Page 30 - C.A.L.L. #36 - Summer 2013
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members live in small mobile homes activity. Parliamentary activity is
(“Bauwagen”) which in the past served shunned in principle. Intercom favors
construction companies. Each member “street politics” – demonstrations and
has his/her own wagon – about 15 square protests. The Green Party is being
meters in size. The Bauwagen is also the viewed as having been coopted to the
dominant form of residence in other establishment.
Intercom communes that I visited.
KARMITZ CLAN and KRUMME EICHE
I visited two other Intercom Communes
– Karmitz Clan and Krumme Eiche.
Karmitz Clan has nine members -
including one couple, unmarried. As at
Kommurage, there is a central building
supplemented by five “Bauwagen.” My
guide was Christine – she had been to
Israel for a number of months and had
The inside of Kerstin’s Bauwagen worked as a WOOFER on Moshav Eidan.
Karmitz Clan has an area of three
Currently Kommurage has five full hectares (30 dunam). One-third of the
members as well as two additional adults area is forested. The garden and the
with their two children as “guests” orchard in particular are mainstays of
undergoing a trial period. The total the economy. Apple juice is a major
annual cash income of Kommurage is product. Karmitz Clan provides part of
70,000 Euro. This money goes into a the food for other Intercom communes
joint account – separate from the bank within the barter economy.
account of the Verein. However,
Intercom communes maintain a barter Krumme Eiche is based in a former
economy of goods, services and labor country hotel. Its area of four hectares
amongst themselves without any formal is also partially wooded. Two of the
attempt to record transactions. I communes’ members are cooks. Krumme
estimate the Kommurage economy to be Eiche’s signature economic activity is
a third greater than its cash income. catering. There is a mobile kitchen
which can produce up to 3,000 meals at
POLITICAL ACTIVITY festivals and political rallies. On the
Members are involved in “left” political afternoon and evening of my visit,
activity – depending on their personal Krumme Eiche hosted all of Intercom
interests. However, in recent months for afternoon coffee and dinner. In
there has been a general consensus in addition, a seminar group for non-
Intercom to backstop protests against violence and women’s rights consisting
nuclear plant activity in the area. of foreign participants from Asia and
Intercom also prioritizes anti-fascist
Africa visited and toured the commune.
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