Kommune Niederkaufungen
Encyclopedia
Kommune Niederkaufungen is one of the largest intentional communities in Germany
. Founded in 1986, it is an egalitarian, left-wing, income-sharing commune
with consensus decision-making
. It is situated in a complex of former farm buildings in the historic centre of the village of Niederkaufungen (Kaufungen
), seven kilometres from the city of Kassel
(Hessen). It has grown from 15 founder members to 62 adults and nearly 20 children and teenagers (2009). It is a member of "Kommuja", the German network of political communes and egalitarian communities
.
Although not explicitly listed as a core principle in the "Grundsatzpapier", ecological ideas have been important since the start. A wish to become ecologically and economically sustainable is expressed in the pamphlet and is seen as the sixth commune core principle. In addition, the wish to find a site near but not in a city was expressed in this "vision document", as was the further aim to reach a membership of 100 adult members.
Each work collective decides independently on work hours, work responsibilities and holidays.
of the commune, various technological measures have been taken in the last few years. These are:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Founded in 1986, it is an egalitarian, left-wing, income-sharing commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
with consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...
. It is situated in a complex of former farm buildings in the historic centre of the village of Niederkaufungen (Kaufungen
Kaufungen
Kaufungen is a municipality in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated in the narrow valley of the river Losse, surrounded by the steep, wooded hills of the Kaufunger Wald, approx...
), seven kilometres from the city of Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
(Hessen). It has grown from 15 founder members to 62 adults and nearly 20 children and teenagers (2009). It is a member of "Kommuja", the German network of political communes and egalitarian communities
Egalitarian communities
Egalitarian communities are groups of people who have chosen to live together, with egalitarianism as one of their core values. A broad definition of egalitarianism is "equal access to resources and to decision-making power." For example, decision-making is done by consensus or another system in...
.
Core Principles
The Kommune Niederkaufungen has a set of five main core principles. These were formulated in a pamphlet in 1983, the "Grundsatzpapier". They are:- left-wing politics,
- consensus decision making,
- a completely communal income sharing economy,
- a reduction of hierarchical and patriarchal structures,
- work in collectives.
Although not explicitly listed as a core principle in the "Grundsatzpapier", ecological ideas have been important since the start. A wish to become ecologically and economically sustainable is expressed in the pamphlet and is seen as the sixth commune core principle. In addition, the wish to find a site near but not in a city was expressed in this "vision document", as was the further aim to reach a membership of 100 adult members.
Work Collectives
Nearly all members of the commune work in commune owned collectives. These include- a carpentry and joinery workshop,
- a seminar centre, offering courses on communal themes, (Tagungshaus Niederkaufungen)
- a group of non-violent communication (NVC) trainers,
- a building firm, (KOMM-BAU)
- a smithing/metal workshop,
- an organic food catering firm, (Komm-Menu)
- a certified "Bioland" organic market garden with farm shop,(Gemüsebau Kollektiv "Rote Rübe")
- a fruit/orchard collective
- an EU certified organic dairy farm with cheese making, (Hof Birkengrund)
- a kindergarten, (KITA "Die Wühlmäuse")
- an administration and community consultancy group, (KOMM-RAT)
- a day-care centre for old people, (Tagespflege Lossetal)
- a physiotherapy practice.
Each work collective decides independently on work hours, work responsibilities and holidays.
Living Groups
Members of the commune live in eleven living groups of between four and ten people. Two groups are explicitly women's living groups. One is a men's group. The others are mixed. Each individual communard has her or his own room. Other facilities in the living group (bathrooms, common rooms, tea kitchens etc.) are shared. Each living group organises its own household affairs. Most living groups have regular group meetings and some take holidays together.Environmental Technology
As part of the attempt to reduce the ecological footprintEcological footprint
The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to...
of the commune, various technological measures have been taken in the last few years. These are:
- CogenerationCogenerationCogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
. Construction of a gas-fueled domestic combined heat and power (CHP) plant, - Testing of two small log burning central heatingCentral heatingA central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
stoves. At the end of the test period, installation of two large log burning central heating plants for winter heating, using left-over regional firewoodFirewoodFirewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
, - Installation of a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) plant with c. 59 kilowatt maximum output. (This is about equal to the electricity use of twelve four person households.),
- Construction of a solar panel on a residential building for warm water in summer,
- Rainwater harvestingRainwater harvestingRainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
: Two rainwater cisterns containing up to 41,000 litres, for use in washing machines, toilets and gardens, - Various energy and water saving devices have also been installed, including energy saving light-bulbs (compact fluorescent lamps) and domestic appliances, water saving devices on taps, showers and toilets, thermal insulationThermal insulationThermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...
on and in buildings, replacement of single glazing with double glazing.
Sources
All information has been taken from the "External Links" Websites listed below or from Kommune Niederkaufungen's publications.External links
- Kommune Niederkaufungen in German
- Kommune Niederkaufungen in English
- The "Grundsatzpapier" (German)
- FIC Community directory entry
- Intentional Communities Wiki
- The Center for Nonviolent Communication
- University of Kassel survey about sustainability in intentional communities (German)
- Bioland Organic Farming Association