Ökodorf Sieben Linden

Ökodorf Sieben Linden (literally 'Seven Lindens Ecovillage') is a social-ecological model settlement and intentional community located on a former farm estate near the village of Poppau, in the municipality of Beetzendorf, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It describes itself as a model and research project for a future-oriented way of life in which work and leisure, economy and ecology, the individual and the community, and cosmopolitan and village culture are brought into balance in small circles of life. The settlement is a member of the Global Ecovillage Network Europe. The project grew out of a late-1980s vision of a self-sufficient, car-free settlement, developed in Heidelberg in 1989 by people connected to the magazine ÖKODORF-Informationen. The Freundeskreis Ökodorf e.V. was formed as a support association, which today has around 270 members across Germany. After an initial attempt to resettle the abandoned village of Stresow failed, a provisional project centre was set up in 1993 on a former farm in Groß Chüden near Salzwedel. In 1997 the community found its permanent site at 'An den Bronsbergstücken', about 1.5 km from the core of Poppau, and since spring 1997 the ecovillage has been built on what is now a 115-hectare plot of land. Sieben Linden is organised around ecological, economic and social principles. Permaculture has played a central role in land management from the beginning, and the design was supported by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt). Economically, each resident is responsible for their own livelihood, but land and infrastructure are organised cooperatively: every adult resident holds 11 cooperative shares and becomes a member of the Siedlungsgenossenschaft (SiGe). Other solidarity elements include community-supported agriculture (Solidarische Landwirtschaft) achieving a high degree of self-sufficiency — around 75% for vegetables and fruit — shared forestry for firewood and timber, a 'Kindersoli' through which the community co-finances children living in the ecovillage, and regular events on common-good economics (Gemeinwohlökonomie). Infrastructure is deliberately ecological. Because the former farm was not connected to the public sewer system, the community developed compost toilets with urine separation from the outset. In 1999 key infrastructure was created — energy, paths, a constructed wetland for greywater, and a fire-fighting/ swimming biotope pond — and the old farmstead was rebuilt according to ecological criteria. It now serves as a regional centre, seminar and guest house, and community meeting point, housing offices, a food co-op, a jewellery forge and a common room, with an amphitheatre for outdoor cultural events. Beyond its residential function, Sieben Linden operates as a learning and seminar centre. Its website presents information about the project village, in-person seminars (Lernort) and online webinars ('Webinarwelt'). The 'Webinarwelt Sieben Linden' online offering launched on 18 May 2022, addressing topics such as personal and community development, relationship work, wild herbs, deep ecology and yoga, accompanied by a redesign of the corporate identity. The ecovillage has also been the subject of several documentary films, including Michael Würfel's 'Leben unter Palmen' and 'Kein richtig falsches Leben' (2021), Andi Stiglmayr's cinema film 'Menschen, Träume, Taten', and a 2019 Planet Wissen television documentary.

The origins of Ökodorf Sieben Linden lie in the late 1980s. A brochure titled 'Selbstversorgung als Selbstbestimmung' (Self-sufficiency as self-determination) described the vision of a car-free settlement in which people would again have time and interest for one another and live in harmony with each other and with nature. In 1989, in Heidelberg, people connected to the magazine ÖKODORF-Informationen further developed the idea of a self-sufficient, ecological village. The first interested parties found one another and sought additional participants through newspaper advertisements. In the same year the first meetings to found an ecological village took place, from which the Freundeskreis Ökodorf e.V. emerged; the support association today has around 270 members throughout Germany. From 1992 the community attempted to realise the ecovillage concept. The former village of Stresow was selected as a possible site; it had been demolished during the GDR era because it lay too close to the border. The mayor of the municipality in whose district the land lay was very interested in resettlement, and the responsible regional council was prepared to grant the necessary permit, so the construction plans seemed feasible. Ultimately the project failed there, partly because the owners refused to sell the land. In 1993 a provisional project centre for preparation and village planning was established on a former farm site in the then municipality of Groß Chüden near Salzwedel in Saxony-Anhalt. Soon a growing number of ecovillagers, previously scattered across Germany as initiators and supporters, lived there communally. However, initially only a small group moved into or near the project centre, while most interested parties remained embedded in their everyday lives at home. In 1997 the community found its new and final project site, again a former farm estate: 'An den Bronsbergstücken', about 1.5 km from the core of the village of Poppau, which is today part of the municipality of Beetzendorf. Since spring 1997 the ecovillage has been built there on what is now a 115-hectare plot of land. Infrastructure development followed ecological principles. Because the former farm was not connected to the public sewer system, the community decided early on to treat this as part of the ecological project and consistently used self-developed compost toilets with urine separation; the faecal compost is not used in vegetable cultivation, i.e. not integrated into food production. In 1999 an important part of the infrastructure was created — energy, paths, a constructed wetland for greywater, and a fire-fighting/swimming biotope pond — and the old farmstead was rebuilt according to ecological criteria. It now serves as a regional centre, seminar and guest house, and meeting point for the community, and houses offices, a food co-op, a jewellery forge and a common room. An amphitheatre provides space for outdoor cultural festivals. Permaculture has played a central role in land management from the beginning and shapes the village's present appearance; the design was supported and scientifically accompanied by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt. Economically, each resident is responsible for their own livelihood, but the ecovillage pursues several aspects of a shared economy: land and infrastructure are organised cooperatively, and every adult resident holds 11 cooperative shares, becoming a member of the Siedlungsgenossenschaft (SiGe). Other elements include community-supported agriculture ensuring a high degree of self-sufficiency of about 75% for vegetables and fruit, and shared forestry for firewood and timber. Children living in the ecovillage are co-financed by the whole community through the so-called 'Kindersoli', and regular events on common-good economics take place, most recently with Christian Felber and other guests in a panel discussion during a Gemeinwohlökonomie festival co-financed by the special fund 'JUGEND für Europa – Europäisches Jahr der Jugend 2022'. The ecovillage has attracted documentary attention. The filmmaker Michael Würfel spent four months in Sieben Linden and produced an extensive documentary, 'Leben unter Palmen', about life in the community; since September 2007 he has also lived in Sieben Linden. In November 2021 his new humorous documentary 'Kein richtig falsches Leben' was released. Another film, the cinema film 'Menschen, Träume, Taten', was produced by Andi Stiglmayr. Several other films about the ecovillage exist from various perspectives, and in 2019 the television channel Planet Wissen showed a documentary about the project. On 18 May 2022 the 'Webinarwelt Sieben Linden' online offering was launched, aimed at a broader audience and providing content on topics such as personal and community development, relationship work, wild herbs, deep ecology, yoga and more. The webinar speakers live partly in Sieben Linden or in friendly communities. The release of the Webinarwelt was accompanied by a redesign of the corporate identity. The ecovillage is part of the Global Ecovillage Network Europe.

• 2022

  'Webinarwelt Sieben Linden' online offering launched on 18 May, accompanied by a corporate identity redesign.

• 2021

  Michael Würfel's humorous documentary 'Kein richtig falsches Leben' released in November.

• 2019

  Television channel Planet Wissen broadcasts a documentary about the ecovillage.

• 2007

  Filmmaker Michael Würfel, who documented the community in 'Leben unter Palmen', moves to Sieben Linden in September.

• 1999

  Key infrastructure created (energy, paths, constructed wetland for greywater, fire-fighting/swimming biotope pond) and the old farmstead rebuilt according to ecological criteria.

• 1997

  Permanent site found at 'An den Bronsbergstücken' near Poppau; construction of the ecovillage begins on what is now 115 hectares.

• 1993

  Provisional project centre established on a former farm in Groß Chüden near Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt.

• 1992

  Attempt to realise the ecovillage at the former village of Stresow; the project ultimately failed, partly because owners refused to sell the land.

• 1989

  Idea of a self-sufficient ecological village developed in Heidelberg by people around the ÖKODORF-Informationen magazine; first founding meetings held and Freundeskreis Ökodorf e.V. formed.

A social-ecological model and research settlement demonstrating a sustainable, community-based way of life, and a learning centre for personal and community development, deep ecology and permaculture.

• Ökodorf Sieben Linden residential community

  A 115-hectare social-ecological model settlement with cooperative land and infrastructure, permaculture land management, compost toilets with urine separation, and a constructed wetland for greywater.

• Lernort seminar programme

  In-person seminars and courses offered at the ecovillage, presented on the official website alongside the project village information.

• Webinarwelt Sieben Linden

  Online webinar offering launched 18 May 2022, covering personal and community development, relationship work, wild herbs, deep ecology, yoga and more.

• Solidarische Landwirtschaft (community-supported agriculture)

  Community-supported agriculture providing a high degree of self-sufficiency of about 75% for vegetables and fruit.

• Seminar and guest house / regional centre

  The rebuilt old farmstead serving as regional centre, seminar and guest house, community meeting point, offices, food co-op, jewellery forge and common room, with an amphitheatre for outdoor cultural festivals.

1. 1Landingpage - Ökodorf Sieben Lindensiebenlinden.org
2. 2Ökodorf Sieben Linden – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Okodorf Sieben Linden – Wikidatawikidata.org