Rod Hofer is a retired Environmental Engineer who has made a study of his Hutterite heritage. Rod grew up in Freeman, South Dakota, the site of a Hutterite Community. Through the years his interest grew and was stimulated by work and travel in Europe. Rod went on to author “Hutterites in Romania” and to lead tours of the communities where they lived. The Hutterites were a branch of the Anabaptist movement of the 1600s which also included the Mennonites and Amish. Their beliefs put them at odds with the established church and governments, resulting in severe persecution. They were pacifists, and refused to make oaths, they believed in adult baptism and the separation of church and state. They were communal people, holding material goods in common. Some local princes offered shelter for the group who were famous for their clocks, pottery, wine, medical expertise and schools. However, their beliefs brought down devastation and a mere 78 members had to flee over the alps in 1716. After a stay in Russia they came to America, settling in South Dakota. Their pacifism caused trouble in World War I and many of the group resettled in Canada. Today there are some 50,000 Hutterites in North America.
