Kroeger Clocks

Mennonites that settled in Prussia and Poland began to make wall clocks in the 18th century, and this tradition continued until the 1920s in Ukraine and Russia. These beautiful yet simple clocks have survived many decades of use and global migrations due to their portability and durable construction, and hundreds endure to the present day in Mennonite homes and museums. One multi-generational family, the Kroegers, was involved in this clock making enterprise from the beginning, and produced thousands of clocks purchased and used by Mennonite families.

Arthur Kroeger is a direct descendant of this Kroeger family and experienced the last days of clock making and repair in Ukraine. Based in Winnipeg, he has spent countless hours researching and repairing Mennonite clocks that owners and collectors have brought to him. This book, his life’s work, explores the Kroeger clock making enterprise throughout the centuries, and includes a collection of Mennonite stories detailing family experiences centred around their precious clocks. While the book is personal, told from the perspective of a Mennonite clock expert, it also acts as a social history of Mennonite life in Europe and a collector’s treasury of Kroeger clock information and colour photographs.