Page 16 - C.A.L.L. #27 - Summer 2006

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Status of the German Communal Movements:tatus of the German Communal Movements:
Status of the German Communal Movements:Status of the German Communal Movements:
(
(Paper by Jens HerrmannPaper by Jens Herrmann, a visitor from Germany, presented to, a visitor from Germany, presented to the ICD, 2006) the ICD, 2006)
(Paper by Jens Herrmann(Paper by Jens Herrmann, a visitor from Germany, presented to, a visitor from Germany, presented to the ICD, 2006) the ICD, 2006)
There is a wide spectrum of communitarian projects in here is a wide spectrum of communitarian projects in GGermany.ermany.
T
There is a wide spectrum of communitarian projects in There is a wide spectrum of communitarian projects in GGermany.ermany.
T
1. 1. 1. 1. The “Communes“he “Communes“
The “Communes“The “Communes“
- Mostly projects with common housing, common work, common economy, common decision-making
- Mostly with an ecological interest
- Most located in the countryside
- Average size around 15-20 people
- Some much bigger with up to 75 people (Niederkaufungen)
- Split up into two main types: the spiritual and the political (around “Kommuja“ Magazine)
- A large overlap because the spiritual communes have become more and more politically active. Indeed,
many are very problematic - some are authoritarian and even neo-fascist.
- The ones more to the left politically generally directly oppose the nuclear family structure.
- Most of them were founded in the 1970/80’s. For this see (but in German): http://www.grueneliga-
berlin.de/rabe_ralf/serien/gemeinschaft.html
- Some new interesting projects:
The urban commune “Alla Hopp“ in Bremen has around 25 people in a common economy, without common
work, but politically very active (anti-racist and anti-fascist)
The commune in Waltershausen (Thurinia) bought a old factory in a small town, now around 20 people, some
founders came from other projects (like Niederkaufungen)
Cooperative in Haina (also in Thurinia), politically very active, people who are directly opposed to the
capitalistic lifestyle and work-system.

2. 2. 2. 2. The The EEcovillage covillage ––Projects:Projects:
The he EEcovillage covillage ––Projects:Projects:
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- Located in the countryside, mainly in “lost areas“ in the ex-border area between the western and the
communist world.
- Mixture of ecology, spirituality and a type of common economy
- Economy is not as communal as in some communes - only in some elements.
- Solidarity is less prevalent than in communes – includes more private individualistic lifestyles
- Projects very different from one another
- Wider range of lifestyles (from family housing to commune-housing or in vehicles)
- Leading ones: Ökodorf Siebenlinden and Lebensgut Pommeritz

3. 3. 3. 3. T
The Commonhe Common--Housing projects:Housing projects:
The CommonThe Common--Housing projects:Housing projects:
- One can find them in nearly every German big town, but mainly in Berlin, Freiburg, Hamburg
- Wide range of communities.
- Mostly no common economy and no common work
- Mostly individualistic economics, but sometimes social activism projects with immigrants or poor people.
- Main interest: House ownership by the renters - lower rents, physical spaces for running social and political
initiatives in the house, space for common lifestyles (big living-communities, with shared kitchens and
bathrooms as well as common rooms - for party, sports etc.)
- In Berlin more than 100 project-houses.
- Mostly organized as “Genossenschaften“ (cooperatives)
- Sometimes there are communes inside existing house projects, and also places for production or businesses
(like pubs), but mostly non-commercial or in cooperatives.
- The most popular model of the last year and the shooting-star of the German alternative housing scene is the
“Freiburger Mietshäusersyndikat“ (www.syndikat.org) with about 48 projects and about 730 people living in
the various projects. Interesting: the aim is to deactivate private ownership and to make it impossible to sell
the houses. On the other hand the solidarity fund into which each project pays is gradually getting bigger. It
seems to work quiet well.

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