The ZEGG Intentional Community—Keeping the Spirit Alive

Abstract

This ethnographic study of ZEGG explores the challenges a radical intentional community faces when it rejects mainstream economic and social norms, creating a new culture governed by new norms. ZEGG, an intentional community in Germany, began as an experiment in community living in the 1970s and 1980s, under the leadership of Dieter Duhm, a German psychoanalyst. The community operated in various locations across Germany before finally buying a farm and settling more permanently in Flaming in 1992. The study is based on several months of participatory observation, carried out over the course of four years, and 42 interviews with community members and visitors. As required by the participatory research methodology, designated community members were involved in every stage of the study and their feedback was incorporated into the final version submitted for publication. To survive and thrive, ZEGG had to organize, find ways to finance its operations, and adjust its mission. The loss of its charismatic leader threatened its existence at the very beginning, but, in the long term, it allowed for more flexibility and helped the community adapt and survive for over 25 years. Presently ZEGG is a dynamic, financially stable community with over a hundred members and several thousand yearly visitors.