Hutterites, also called the Hutterian Brethren, are members of a German religious group in North America who follow examples of the early Christian church. Hutterites reserve baptism for adults who have confessed their faith. They also practice common ownership of goods. Hutterites are pacifists and live peaceful, simple lives.
The Hutterites live in Bruderhofs (communities) throughout Canada and in North and South Dakota, Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. They are primarily farmers, but they also engage in manufacturing and use modern technology. Their language is German, which they teach and use in their worship services. The group operates its own schools from kindergarten through high school, as well as Sunday school.
The Hutterites originated in 1528 in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic) and Austria as a branch of the Anabaptists, a Protestant group. The Hutterites were named after Jacob Hutter, one of their early leaders who was burned at the stake in 1536 as a heretic. The Hutterites were severely persecuted during their early history. They migrated to Ukraine in 1770 and settled in the United States in 1874, initially in Tabor, South Dakota.
See also Alberta (Population) ; Anabaptists .
