Jacob Hoeppner

Who was Jacob Hoeppner?

Jacob Hoeppner was one of two delegates selected by the Mennonite community in Danzig, Prussia, to travel to South Russia and evaluate land along the Dnieper River near Chortitza as a possible settlement. The Mennonites were recruited by Queen Catherine II the Great to settle on territory recently won from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The entire Ukraine had a population of three million at most. In order to settle this empty territory, colonists from western Europe were invited to come to Russia.

Russian colonization agents advertised the availability of crown lands to people throughout Europe. One of these was Georg von Trappe, who visited the Mennonites of Danzig in 1786. The Mennonite congregations elected to send Hoeppner and Johann Bartsch, who von Trappe arranged to send to Russia at government expense. They departed in the fall of 1786, sailing first to Riga, then travelling cross country, arriving at the Dnieper in late November. From here they sailed down the river looking for a suitable site. They met Potemkin at Kremenchuk and were presented to Catherine in May, as she was inspecting her new territories.