Most Successful Utopian Communes Facts

Auroville, India

Auroville (City of dawn) is “experimental” municipality in southern India.
In 1968, established by the Mirra Alfassa (henceforth known as the Mother), and designed by the architect Roger Anger. Auroville was conceived as a universal city in which men and women from around the world can live in peace and harmony, of all religions and nationalities policies. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.

The town itself is located in the district Villupuram in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Legal owner of the land is the Auroville Foundation. The legal basis for this in 1988 created by a separate law, the Auroville Foundation Act. The Foundation currently owns about the half land of the required for the project. The acquisition of additional land is made possible through the fundraising activities of the Auroville Foundation.

The idea of a “universal” city is based on the theory of society of Sri Aurobindo and was implemented by Mira Alfassa. Together with the Indian government, the concept of a universal city was presented to the UN. In 1966 UNESCO decided a resolution in which the recognition and support of the project is approved.

The opening ceremony was on 28 February 1968, accompanied by the President of India, representatives from 124 nations and 23 Indian States. In the center of town is built simple urn of white marble. Around the urn was the meeting place for the city’s community and right next to the central building in the central area of the city of Auroville is a sacred place, the Matrimandir.

Fact –  In Auroville alcohol is not allowed, but no one follows this rule.

The Federation of Damanhur, Italy

The Federation of Damanhur, more simply called Damanhur, is an eco-village and a spiritual community established in the territory of the Italian town of Vidracco in the province of Turin in the Piedmont region in northern Italy, about 50 km north of the city of Turin.

Auroville Damanhur fictional Gods Damanhur sect Inside temple in Italy Temple

This “village” consisting of twenty hamlets spread over 520 hectares, and is located near the Alps in Valchiusella Valley; bordered by the Gran Paradiso National Park. Like many ecovillages, the community has its own constitution. A local exchange system is established, based on a currency: the credito. The Federation of Damanhur has their own centers in Europe, America, and Japan.

The Damanhurians are federated around New Age beliefs and theosophy.

Damanhur became famous in 1992 by the revelation of the secret excavation of an ample of underground temple, the temple of humanity. The temple, dedicated to ideas and values, and not to God, consists of 7 monumental halls connected by underground. The rooms have names like “Metal Room”, “Mirrors Gallery”, “Labyrinth”…

Construction of the complex began in 1978 in total secrecy. The Italian authorities ordered the demolition of the structure as it had been built without permission. However, at the insistence of Damanhuristes, demand has subsequently been canceled. The site and its inhabitants are very open to visits and meeting, supporters say the Damanhur community activity has revitalized the area. According to some sources, Damanhur is a city of the wicked and sectarians…

Fact – Damanhur is some sort of a sectarian cult that “hook” people.

The Kibbutz, Israel

The kibbutz is a social commune in Israel. Although the commune there is in other countries, none of them played such an important role as the kibbutz in Israel. Indeed, they have played a vital role in the creation of Israel.
It is a social and an agricultural commune in Israel with the common property and the democratic structures.

Today, the agricultural production in the kibbutz is complemented with other economic sectors, from industrial plantations to high-technology production. Less than five percent of Israelis live in kibbutzim.

Kibbutz by reason of its origin and the way of life within the community resemble the peasant cooperatives in the previous century.

The first kibbutz was founded in 1910 by the one Zionist group originating in Belarus in the south of the Sea of Galilee. The term “kibbutz” comes from Jari Yehuda, the Jewish poet originating from today’s Ukraine

Kibbutzim had a vital role in the Jewish settlement of Israel. The advantage of a kibbutz in its beginning was in a light foundation and a possible defense (eg. of the Arabs) in previously sparsely populated and developed regions. The land on which the kibbutz was founded usually belonged to the Jewish National Fund.

During the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, there was a wave of new-founded kibbutz, at the same time kibbutzim have lost some roles of earlier ages, especially in the settlement and in defending that moved to the State of Israel.

Fact – on this list only one that really works properly.

Oneida Community, USA

Oneida Community, also known under the name Perfectionists was name of the Christian millennialists community in the mid-19th century, operated in the United States, or under the guidance of John Humphrey Noyes founded and led the social-utopian commune whose members practice polygamy and the concept of shared ownership.

The basis of the doctrine has the belief that Jesus Christ returned to Earth AD 70. The commune has established in the year 1848, but in 1881 under pressure from the authorities disbanded or transformed it into a company for making furniture, Oneida Silverware, that operates to this day. –  Oneida Perfectionists

Oneida Community has attracted public attention because while a member was Charles Giteau, a lawyer known for killing President Chester A. Arthur in 1881.

Fact – Oneida Community Mansion House was declared a National Historic Landmark

Brook Farm, USA

Brook Farm was transcendentalists utopian experiment, finally practiced by the transcendentalists and former priest George Ripley and his wife Sophia Ripley, on a farm in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, at that time, 9 miles away from Boston, USA. The commune was in function from 1841-1847 inspired by socialist concepts of Charles Fourier.

That was the belief that there may be a utopian society where people can share among themselves in order to have a better lifestyle. Everything was based (as many utopias before this) on the concept of self-sustainability that powers most of the utopian movement. The particular farm where they lived influenced many writers like Thoreau, who renounced civilization and its injustice and wanted to be apart of it. Brock Farm utopia is based on agriculture, while successful utopia “Oneidas’ was based on consumer goods such as furniture.

Residents of Brook Farms wake up every morning at 4:30 to begin their duties in agriculture. The commune did not believe in social class and as part of their commitment to utopian life of all the inhabitants ate together and worked together. – The Brook Farm Community

They hoped that they will be an example around the world. Agriculture has never been successful at Brook Farm, which was located on land unsuitable for it. Brook Farm was also the educational company, had schools at all levels from elementary to prepare for college.

They were financially profitable parts of Brook Farms. Nathaniel Hawthorne was the founder of Brook Farms and introduced the fictional portrait of this in his novel “The Blithdale Romance”.

Fact – the atmosphere in Brook Farm was horrible…

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