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Based on the Timeline: "Intentional Communities Through the Ages", by Geoph Kozeny, in Communities Directory 2000, and lectures by Dr. Bill Metcalf and Prof. Yaakov Oved, of the ICSA. 6th Century BCE:
In southern Italy, Pythagoras founded Homakoeion, a vegetarian commune, based on intellectualism,
mysticism and the equality of the sexes.- In India, the followers of Buddha joined together in ashrams to live in a productive, spiritual manner. 2nd Century BCE:
Essenes communes, based on the morality of the Hebrew Bible, flourished in the area of the Dead Sea. 1st Century CE: Early Christians,
possibly inspired by the Essenes, lived together in communes, according to Acts 2, 44-5. 4th Century CE:
The first Christian monasterial communities established. 11th Century:
Millenial communes founded in southern France and Italy, by a heretical Christian sect, the Cathars. 12th Century:
The heretical Waldense sect founded many communes in France. During the Middle Ages:
The Brethren of the Free Spirit and others attempted to create secular communes in various parts of Europe. 1527:
The foundation of the Hutterian Brethren by the Anabaptist movement led to the establishment of numerous spiritual
communes. (The modern-day Hutterites and Bruderhof communes are derived from these communal Anabaptists.) 1530s:
The entire German city of Munster became an Anabaptist commune, sharing wealth, housing and even spouses. 1540s:
The Mennonites, a radical Anabaptist sect, began living in communities, based solely on the Bible. 1649:
The Diggers, common folk in England, rebelled against the aristocracy and lived communally on crown land.
(The British commune publication, Diggers and Dreamers, perpetuates their memory.) 1698:
The Amish created communities, based on strict interpretation of Mennonite principles. 1727:
Herrnhut, a Moravian-Pietist commune established in Saxony.
(Australia's first successful commune, also called Herrnhut, was founded by a German Moravian-Pietist.) 1774:
The Shakers founded communal groups, pursuing spirituality, dancing and singing, inventions, handicrafts and celibacy.
(The Shaker commune, Sabbathday Lake, founded in1794, is the oldest communal group still in existence.) 1825:
New Harmony established in the USA by Robert Owen, to show that modern technology could support humane social
life through non-religious communal living. 1841:
Brook Farm started as "an experiment in humane living to be achieved through education and discussion". 1848:
Oneida founded by J.H. Noyes as a commune based on the practice of "complex marriage". 1855:
Amana Colonies established in Iowa by German Protestants seeking Christian community. 1874:
The Hutterite commune, Bon Homme, founded, and is in existence to this day. 1889:
Hull House established in Chicago by Jane Addams, as a "human community offeing protection against the anonymous city". 1910:
Deganya, the first kibbutz, founded near the Sea of Galilee and still going strong. 1913:
Gould Farm established as a "community environment" for the treatment and rehabilitation of emotionally disturbed people. 1920:
The foundation of the first Bruderhof community, based on a life of Christian brotherhood.  A meal at a Bruderhof commune is a spiritual experience, not just eating (with thanks to Kim Comer) The Twenties:
Following the Communist Revolution in Russia, thousands of communes sprang up, only to be
suppressed later by Stalin. 1930:
Solheimar, probably the
first eco-village and care-giving
community,
founded in southern Iceland. 1937:
The first co-op house started in Michigan, a forerunner of the Inter-Cooperative Council, a network of
student housing co-ops. 1940:
The Camphill Movement of therapeutical communities founded. 1948:
The foundation of the Fellowship for Intentional Community (originally named the "Fellowship of Intentional Communities"). The Fifties:
More than twenty thousand communes set up by the Communist Party of China,
none of which are still in existence. 1958:
The foundation of Yamagishism Life, a movement of some thirty agricultural communes, mainly in Japan. The Sixties:
The Hippies founded several thousand communes, mostly very short-lived. 1964:
The foundation of the first L'Arche community for developmentally disabled and co-workers. 1968:
The Catholic commune movement Integrierte Gemeinde founded in Germany. 1972:
Cohousing, a new form of urban community living, conceived in Denmark. 1992:
The first eco-villages founded in the US and in Russia. |