Friedenstal, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Friedenstal
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Settlement
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 Friedenstal
Location in M.D. of Fairview
Friedenstal
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Northern Alberta |
| Municipal district | Fairview No. 136 |
| Founded | 1910 |
Friedenstal (pronounced free-DEN-stall) is a small community in Alberta, Canada. It's located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of the town of Fairview. You can find it in the Peace Region of northwestern Alberta, within the Municipal District of Fairview No. 136.
Contents
How Friedenstal Was Founded
Friedenstal was started in 1910 by two people named Peter Gans and Lewis Flath. This was just before the First World War began. Peter Gans wrote to German newspapers, encouraging people from a group called Bessarabian Germans to move here. These families had previously lived in places like Ukraine, the Russian Empire, and even the United States.
In August 1911, a church leader named Archbishop Célestin-Henri Joussard visited the new settlement. He brought with him a German-speaking priest, Rev. A Biehler. Father Biehler returned later that year with plans to build a small log chapel and a rectory (a house for the priest). Most of the early settlers were German immigrants who had lived in Ukraine before coming to Canada. Today, people generally agree that Friedenstal was officially founded in 1912.
How Friedenstal Got Its Name
The community was first called Westphalia, named after a region in Germany. But the name was changed to St. Louis in October 1911.
Then, in 1914, when people wanted to build a post office, the name was changed again to Friedenstal. This new name came from another Bessarabian German settlement in Ukraine. The word "Friedenstal" means "Peace Valley," which is a lovely name for a community.
Important Buildings: Church, Hall, and School
St. Boniface Church
In 1911, Rev. A Biehler started a small chapel in Friedenstal. Later, in 1921, Father William Ebert built the larger St. Boniface Church. This church served the settlers living around Friedenstal.
After some years, the St. Boniface Church closed, and people started going to St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Fairview instead. However, the St. Boniface Church building has been kept up as a historical site. There's also a small cemetery behind the church where many of the early settlers are buried.
Friedenstal Hall
When the new church was built in 1921, a community hall called the Friedenstal Hall was also constructed. This hall was a busy place, used for events like weddings and family get-togethers in Friedenstal.
The old hall was later removed, and a new Friedenstal Community Hall was built in 2010. This new hall cost over a million dollars, which was raised by the Friedenstal Historical Society.
Friedenstal School District
A small public school was built in Friedenstal in 1914, around the same time as the chapel. By 1937, the Sisters of Providence began teaching at the school.
In 1946, it was decided to build a new school building in Friedenstal. They also decided to build a dormitory called St. Theresa Residence. This dormitory was for students from other communities who came to attend the Friedenstal School. The Sisters of Providence also ran the dormitory. The school closed several years after the dormitory did. Students who used to go to Friedenstal School then went to St. Thomas More Catholic School in Fairview.
