The Island of Chortitza (p. 43)

The village on the Island of Chortitza known as Insel Chortitza was settled in 1789 by twelve families. Delegate Jacob Hoeppner (1748 - 1826) and his family lived in that village. When the Mennonites in Russia celebrated their centennial in 1889, a monument was erected for Jacob Hoeppner. The monument has been relocated in Steinbach, Manitoba. Only a “crushye” tree and some lilac bushes mark the grave site today.

The island served as a natural fortress for the nomadic tribes that lived on the steppes since prehistoric times.