Privilegium of 1873 (Canada)
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The Privilegium of 1873 (sometimes called "The Lowe Letter")[1] is the original invitation letter from the Government of Canada to Mennonites living in the Russian Empire offering them land, military exemption, and private schools, among other privileges.[2]
The original document was rediscovered in 2015 in the Chortitzer Church basement in Steinbach.[3]
Because of their pacifist beliefs, Mennonites were known to migrate to other countries in order to maintain their lifestyles. When migrating, they signed agreements with their host countries. These agreements were known as Privilegium or "Privileges."[4] A similar Privilegium had been signed with Catherine the Great of Russia when Mennonites first immigrated from Prussia to the Russian Empire in the 1770s.