Experience the depth of Mennonite culture through our permanent and temporary exhibitions. Our two galleries offer a year-round look at the faith, art, and resilience of our ancestors.
Cures + Curiosities - 1800-1950
Opened Saturday, May 23, 2026
Explore how Mennonites encountered and practiced medical care from 1800 in Imperial Russia to 1950 in Manitoba. Living in rural colonies far from professional doctors and hospitals, Mennonites relied on community-based healers such as midwives, herbalists, and knochenarzte (bonesetters). Illness was understood as both a physical and spiritual trial. Prayer, humility, and gelassenheit - yieldedness to God's will - framed responses to suffering, while treatments included poultices, teas, and bone-setting techniques.
This exhibit highlights how Mennonites in southern Russia navigated illness with limited resources, blending folk medicine, faith, and mutual support. Their system reveals a community deeply committed to caring for one another, where healing was as much about the spirit as the body.
