preparation for the work, wagons, horses and oxen were made ready. Before departing for the fields, the farmers participated in a prayer hour (Ackerbestunde). This was a holy day for all farmers. 
Volga German Farmers on their way to the fields
Photo titled "On the way to the fields." The caption states that farmers, along with wives and children, often had to travel up to 30 kilometers from their homes to work the fields and bring in the harvest.
It was still dark when the bells called the farmers to worship. In their festive clothes they hurried through the streets to the large wooden church which would soon fill to capacity. Once inside, solemn silence reigned until the organ thundered and thousands of people began to sing as one. 

In spiritual unity the entire congregation fell to their knees. Before the altar, the pastor also knelt and asked the Lord to bless the work of farmers, to protect their cattle from disease, to prevent extreme heat and cold, to save the village from fire and illness. Standing, the farmers asked God to give them strength and patience to finish the field work and harvest, for the maintenance of the fields to be free of weeds. They also asked for strength in their faith in God and Jesus Christ. Then those gathered prayed: "Our Father" (the Lord's Prayer).

After the service the farmers returned home and quickly ate their breakfast. An hour later, they boarded their wagons laden with harrows, plows and other agricultural implements, as well as the pots and dishes they would use in the fields. Many of these men would not return to the village until the harvest was completed in the fall.

Source

This story is based on an article titled "Ackerbestunde in Norka" written by Edith Müthel in 2001 and published in the "Christlichen Kalender für Frauen in deutscher und russischer Sprache". Only minor changes were made to add clarity. The article is posted on the website: www.hanna-strack.de (accessed December 17, 2016).
Last updated December 17, 2016.
Copyright © 2002-2023 Steven H. Schreiber
  • Home
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    • Reviews
    • Contact
  • People
    • Founders
    • Personal Histories
    • Notable Norkans
    • Stories
    • Photo Identification
    • Photo Gallery
  • Community
    • Village Life
    • Entertainment
    • Agriculture
    • Climate
    • Homesites
    • Geographical Description
    • Government
    • Social Structure
    • Health
    • Education
    • A Land of Ethnic Diversity
    • Cottage Industries >
      • Sarpinka
      • Mills
    • Language
    • Population
    • Military Service
    • Crime and Punishment
  • History
    • Timeline
    • Origins of the Colonists
    • Catherine's Manifesto 1763
    • Why go to Russia?
    • Recruitment 1766
    • Planning 1764-1766
    • Marriages Prior To Emigration 1766
    • Voyage to Russia 1766 >
      • Ship Transport 1766
    • Journey 1766-1767
    • Founding of Norka 1767
    • Early Years 1767-1769
    • Norka 1769
    • Pallas Report 1773
    • Pugachev Raid 1774
    • Norka 1775
    • Norka 1798
    • Norka 1811
    • Napoleons Soldiers
    • Norka 1834
    • Daughter Colonies 1850s >
      • Neu-Norka
      • Oberdorf
      • Brunnental
      • Rosenfeld (am Jeruslan)
      • Neu Hussenbach (Gaschon)
    • Privileges Lost 1871-1874
    • Immigration 1875-1924 >
      • To the United States >
        • Colorado
        • Ft Collins Colorado
        • Globeville Colorado
        • Mason City, Iowa
        • Culbertson, Nebraska
        • Lincoln, Nebraska
        • Sutton, Nebraska
        • Burlington, Oklahoma
        • Weatherford, Oklahoma
        • Canby, Oregon
        • Portland, Oregon
      • To Canada >
        • Duffield, Alberta
        • Ponoka, Alberta
        • Spruce Grove, Alberta
        • Stony Plain, Alberta
        • Vegreville, Alberta
        • Arcola, Saskatchewan
      • To Germany
      • To South America
    • Famine 1891-1892
    • Norka 1898
    • War & Turnoil 1904-1906
    • World War 1914-1918
    • Revolution & War 1917-1922
    • Soviet Rule 1918-1941
    • Famine 1921-1924
    • Famine 1932-1933
    • The Great Terror 1936-1938
    • Deportation 1941
    • Repression 1941-1956
    • Cultural Loss 1957-2006
    • A Culture in Peril
    • Recent Times
  • Traditions
    • Food and Drink
    • Clothing
    • Holidays >
      • New Year
      • Fastnacht
      • Lent
      • Easter
      • Ascension Day
      • Pentecost
      • Founder's Day
      • Harvest Festival
      • Jahrmarkt
      • Christmas
      • Anniversaries & Birthdays
    • Crafts
    • Games
    • Folk Medicine
    • Superstitions
    • Nicknames
    • Folk Music
    • Church Music
    • Prayers
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Communion
    • Weddings
    • Funerals and Burials
  • Religion
    • Planning and History >
      • Norka Reformed Church 1767-1864
      • 1909 Norka Parish Report
    • Pastors >
      • Johann Heinrich Fuchs
      • Johann Georg Herwig
      • Johannes Baptista Cattaneo
      • Lukas Cattaneo
      • Emanuel Grunauer
      • Friedrich Börner
      • Christian Gottlieb Hegele
      • Christoph H Bonwetsch
      • Gottlieb N Bonwetsch
      • Wilhelm Staerkel
      • Woldemar Sibbul
      • David Weigum
      • Friedrich Alexander Wacker
      • Emil Pfeiffer
    • Church Practices >
      • Parochial Certificates
    • Church Buildings
    • Church Organs
    • Bell Tower
    • Brethren Movement
  • Resources
    • Family Research
    • Research Resources >
      • Arrival Records 1766
      • Descendant Charts
      • German EWZ Records
      • Soviet Gulag Records
    • Maps
    • Glossary
    • Bibliography
    • Periodicals >
      • Die Welt-Post Letters
    • Related Links