‘Kroeker’ Clock

Lepp Clock no. 106, 1843 (MC0148)

Although the Kroegers were the most well-known and perhaps the most prolific Mennonite clockmakers, they were far from the only ones. This clock was made by Peter Lepp (1817–1871), who learned clockmaking from his Janzen relatives in Prussia (in the Vistula Delta region, present-day Poland). The original face design has not survived, though the stamp on the hour wheel tells us that Lepp made it. When Lepp returned to Russia in 1836, he settled in Chortitza and set up his clockmaking business. His mechanical skills served him well; faced with failing eyesight, he turned to manufacturing farm machinery instead of clocks in the 1850s, and his company, Lepp and Wallman, met with great success.

This clock was donated to Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, by Walter E. and Madeline Kroeker in 1995. It was restored, repainted, and repaired by Arthur Kroeger in 1990.

 

  • Description Thirty-hour wall clock with pendulum and weight-driven movement, made by Peter Lepp (1817–1871) in Chortitza, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), in 1843, serial number 106. Arched dial is light green with a single black border around the perimeter. Arch has three hand-painted roses and greenery in the centre. Spandrels are hand-painted roses surrounded by greenery. White chapter ring with black Roman numerals. Inside chapter ring is written ‘1843.’ One hand; rope drive; two weights.

  • Mennonite Clock Number MC0148

  • Object Name Lepp Clock

  • Serial Number 106

  • Mennonite Heritage Village Accession Number 1995.4.1

  • Date Created 1843

  • Maker Peter Lepp (1817–1871)

  • Location Made Chortitza, Chortitza Colony, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)

  • Other Markings P Lepp Colonie Chortitz 1843 No. 106 (stamped on movement); Made by Peter Lepp 1843 / Restored by Arthur Kroeger in 1990 (written on back of dial); 1843 LEPP (written on back of pendulum with a permanent marker)

  • Movement Type Iron plate

  • Owner Mennonite Heritage Village

  • Publications Arthur Kroeger, Kroeger Clocks (Steinbach, MB: Mennonite Heritage Village, 2012), pp. 92–93.

 

Peter Lepp marked his clocks with his name, the colony where he lived, the year the clock was made, and the clock’s serial number.

Arthur Kroeger repainted the dial in 1990.