Kit July 1996, Vol Viii #7 New 7-15-96

7/31/2019 Kit July 1996, Vol Viii #7 New 7-15-96

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The KIT Newsletter, an Activity of the KIT InformationService, a Project of The Peregrine Foundation

P.O. Box 460141 / San Francisco, CA 94146-0141 / telephone: (415) 821-2090 / fax(415) 282-2369

KIT Staff U.S.: Ramon Sender, Charles Lamar, Christina Bernard, Vince Lagano,Dave Ostrom;U.K. : Joy Johnson MacDonald, Susan Johnson Suleski, Carol Beels Beck, BenCavanna, Leonard Pavitt, Joanie Pavitt Taylor, Brother Witless (in an advisorycapacity); Europe: Elizabeth Bohlken-Zumpe.The KIT Newsletter is an open forum for fact and opinion. It encourages theexpression of all views, both from within and from outside the Bruderhof. Theopinions expressed in the letters we publish are those of the correspondents and do notnecessarily reflects those of KIT editors or staff.

July 1996 Volume VIII #7

-------------- "Keep In Touch" --------------

-------------- "The 1996 Annual Report --------------

Once again a year has flown by since our last report, and the twelve months have beeneventful. Last July ended with the Bruderhof's alleged attempt to bug the Kingston

church where the news conference was to be held, followed by their lawsuit againstthe Kingston Eight. Meanwhile Mike Boller had escalated his attempts to visit DeerSpring Bruderhof by rollerblading to an open house. This ended in his arrest fortrespassing. Andrew Bazeley managed to attend his mother Bronwen's burial atWoodcrest by asserting his legal rights as next-of-kin. The Bruderhof has nowresponded by having their elderly members sign letters specifically requesting thatnamed children and relatives not attend their funerals.

In October, Boston Channel 5 aired a half-hour news program on the KIT/Bruderhofimpasse, including Christoph Arnold's priceless remarks about the Gulfstream jet, the

bugging of an ex-member family's phone, his dislike of democracy and the 800-number harassments. By then he had flown to Rome in the Bruderjet to meet withCardinal Ratzinger, a man with a worldwide reputation as, in the words of one KITreader, "a modern inquisitor."

In November, the two Wharton Township, PA, bruderhofs failed in their attempt toget their candidate for supervisor elected despite registering every available memberto vote. They also failed in their blanket rezoning request, and failed to get theproperty tax exemptions, which now they are appealing in New York State.Meanwhile Christmas arrived without any softening of the Bruderhof's No FamilyVisit policy for anyone reading KIT, again despite all of Christoph's previouslyspoken guarantees and written assurances that KITfolk would not be penalized. Again,this was explained as "the choice of individual Bruderhof families."

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By the first of the year, the 'divorce' between the Kleinsasser faction of theSchmiedeleut and the Bruderhof was formalized by a letter signed by all leading Oilerministers. January brought Christoph on a phone-in radio show in Connecticut, duringwhich he heartily welcomed Ramon's question about why the Bruderhof was suingtheir own children, but could not answer it "on the advice of his attorneys." Christophand Verena also launched a new career as marriage counselors on the Internetpreparatory to Christoph's book on sex and marriage being released to an eager public.Yes, the one with the one-paragraph introduction by -- Mother Teresa! And the pope'sown photo! It has, according to the author, climbed onto the Christian Best Seller listsin Europe. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, move over!

March saw the Capital Punishment hearings in Philadelphia, sponsored by TheBruderhof Foundation and The Chaney Foundation. We now know that there wereserious concerns on the part of Ben Chaney about how the hearings were slantedtowards the Bruderhof's own agenda even before the Boston video was shown to the

press by the Fraternal Order of Police. In May, Chaney requested that the Bruderhofwithdraw from collaborating on any future Chaney Foundation projects.

Financial considerations: KIT's appeal for more donations brought some response, butnot enough for us to continue as we have. It seems that by now, in our ninth year, KITshould be more solvent than it is. This is a matter that can be discussed at bothEuroKIT and at Friendly Crossways meetings. One obvious arrangement would be to,as EuroKIT folk have long suggested, place the USA, Canada and international KITreadership on a subscription basis, as EuroKIT already is.

KIT's income has always kept up with its printing and mailing costs, with anoccasional phone bill payment. But office supplies, and most phone and equipmentcosts, Ramon has absorbed as well as the generous donation of his time. The mostserious expenditures are book-printing costs, with the annuals running a distantsecond. Both of these are valuable investments that will hopefully, in time, pay off.But KIT must become more viable financially. We also should find someone withfund-raising expertise -- the perennial need of non-profit groups. Do we have anyvolunteers?

We need to raise our annual income from the current low average of $700 a month toat least double that. If everyone who receives KIT subscribed, (libraries and the mediaexcepted), a guesstimate would be that we would reach $1400 a month easily. Nowwhat about the Peregrine Foundation? KIT and Carrier Pigeon Press have been takingup all of Ramon's available time, and therefore other Peregrine projects, either actualor contemplated, have been languishing, including such vital aspects as grant-writing,which would allow outreach to groups other than post-Bruderhof. We seriously needto find an experienced fund-raiser and grant writer willing to work on commission.

-----The Whole KIT and Kaboodle-----

-------- Table of Contents --------Belinda Manley




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Bette Bohlken-ZumpeNadine Moonje PleilRuthy (Harries) and John Arnold

ITEM: Lawsuit SettledHilarion BraunAlfred AmesCyril and Margot DaviesNorah AllainKonrad KluverKlaus Meier to Konrad KluverHans Meier to Konrad KluverBette Bohlken-Zumpe -Wiedergutmachungs

Dieter ZumpeWolfgang LoewenthalWall Street Journal Excerpts

Blair Purcell - Book RecommendationGeorge Maendel - Maine ReportHans Zimmermann - Another Jaguar StoryMigg Fischli - Kurt ZimmermannN. Withheld - "B. Hood Digest' PoemJere Bruner - "Atlantis" poemNorah Allain - Life Story Part VSusanna M. Alves Levy - "My Solemn Vow"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AUGUST PLEIL ON HIS 70TH ON AUGUST 3RD!!

Still climbing up on rooftops, we hear! Good health and long life!

Belinda Manley, 6/28/96: The sad news of the death of dear Phyllis Woolston hasreached me. I knew Phyllis and Arthur and their three children Heather, Timmy, andIrene well. We lived in Loma Hoby in Paraguay for many years together. Phyllis wasalways very busy with her midwifery work and also the Baby house on the hof. Iremember her so well in the early mornings bringing Timmy to me in thekindergarten. She would say "Now Timmy you are to be a good boy and doeverything that Belinda says." His eyes would dance with fun and soon he would behaving a wonderful time playing probably in a large puddle of water he had made inthe sand pit -- not really allowed.

I phoned around to tell others that Phyllis had died. She is remembered by many withmuch love, and known as "bunny" (her maiden name was Rabbits). Some youngerones said she had helped them into the world by her midwifery care. Othersremembered her very high standard of cleanliness and antiseptic care, which hernursing training had instilled into her. She used this training with dedication to allthose sisters who received her midwifery help, and she rejoiced with them when theirbabies arrived.

I rang Peter Cavanna at Darvell to know on which hof Arthur is now living -- it isPleasant View U.S.A. Peter thought the two daughters were also there. Timmy and




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Martha and family are at New Meadow Run. Peter said it was very moving to hearPhyllis express her "faithfulness to Christ" as her life came to an end. So perhaps thesewords are appropriate: "Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into theoy of the Lord."

So farewell until we all meet again,

click here to return to Table of Contents

Bette Bohlken-Zumpe, 7/1/96: I remember Phyllis well from our childhood days inLoma Hoby, but that is now some 40 or some 50 years ago. Phyllis was one of theonly trained nurses that joined the Bruderhof in 1939. I knew her well as a "singlesister" when her name was still Phyllis Rabbits. After so many children had died in thefirst years in Primavera, Phyllis was made in charge of the baby care, she also workedwith Cyril and the other doctors at the time, at least in an advisory way. We children

kept a close eye on all the single people around the hof in the hope that someonewould get married, which meant a community feast, which we really loved. But whileshe was still single, she had time for us also. Maybe she was not even a full member,as I remember her being on evening watch duty almost every night. When the 1944crisis was on, she would sit with us and read to us. She made little books frommemory from the Beatrix Potter series, with lovely drawings in watercolors. Shewould bring her paint brush along and let us watch her painting all those lovely PeterRabbits and also "Flower Fairies." We loved her. She had a quiet authority about her,which we did not dare to try out. Also she felt sorry for us children. as we had littleclothing and no shoes. I remember well when she came one night and brought a pair

of shoes for me and a sweater for my sister Burgel. Arthur Woolston was the chemistof the hospital in Loma Hoby, and we had long matched him up with of the oneunmarried doctors at the hospital.

I remember the wedding of Arthur and Phyllis very well, as it was held in Loma. Forthe first time the children's choir had to sing English songs (we usually sang inGerman) and we practiced and sang, "Where Are You Going My Pretty Maid?" and"Hark, hark, The Lark At Heaven's Gate Sings." As it was very hot, all the festivitieswere held in the school wood and it was one of the nicest weddings I can remember.When the first child Heather was born, we felt so close to the baby, as though it wasour own little sister. During our holidays, we always had to work in the different workdepartments and I remember well being assigned to the babyhouse. I learned a lotthere, which was the beginning of my nurse's career. Phyllis was very particular. Wehad to wash our hands every time we handled one of the babies, and we had to turn thebabies from left to right and right to left every hour so that "the shape of the headwould remain nice and round." I learned how to bathe babies and feed them as theygrew older, and push their cots into shady places but keep them out of the drafts.

Now that I think back to those years, I have to wonder why we little girls had to wash

and rinse the diapers. All the wet diapers went into one big barrel and the soileddiapers into another. In the evening, when all the babies went to their homes, we hadto rinse the diapers before they could go to the laundry. This was not a very nice task




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at all! I can still picture myself handling those many diapers from all the many babies,that had been soaking in the barrel all day long in the Paraguayan heat! I guesssomeone had to do it, so we girls had to learn!

I never met Phyllis again after we left Primavera in 1953, but I shall remember her asa fine human being, a devoted sister of the Bruderhof and a very good nurse. I do hopethat she and Arthur were happy on the Bruderhof and did not have to lose theiridentities to remain members.


Nadine Moonje Pleil, 7/1/96: Phyllis Woolston was very dear to me. She looked afterme for a whole year when my parents, Victor and Hilda Crawley, had to go toAsuncion where my father worked on a building for the Americans. Phyllis was notmarried at the time when she was caring for me. In actual fact, she thought she might

not get married at all. She was a midwife by profession before she joined theBruderhof. She later went out to Paraguay and worked as a midwife closely with thethree doctors, Cyril, Margaret and Ruth. In fact, she helped to deliver our first childand delivered our two oldest daughters. Phyllis was very dedicated to her work andactually thought that her task as a nurse and midwife was her sole vocation.

She was in her forties when she married, and I remember her very great joy when shehad her first child, Heather. Phyllis was really like a mother to all of her patients. Shetrained me when I worked in the Primavera hospital. She was very strict, but also veryloving. I worked with her in the Mother House and enjoyed that time very much.

Phyllis had a lot to give.

When my mother Hilda passed away July 26, '93, Phyllis was the only person from theCommune who wrote a letter of condolence to us. She remembered the time when shewas single and was always welcome in our family, as were Nancy Winter and KateCavanna when they were single.

Phyllis' maiden name was Rabbits and she as known as "Bunny." That was in the earlyyears on the Cotswolds and early Primavera times. I must have been about 12 yearsold when Phyllis looked after me, and I often used to call her "Bunny." She enjoyed

that, and we often had a good laugh together about her being a bunny. I'm very gladand thankful that I was allowed to spend so much time with her, both when I was alittle girl and then later when I was in training in the Primavera hospital. Phyllis andArthur have three children: Heather, Timothy and Irene, all still in the Commune.

Phyllis and I were corresponding as of November, 1995, and then suddenly shediscontinued writing. Naturally that saddened me very much. I remember when Ishared with her the joy of the birth of our fourth grandson. She too was so happy. Shecould never resist the news of a new baby.

Phyllis will be missed by many, many of us, and especially those of us whose babiesshe delivered. Her passing has left me with the feeling of a great loss. However I feel




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honored to have known her.


Ruthie (Harries) and John Arnold, 13 Thetford Close, Danes Holme, Corby,Northants, ENGLAND, 6/19/96: On the 16th of June, John and Ruthie got married in

the Northampton Meeting House. Over sixty people attended. Many Quakers and avisitor spoke very movingly and there were some tears shed. Our engagement hadbeen in Bulstrode in 1960. After a real struggle, we had experienced the victory oflight over darkness. It was the most meaningful experience two people can have. Itwas God's Love.

In 1962 we were separated against our will. There was nothing we could do. LastDecember, we felt the same Love, and our love was again rekindled. No man has beenable to destroy this love. What God has joined, let no man separate.

We want to thank all those who phoned us from the USA and America. We also wantto thank you for all your gifts and letters. Thank you very much,


ITEM: The lawsuit that the Bruderhof filed against the Kingston Eight has beensettled. A second offer to settle from Woodcrest's attorneys was accepted. It gives theBruderhof trademark rights to the word "Bruderhof," cancels the use of the "Childrenof the Bruderhof" name, cancels the 800 number listing and line, while each side is

responsible for their own attorneys' fees.

The Kingston Eight wish at this time to offer their sincere thanks to attorney MichaelJ. Hutter of the Albany law firm Thuillez, Ford, Gold & Conolly for representing themmost generously pro bono (at no charge), and in a manner that does honor to hisprofession and his area of expertise.

The listing for this year's NYNEX Ulster County phone book unfortunately was notchanged due to a mistake by the listing agent. As of now, the membership group hasnot been renamed.

It seems as if the Bruderhof members who met with COB steering committeemembers in Kingston, July 1995, thought they had expressed, during that meeting,their serious aversion to the use of "Bruderhof" in COB's name. However none of thesteering committee members who attended received any hint of the Bruderhof'sconcern at that time, and were truly shocked when, a few months later, they wereserved with the lawsuit. This shows how serious the miscommunication between thetwo groups has become, and the need for a third party to be invited to participate as aFair Witness or a mediator.


Hilarion Braun, 5/12/96: At the end of March I quit my fifteen-year-old job in inkjet




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technologies to start a new venture with four partners. Our rented facility is inPhoenix, AZ. The business is called Summit Coating Technologies and involves allsorts of vacuum metal deposits on mostly plastic electronic components.

I just got a house in the Phoenix area and sold my Ohio house. Cassie will continuestudying at OSU, but is spending her summer vacation here. Because the work is sohard and urgent to assure a launch of the company, I doubt I'll be able to make thisyear's KIT conference. This whole venture may be very crazy, and I'll let you all knowhow it proceeds. If I end up in the homeless shelter, I'll figure out a way to stay intouch. To all those I will miss, my best wishes, and would love to see any of you insunny Arizona! My new home address: 1018 West Newport Beach Drive, Gilbert, AZ8523 tel: 602 507-0564.


Alfred Ames, 5/30/96: Enclosed is my check to sustain my subscription to the KITnewsletter. Though I am not a Bruderhof veteran, I continue interested in KIT and ama close friend of Leonard Pavitt, one of your U.K. representatives. I read KIT withastonishing thoroughness, and I continue to rejoice that Leonard did not quite succeedin recruiting me back in the '50s. Cordially yours,

Cyril and Margot Davies, 5/29/96: In the recent KIT number we understand that youneed funds. Therefore I include a pound cheque for 80 as a small help. We sendcopies of the KIT newsletter to various other ex-members in S.A.

Here we are now in our cool period, which is very pleasant. I will not add any more atpresent, in order to get this letter off tomorrow. Warmest wishes from us both,


Norah Allain, 6/21/96 (traveling in the U.K.): I have just spent an excellent day withRosie (Johnson) Sumner and Joy (Johnson) MacDonald, who took me down to Bexhillto see Buddug Evans. I didn't really know Joy before this, and it was good to haveplenty of time for a really good natter. I was warned beforehand that Buddug'smemory had worsened, and at first she didn't recognize me, but afterward we were

getting on well remembering the rather distant past. She just loved being taken out fora ride and sitting on a bench in front of the sea -- it was a mild day -- both of usenjoying an ice cream, just like children. She's distressed about the loss of memory,but otherwise seems to just enjoy what she still can in a really almost childlike way.

A sister of my age also is now in the same home, but is much more confused, poorsoul (her husband died recently). I think, and hope, that I shall one day depart rathersuddenly, like Ramon's American mother Julia [who died on the dance floor at 92 -ed], but am in no hurry to do so yet. Life is much too interesting. I'm sure it will beust as interesting in the next world, but am first of all intent on squeezing all I can get

out of this life. Son Ebo is on a farewell holiday with his wife in Norway and Sweden.I was over there in Dusseldorf for two weeks with them, going there by car with Ebo




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through the Chunnel and returning alone with the Eurostar train. Son Jean-Pierre andAnnelies also spent a few days with us. I had spent some days with Leonard Pavittpreviously -- it was still pretty cold, but we got one nice day and went off on a littlebus tour, and I also saw Joanie (Pavitt) Taylor and the girls, which I enjoyed.

Next week I'm going with Rosie, and possibly Joy, to see Belinda, which is great,while having the pleasure of seeing more of the Johnson sisters. After that I'll go to seemore family, and then get somehow to Steven and Ann Marchant where my daughterIsabel will pick me up for a two-week walking holiday in Wales. We'll have a caravanand take all three young ones with us.

The time is going rather quickly -- communication with my family in Brazil issomewhat better than erstwhile, as Betty, Clara and Chris now all have faxes.Francisco's recovering from some surgery, so I'm looking forward to seeing himimprove and feel more comfortable. Everyone else is holding their own, which is

something to be grateful for these days.

I'm making use of people's pianos, and getting more and more into practicing, and Ebohas bought me a CD player, so now I'm acquiring some CD's. It seems quite a shorttime ago that I didn't even know how to use the tape recorder. It seemed to belong toRoger's domain, and then suddenly one day I decided to find out so I could use it aswell, and it was so easy. Now I even have the nerve to fiddle with my children's stereosets! As usual, the time is too short to do all I want! I'm sure it's the same for KITstaff. Hoping you all are well and flourishing! Much love,


Konrad Kluver, 6/24/96: Rummaging through old letters I salvaged on my trip toParaguay last year, I came across some interesting correspondence which I would liketo share because it so unequivocally shows the insanity of attempting to communicatewith the Bruderhof or members thereof on an assumptive common basis orunderstanding, let alone dialectics. Although written more than five years ago, thecontents indicate clearly the direction of Bruderhof tactics taken then and earlier, andwhere they were heading...

Included will be my letter to Hans Meier of 2/16/96, which I wrote on the advice ofJacob Gneiting after his visit in Paraguay, as well as answering letters of both Hansand Klaus Meier [we enclose excerpts - ed]. To top off everything, both Hans andKlaus ask and say things totally incongruent with facts known to them, such as Klaustalking as if my parents were still alive, and matters of my family that they knew agesago by direct personal communication with my sister Christel. Are they really thatinsane or just faking it? I guess the letters will 'speak for themselves." Greetings! Andthanks for being able to "Keep In Touch!!!" 2/16/91: Konrad Kluver to Hans Meier:Dear Hans, together with this letter I mail you a copy of my letter to Roger Allain

concerning my treatment in Primavera as a teenager. You too, Hans, were amongstthose who bullied me (and others) psychologically to the point of absolutesubmission! Now as I wrote to Roger, it is not for me to forgive all that, but the




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forgiveness has to come from God, through Jesus Christ. I leave that to Him! Asregards the problems, misunderstandings, hostilities, accusations and threats, etc., byso-called 'Exies," I have the sincere question of whether it wouldn't be wise on yourpart to study the "facts presented" in "the light of the New Testament" and not by yourdogmatic standards and defenses? Isn't it so that the Primavera Bruderhof was the"parent" of at least us "sabras" [children born in the community - ed]? Were we, thesabras, not raised, trained and programmed for "The Life" on and in the Bruderhof, theBruderhof being to us, the sabras, synonymous with Primavera?

Weren't we in every way prevented from leaving, and couldn't leave the life withoutsevere repercussions (deciding for it or not), these repercussions being: psychological,economic and social in character? Don't you feel any responsibility for the havoc youcreated, and the damage perpetrated on psychological, mental, spiritual, physical andeconomic levels to at least us sabras through the act of dissolving The Life, theBruderhof, Primavera, which was for us sabras, Life, Home, Parent, Economic

Subsistence, Our Society? You dissolved Primavera without feeling it was necessaryto question or ask for our consensus? After all, we, the sabras, did not decide to getborn, raised and programmed in and for the Bruderhof!

Even less did you feel it was necessary to do what is regarded in The World as theabsolute minimum of decency, to reimburse us for the loss of "Our Inheritance," to saythe least, or give us some kind of material indemnification for all the ills suffered onthe Bruderhof and after we had been exposed to a totally alien lifestyle from the onewe had been raised in -- and programmed for? Didn't you, the Society of Brothers(Bruderhof) insist on reimbursement of damages to: health, wealth, psychological,

mental, physical and economic loss by the German State after World War II? Andreceive it? And this you now refuse to us, your children?

Now I know, dear Hans, that you personally were not responsible for those actions inParaguay, being an outcast yourself at the time. The corporation responsible for allthis injustice and its consequences is The Society of Brothers in the U.S.A. (readJames 4:1-12 and 5:1-6). Now if we are The Children of the Bruderhof, the Bruderhofis our parent! (Right? Right!). So dear Hans, in the light of all this, I ask you and thewhole Brotherhood, "Didn't you give us sabras snakes when we asked for fish, andscorpions when we asked for eggs?" (Luke 11:5-13)...

With this I want to close now in the hope that this letter finds you in good health. I ampositive that if you confront all these questions in the right spirit and try to solve thepast in a positive, Christian attitude, everyone involved will rejoice, including theangels in heaven! Please don't respond to this challenge with empty words of love,because these are nothing but the hollow ringing sounds of bells: beautiful but dead!With love,


Klaus Meier to Konrad Kluver, 5/22/91: Dear Konrad, warm greetings to you in thehope that this letter finds you in good health. . . You also wrote to my father and




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expressed some questions. I think he will need to answer you. Since he is already 89years old, I try to keep things rolling.

I remember that my father has seen what was wrong in him in the Paraguay time. Hewas away for 12 years, all the time seeking the root of the trouble that kept him awayfrom his family and from the life of a brother. . . You know, Konrad, in the end eachone of us can only ask for forgiveness where he has failed and leave the other to God.

Primavera was a place where our parents wanted to live a life of love, justice andunity. All of them had deeply recognized that is only possible in Christ. They alsorecognized that private property is the biggest hindrance to such a life. They also allsaid: "God has called me to this life," and on this were baptized. They also all knewthat nothing belong to them, no land, no houses, no clothing, no nothing. They and wealso knew that if we leave, we have no right to claim anything at all. We also knewthat the children could have no claim. Was this not clear to you? To me it was and is

absolutely clear. I also want to say to you that you had a good life as a child. Muchmuch better than millions of other children. Things went wrong, but you and I alwayshad clothing, food, care, also medical care, and the community gave us a goodeducation. . . I think many of your questions should be directed to your parents whooined the life knowing full well what it meant. They also are warmly invited. I have a

great longing that we can find peace with each other. . .


Hans Meier to Konrad Kluver, 8/91: Dear Konrad... you terminated your letter "with

love" after you had urged us not to respond with "empty words of love." After havingread your letter several times, I raise the question if you have written them out of loveor out of annoyance? This I put as a question, not a statement, but I have the strongimpression of irritation on your part. Thus I am expecting a letter from you which isnot written out of irritation. Admittedly one could state questions out of true love, butnot accuse without first to ask the accused. Otherwise the devil laughs up his sleevesthat he has managed to separate the two.

Out of the same reason we, I, on the Rhonbruderhof, first had to overcome ourirritation and hate towards Hitler, the murderer, before we were able to write him

clearly that we were living and vouching for, and to appeal to him to become a tool ofGod's love rather than to be a tool of God's wrath. . . Having you on my mind, Your,NOTE: Konrad's letter refers to the reparation moneys that the German governmentpaid for the German Bruderhof members and their children after World War II ended.The following article gives more information about these payments.


Bette Bohlken-Zumpe, 5/19/96: About the Wiedergutmachungs (reparations for Naziconfiscations and exile): My father had a good friend, Dr. Eisenberg, who was theattorney in the district of Fulda when the Bruderhof was dissolved. Immediately afterthe war (1945), my father contacted Dr. Eisenberg about the Rhonbruderhof, which




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they hoped to get back from the German State. This was not possible, as the GermanState had sold it to a farmer who fought for his rights. But from the very beginning,Dr. Eisenberg advised my father to create files on:

All the members who were forced to leave Germany.

All the children born in Germany.

All the children from German parents who were born outside Germany, due to thecircumstances.

Dr. Eisenberg followed up on all the developments in this matter, and my father sawhim every time he went to Germany. (At the time, Primavera people laughed about myfather who strongly believed that the Community had a right to receive repatriatepayment for all the losses in the 1930s.) It finally was decided to:

1. Pay DM 6000 to anyone returning to Germany as a sort of immediate help.

2. One large sum for the loss of the Rhonbruderhof with the special stipulation that thecemetery is and always will be the property of the Bruderhof.

3. Gesundheitsschaeden: all members and their children who were forced out ofGermany have a right that their medical bills, due to poor circumstances in Paraguay,are evaluated and paid for by the German State.

4. Schulbildungsschaeden: all children who had to grow up in the backwoods ofParaguay and therefore suffered in the school education have a "personal" right tohave their schooling paid for by the German State.

5. People who suffered irreversible damage to their health (due to Paraguay) have apersonal right to receive a "life pension" until they die from the German State.

All this was filed, and Dr. Ruth Land (from Primavera's hospital) went to Dr.Eisenberg with my father to work on individual cases, including the children who haddied due to the poverty we lived in. Dr. Eisenberg was very much on our side and did

a lot of work for the Bruderhof. My father was in Hanau at least once a month to getevery petition through. Then in 1959 my father was excluded, and everything came toa standstill for a while. Then Dr. Eisenberg died suddenly and his successor Dr. Knorrwas very eager to get the matter cleared quickly, as he also would get a portion fromall the money that would be paid. Then the Big Crisis started and Herman Arnold,who was trying to pick up where my father had left off, was excluded and sent awaywith his family. 'Stupid' people like Stefan Barth and some American brothers tookover. They wanted to see money quickly and therefore agreed to a lump sum or flatsettlement. This meant that no individual petition was ever paid, but insteadeverything was paid in one great lump.

For example, the Zumpes: Emi-Margret Zumpe had active TB in the tropics plus fouroperations which left her in poor health. Therefore the German State paid for all her




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medical bills and she has a right to a life pension monthly as long as she lives. HansZumpe was healthy (and excluded) and had no right to receive anything at all!

Seven children of which four have very bad asthma = a lump sum of DM_______.

"Poor education in the backwoods" for seven Zumpe children = DM ________.

In the 1960s, many German members left the Bruderhof and therefore Heini and hisfriends made a lot of haste to get the matter settled. Dr. Knorr was eager to have thingssettled as well, and the Bruderhof made him promise that he would work for theBruderhof only and NOT make his files available to ex-members.

After he was kicked out, my father went to Dr. Knorr at the law firm in Hanau thathandled the Wiedergutmachungs for the Bruderhof and was told (I have the letter fromthe firm in my possession) that the Bruderhof forbade the law firm to take on ex-members and if they did so, the Bruderhof would look for another law firm to handletheir matters. Dr. Knorr told Papa that he had to promise Mr. Barth and Mr. Hildel notto take on any ex-members and to leave matters as they were. So in the case of myfather Hans, who had done all the initial work, there was no way at all to get any helpfrom Dr. Knorr who held all the papers in his file. Papa was told to look for anattorney and start all over again, which he did not do!

People who were sent away, like me, all received a little printed paper from theBruderhof telling us that the first step to find our way back to the Church would be togive the Bruderhof the authority to collect these moneys 'for the Church.' I signed this

paper and so did many others -- stupid, stupid, stupid!

When Germany first handed out a lot of Wiedergutmachungs money, it wasexclusively for the German members and the children born in Germany. Later that waschanged to "Family damage due to Nazi persecution." I have been away too long toknow what the Bruderhof took and what they are still receiving.

To sum up, families like the Wiegands, Sorgius, Hasenbergs, Hundhammers and manymore, signed the paper in good faith that the Bruderhof would take care of them. Butthe Bruderhof pocketed DM 6000 for each (DM 12,000 for a couple) immediate help,

schooling and health money for the whole family (the amount depending on thenumber of children), plus the share they would have had in the old Rhonbruderhof.

Individual life insurance [pensions? - ed] is paid for several members (e.g. like mymother). So it is clear that a lot of money was paid -- and still is paid -- for variouspeople in the Community, even though the older generation is diminishing quickly.

"Smart Money" (money for emotional trauma and pain) is still paid individually. Forthe people that died in Primavera and England: Gertrud Dyroff, Edith Arnold, AdolfBraun, Fritz Kleiner, Gunther Hohman, Ludwig Klein, and Trautel Dreyer (eventhough she was Swiss, she was married to a German who was forced out of Germany),the family can apply for 'Smart Money," and I think the Bruderhof collected that also.Now fifty years after the war, all cases are treated individually by government




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lawyers.

There is one more thing I would like to say concerning this matter: Germany isoverpopulated, and with East and West being one again, plus all the many refugeesfrom all over Europe, the German State is not too keen to have more and more peoplemove into Germany. They would rather keep them in a foreign country and pay theirbills there (in Guaranis, for example) than have them return to Germany. Of late theyhave an "Expulsion Law" for which a Dr. Bebber in Bonn is responsible. Under thislaw, you can actually apply for a full pension that a middle class citizen is entitled tofor all the years of your adult life (after the age of 18) that you were forced to live in aforeign country due to Nazi persecution. That would mean that Bruderhof childrenstill living in Paraguay can apply for this pension. Also I know of someone inParaguay who gets all of his medical bills paid for by the German Embassy rather thanhave him return to Germany.

As requested, here are the names of people who should have had the GermanWiedergutmachungs (we will refer to this as "WGM") money in the 1960s and since.Naturally I must do this by memory, as I have no documents on this matter, but it isnot so difficult for me to subdivide by families.

War Orphans Taken Into The Bruderhof

Gert Wegner with sister Liesel: Full payment WGM. Five children out with nothing.

Luise Kolb, married to Bruce Sumner: Lump sum WGM with life rent to B'hof. All

seven children out, received nothing.

Erna Friedemann married to Werner: Lump sum WGM to B'hof. Family left in 1960with 10 children, received nothing.

Sophie Loeber, married to Christian: Lives in B'hof with one child. Four children outwith nothing.

Constantin Mercoucheff married to Anne Ebner: Full payment to Anne and children.Constantin left in 1960 with nothing.

George Mercoucheff: Lump sum WGM to B'hof. Left with nothing.

Lottie Ahrend married to Harry Magee: Full sum to Bruderhof.

Ulrike Ahrend: Lived and died on the B'hof. Full WGM amount to Bruderhof.

Wolfgang Loewenthal, married at the time to Liesbeth Boller: Lump sum to B'hof.Two children in. Six children out.

Members

Emmy Arnold: Lived and died on the B'hof (at age 95), Received full amount WGM




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plus "life rent."

Emi-Margret, married to Hans Zumpe, and their children:

Heidi, Ben, Burgel received full amount; Charius and Emmy (born in Paraguay) 1/2amount. Hans received nothing. Bette left in 1959 (Bruderhof collected); Kilian left in

1959 (Bruderhof collected).

Hardy Arnold married to Edith Boecker, who died in 1943 due to bad medicalsituation: Full payment paid while Hardi was outside in exclusion. Of their children,Eberhard Klaus (left in 1958) receives some help now from the German Consulate;Miriam -- nothing; Johannes -- nothing; Gabriel Franklin -- received nothing.

Heinrich Arnold married to Annemarie Waechter: Lived and died on the B'hof. Fullpayment plus life rent. All children on Bruderhof at the time.

Hans Herman married to Gertrud Loeffler: Lived and died on the B'hof. Full payment,also for 8 children. Ernst, Sam and Dieter received nothing.

Monika Arnold, married to Balz Trumpi: Lump sum payment went to the B'hof. Theyleft in 1960 and managed to retrieve some of the money.

Herman Arnold, married to Liesel Wegner: Lived and died on the B'hof. Fullpayment. All children "out" received nothing.

Ruth von Hollander, married to Arno Martin: Lived and died in B'hof. Full paymentWGM. One child in Olga. Three children out. Hanna, Hans and Ruthli (all receivednothing)

Walter von Hollander married to Marieli Freiburghaus: While living on B'hof, fullWGM payment. Left in 1978 with 12 children, with nothing.

Adolf and Martha Braun: lived and died on B'hof -- full WGM amount. DaughterGertrud Braun married to Gerd Wegner: 'In' with two of their children, lump sumWGM. Four children 'out' with nothing.

Erich Hasenberg, married to Kathleen Hamilton: lump sum WGM to B'hof. Two inB'hof. Left in 1960 with 5 children, Erich, Jean, Brenda, Edith, Berndt -- nothing.

Elfriede Braun, married to Lesley Barron: Full WGM paid to B'hof. Out with Laurenzand Grace.

Walter and Marie Braun: Lump WGM to B'hof. Left 1960 with all but one of theirchildren. Frieda, Hilarion -- nothing.

Susie Fros married to Jan: Lives on B'hof. Full WGM paid to B'hof.

Manfred and Rose Kaiser: lived and died on B'hof. Full WGM to B'hof.




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Monika von Hollander, married to Georg Barth: Full WGM for both and three sons.

Kurt and Marianne Zimmermann: Full WGM for both plus 8 children.

Willi and Lotte Kluver: Left 1960, lump WGM to B'hof. One child 'in" (Christel).Parents and children -- nothing.

Trudi Dalgas, married to Walter Hussy: lived and died on the B'hof. Three sons 'in.'Full WGM paid.

Wilhelm Fischer married to Lini: left 1965, all WGM to B'hof. Seven children outwith nothing.

Waltraut von Schengel married to Gerhard Wiegand: left 1960, all WGM to B'hof.Seven children in Germany with nothing.

Herbert and Else Sorgius: left 1960, WGM to B'hof. Managed to receive a smallpension. Nine children -- nothing.

Katherine Ebner: lived and died on B'hof. Full WGM.

August Dyroff, married to Winifred Bridgwater: lived and died on B'hof. Full WGM.Eight children out with nothing.

Rudi Hildel married to Winifred Paicy. Live In B'hof with seven daughters. FullWGM to B'hof.

Karl and Irmgard Keiderling: lived and died in B'hof. Full WGM paid, also for theireight children. Out: Esther, Peter, Irmi -- nothing.

Leo Dreher, married to Trautel: Left 1960 with second wife Hannie. Bulk sum WGMto B'hof. Managed to receive a small amount for his rent.

Alfred and Gretel Gneiting: lived and died on B'hof. Full WGM to B'hof. Mostchildren out -- with nothing.

Fritz and Sekunda Kleiner: live and died on B'hof. Full WGM paid. Children out withnothing.

Joseph Staengel married to Ivy: In B'hof with all children full WGM paid.

Karl Hundhammer married to Connie Barron: left 1960 with ten small children. AllWGM collected by B'hof. Nothing to family.

Hilde Hundhammer married to Migg Fischli: left 1960 with 9 children. B'hof collected

WGM. Nothing to family.

Martin and Alice Lackman: lived and died on B'hof with 2 daughters. Full WGM to




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B'hof.

Singles

Friedel Sonnheimer: lived and died in B'hof. Full WGM.

Lene Shulz: lived and died in B'hof. Full WGM.

Ria Kiefer: lived and died in B'hof. Full WGM.

Marie Eck: lived and died in B'hof. Full WGM.

Heinz Bolk: left 1960. Managed to get some WGM.

Albert Wohlfahrt: left 1960. Some WGM.

Otto Kaiser: left 1960. Full German pension.

Maybe all this is not that interesting, but as I see it coming up again and again, Ithought I'd put a little more time into this matter. Best Wishes,


KIT: Estimating the total the Wiedergutmachungs amount paid to the Bruderhof, arelative in Germany told Miriam Arnold Holmes that in his estimation she should havereceived approximately $40,000 dollars at that time.

Estimating at least 100 people at that amount, the total settlement must have reachedwell over a conservative estimate of four million dollars which, by today's inflationstandards, could be multiplied by ten -- plus interest. Miriam has tried to verify theamount, but could not get any information from the German government. She alsotried, but could not get, any documentation from the Bruderhof.

Dieter Zumpe, 5/16/96: I have been receiving KIT for about five years. I ask I receiveit no more. For the most part, my memories and experiences of the Bruderhof are

something I don't wish to be reminded of on a monthly basis. My life is currently in azone of an all-time high, and any reminders of the Commune are depressing for themost part.

I would like to thank for all the copies received, but I am not getting much out of themanymore. My main mental focus is on the present and the future. My personalrelationship with the Bruderhof is pretty crappy at best, but that is their doing, notmine. There are many other wonderful people out in this great earth who love me forwho I am, so why play silly Bruderhof games for the sake of conditional love? I'mdropping out of KIT for my sake, not for them. Greetings to all,





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Wolfgang Loewenthal, 6/17/96: This letter comes to you from the Eastern U.S. Icame here three weeks ago in order to visit my daughters, Virginia and Claudia inPittsburgh, and Tamara in Indiana. I had also hoped to see my daughter Yolanda wholives in New Meadow Run. After three phone calls, during which she "could not belocated,"

I finally was able to speak to her husband, Andy Johnson. I requested a meeting withthem and their children in a Howard Johnson restaurant about halfway betweenPittsburgh and NMR, something we have done at least three times previously. Andysaid that Yolanda would reply to me by letter.

A few days later, that letter arrived. She wrote among other things, "If you supportKIT, we have to break off contact. The very purpose of KIT is to destroy our life." "Ican't compromise with things that attack what is most dear to me."

I can imagine that this letter was written with tears. She also says that she would loveto see me and for me to get to know her three children. Cheryl, Dexter and Renita.This letter made me very sad. I have told her before in my letters that KIT in no way isout to destroy the Bruderhof, and that Johann Christoph Arnold has stated repeatedlythat reading the KIT newsletter was no reason to break off contact between familymembers.


The Wall Street Journal, ran an article July 5th titled 'Tiny Church's 'Christian

Communism' Makes Money' by Timothy Aeppel, Staff Reporter. It mentions that thegroup is "under harsh attack. A band of former members has accused the Bruderhof ofbecoming cult-like, a charge that it denies and that most outside experts dismiss...

"Worrying that such criticism could eventually harm the church, the Bruderhof hasdecided to open up more to the outside world. It recently set up a scholarship fund fornonmembers, for instance, and even hired a New York public-relations firm -- theWeiser Walek Group -- to promote its positive aspects. They just want to beunderstood for who they really are," says Robert McGrath, a senior director at WeiserWalek. . ."

"The Bruderhof frowns on rock music and virtually bans television, and most of itsmembers refuse to vote. "How can I vote when I don't trust the system?" asks ClareStober, a former Quaker who left a successful graphic design business in Washington,D.C., to join the Bruderhof in 1991. . .

"The Bruderhof's enterprises had combined revenue of over $20 million last year, withprofit of about $9 million. However, since income must also cover living costs of themembers, the bottom line was closer to $2 million in 1995 . . ."

The article mentions that about a dozen people left the group in1995, while about 25oined, "so annual net growth is the norm. But critics say there is a darker side to all

this togetherness. A group of former members say the Bruderhof makes it hard for




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members to leave.

"To be sure, without health insurance, savings account or experience in real-worldobs, many who leave find it difficult to survive outside the community. 'People who

leave have no equity for the years they've dedicated to the group,' says Ramon Sender,editor of a newsletter for former members. Critics also accuse the group of pressuringfamily members who remain to cut ties with those who leave -- and even makingcrank calls to a hotline set up by former members to help people who want to leave.

"J. Christoph Arnold, the Bruderhof's leader, denies the group hinders people whowant to leave or pressures members to stop communicating with relatives who domove to the outside. He does concede the possibility that 'angry' members placedphone calls to the hotline."


Blair Purcell: I highly recommend the bookThe Giverby Lois Lowry to all former orcurrent Bruderhofers.


Maine Report

by George Maendel

Saturday June 1: Kerri and I went to hear poetry at Mr. D's Lounge on Rt. 17 inWashington, Maine. We soon renamed it Smoky D's lounge. It's a trailer house styleshelter, flat, low ceiling, a small low stage and a bar at one end. They said there is akitchen back there somewhere, I didn't ask to see it.

We went there to hear poetry, but we were soon choking in tobacco smoke whilestraining to hear. I can't understand why fifteen smokers wanted to make it hard forthe rest of us, about 100 people, to breathe. Still the words we heard were good, and itwould have been easy to listen longer to any of the speakers.

Some notes while there:

Smoky D's has sunlight in the windows at 7 P.M. D.S.T. June 1, penetrating the smoketo the east wall. There should be a hole in the ceiling, straight to the sky, ventilation!Unlike an old Maine barn, this place doesn't breathe. The band, six young men called'Anonymous,' is OK, but too loud and in a place with dismal acoustics.

Twenty minutes of the band and the music mercifully stopped, now if the smokewould clear. After a ten minute break, the host, George Van de Venter, is still lost inthe haze, but he does make it to the microphone to say that there will be one more

song from the band. Just one, thanks! Too loud again, and more unintelligible. Oh, theband's done, Van de Venter takes over to introduce the first speaker.




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We hear a poem about a habitat-to-go; another is a farewell to a friend, then "Spring!"by Sidelinger, "How Together," by Van de Venter, the Canadian's late arrival isannounced -- they were lost on Rt. 17. We hear a poem about half-price dinosaursfrom L. L. Bean, courtesy of polar-tex fabric. A man with a cane told of uncontrolledspeech after having his teeth fixed, he stopped talking and started writing poetryinstead, but he was concerned because the doctor who fixed his teeth was supposed tohave a look at his hands next week.

After a short break, Todd Swift from Canada takes over. He knows how to use themicrophone and his voice is right for it. He tells a poem story about a girlfriend andsending her a thousand roses. Well, at least he sent words about a thousand roses hewanted to send, and he read several other poems, all good, one about yearning forwhatever, nothing is more strange than how we yearn, he says.

We heard several more poems, one about a hat in a circle and one about recovering

from motherhood, by a women with four adult children. During a fifteen minutebreak, Kerri and I decide to leave to go to a store a mile away, and didn't returnbecause the evening air was so nice to breathe, not like in Smoky D's. We got smokedout of the poetry slam, but we enjoyed the trip home after a stop at a small store forpopcorn, potato chips and ice cream. I would go to another poetry "Slam", but I hopeit's in a better place. Truck Diary

Today was hot here, and the house at midday was invitingly cool. This evening Iworked on a 1946 Ford 3/4 Ton truck which my neighbor Bill Terry and I aresupposed to get into usable condition for the owner of a local children's camp. We

work on it during spare moments. It has been parked outside Bill's garage for monthnow. I keep track of the work we do on it, and money spent for parts, in order to workup a bill for repairs. We haven't spent a lot of time on it, but it sounds like we havefrom my notes. Here is the record so far:

Thursday, May 9, 1996: I had Ferguson's Garage haul the truck to Bill Terry's farmbecause the truck has no brakes. $35 for towing, a new heavy duty six-volt batteryfrom Ingrahams for $65, and Bill and I spent three hours working on the truck at Bill'sshop. We oiled the cylinders before turning the engine and doing a compression test.We found that one cylinder has no compression and has a valve problem, the exhaustvalve is either burned or stuck open. More investigation will tell. The rest of thecylinders have good compression. The truck needs a new 6 volt coil, about $35. Weremoved the ignition distributor, cleaned and set the points, but until we get the newcoil we can't tell if the ignition system is working.

Expenses so far: Towing, 35; Battery, 65; Labor, 60; New coil 35; Total: $195.

After we get the engine running we will check the clutch and brakes. The truck is aconversation piece for all who see it at Bill's shop, and it looks right at home on the

farm.

Friday, May 10: We decided the gasoline tank should be removed in order to empty




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and clean it. I started the job by removing the seat bottom and back and cleaning thetruck cab, three hours, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. labor, $30; May 9 repairs, $195 ; Total: $225.

Sat. May 11: 1 hour spent cleaning the truck seats and cleaning up the mess I made inBill's shop.

Sat. May 18: Bill and I worked on the truck for three hours. We drained and removedthe gasoline tank, cleaned out a battery box full of acorns and assorted junk, steelbrushed the floor, vacuumed cleaned it, and oiled the floor and the gas tank beforeinstalling the tank, with tar paper under and on top of it to help prevent rust. We putthe seat cushions back in and put six gallons of new gasoline in the tank. Beforereconnecting the gas line to the tank we removed it at the carburetor and cleaned it byblowing air through it, and we removed and cleaned the fuel pump sediment bowl. Weinstalled the new coil and wired it, installed the spark plugs and started the truck.

It runs, but with only seven cylinders working. The stuck exhaust valve seemsdetermined to stay that way until we remove the cylinder head to free it. It was nearly9 p.m., so we decided to save that job for another day.

May 11 labor, 10; May 18 labor, 60; gasoline, 10; Parts and labor to May 10, 225;Total expenses up to May 18: $305.

Sunday, May 19: Bill and I worked on the truck for two hours. We removed the leftside cylinder head and got the stuck valve to start working by oiling it and moving itwith a tool while turning the engine with the starter. After a few minutes it began

working perfectly. Bill started cleaning the engine block while I cleaned the head. Weneed to buy a new head gasket in order to install the cylinder head. We can tell withthe head off that the cooling system will need some work as it is full of corrosion.May 19: $40.

May 20: I spent two hours cleaning the cylinder head. $5 for paint, $3 for paint thinnerto prepare the cylinder head for painting.

May 24: Bill spent 2 hours cleaning the old gasket from the engine block, workingaround the 24 head bolts. The new gasket has not arrived, lost in shipping.

May 31: the gasket finally got here, by air from Florida, $25 with shipping. Theoriginal order was lost between computers, a new order was placed on May 30, 9A.M. Bill spent an hour cleaning the block in the past week.

June 1: I spent five hours washing the engine block with kerosene and air pressure,cleaning carbon from the tops of the pistons, preparing and painting the cylinder head,buying parts in Thorndike and having two new water pipes made at Ravens Garage.(We used heavy gauge, 1 and 3/4" steel exhaust pipe. Each pipe is 24 inches long witha 150 degree bend on one end and a 120 degree bend on the other, made by theexhaust pipe bending machine.) $55 for parts, plus $5 for kerosene.

June 2: This morning Bill and I placed the gasket and the cylinder head, bolted it, and




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torqued the bolts to 70 pounds. 2 hours total.

June 2: We decided to work when it's cool. Bill spent an hour re-installing the sparkplugs, coil, wires, etc. I spent 2 hours on the cooling system, cleaning it and removingthe old heater hoses and removing a heater hose outlet from the cylinder head. Iremoved the right radiator to cylinder head water pipe. 3 hours total labor thisafternoon. (End of Truck Diary)

In the past month I have helped clear an area near Kerri's sister's house so they couldput in a garden. The tree stumps were removed by a man with a backhoe, then the areawas tilled three times by a local farmer using a tractor and a Howard rotovator. $60 tohave the tree stumps removed and $75 to have the area tilled. It is full of plants andseeded rows of vegetables now, in a pretty design with lots of measured paths allmeeting around a planting circle in the center.

And I have started work on another clearing in the woods nearby, where Kerri and Iare planning to build a house. It will take me another two weeks to get the firewoodand branches hauled off the lot. Not that there is two weeks of work in that, even forone person, but it will probably take me two weeks, working part time as I have beendoing.

We intend to have a house, about 24' x 36', under roof before winter. (We are sooptimistic!) Kerri has designed it and even built a model, complete with interior walls,windows, etc.

Time for coffee and cake! I turned on the computer an hour ago to update my truckrepair diary. I hope my report hasn't been too boring! Bye,


Hans Zimmermann, 5/11/96: Another jaguar story was told by my father, KurtZimmermann. During the first few years in Primavera, he was asked to take the olderschool children from Isla Margarita on a day trip to the river Tapiraguay. From Isla itwas a good 2-1/2 hour trip by horse wagon, sometimes longer depending how dry orwet it was, much slower when we had high water. First one had to cross campo

Lechera, then through a short stretch of jungle going up a hill to the Potrero Ibate.Ibate was high and dry with very red soil, high grass and huge leaf-cutting antcolonies every where. Crossing that, one entered again the jungle Monte Abebo alongpicadas (logging roads) cut for the log-hauling Alza Primas. After about 3/4 mile thepicada went down hill again, exiting on to campo Carepei, a long sliver of grasslandbetween Abebo and Monte Riveros. One followed this for close to 2 miles, ending upon campo Invernada. Here the wagon trail turned right, skirting the edge of MonteRiveros until it became too soft and swampy, now the trail entered the jungle again.This last section, a good mile long, was never used by the Alza Primas and was onlycut for horse wagons. Because of this it was cut just wide enough to accommodate thewagons winding itself around big trees, over roots and stumps, extremely bumpy andslow.




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trying to control them by the reins would not work. Two more boys, club in handwould sit on the rear of the wagon to fend of the jaguar should he try and attack frombehind. The girls were to huddle in the middle of the wagon floor, removing the seatboards to stay low. I sat on the drivers board with another club-wielding boy at myside. During all this preparation the jaguar kept on growling and howling.

"Most of the girls started to whimper or cry, while the women chaperons tried to calmthem by singing psalms. Once ready, we started moving in this formation, slowlyproceeding along the bumpy and winding road thru the jungle. The boys had an awfulhard time keeping the horses under control. If we had let them run, the wagon wouldhave soon flown apart bouncing over roots and crashing into trees.

"This one-mile crawl through the jungle seemed to last a lifetime. The jaguar appearedto be following us, growling and howling as we tried to get out of there as quickly andsafely as possible. The sun setting in the west was well below the treetops and the

light started to fade quickly in the jungle. It was no fun sitting helpless in a wagon, awhimpering of psalms being drowned out by jaguar howls. I don't know if any onepeed in their pants. It seemed forever, but we finally made it out of the jungle and onto campo Invernada. There I told the boys to pile into the wagon and gave the horsesfree rein. I could hardly control them as they took off in a full gallop. Luckily it wasdry and we could move swiftly. The howl of the jaguar quickly faded away, but thehorses kept going. By the time we reached the entrance of the jungle Abebo, thehorses were lathered in white sweat, and I had to force them to a walk as we climbedthe hill on the picada which leads to the Potrero Ibate. Because one side of the roadwas badly eroded the wagon nearly tipped over so the boys had to get out again and do

some pushing to help the tired horses up the long hill.

"By now the sun had set and it was dark in the jungle. The open Potrero Ibateprovided us with more daylight and then it was just a short stretch through the woodsdown to campo Lechera from where we could see the lights of Isla Margarita. Thewhole trip back one had this funny feeling as if the jaguar had wings and wasfollowing us. We really did not feel safe until we were back on the Isla Margaritahof."

Kurt was able to make this story sound real scary, and we kids enjoyed hearing itagain and again.


Some Memories of Kurt Zimmermann

by Emil (Migg) Fischli, 6/15/96 (translated by Susanna Alves Levy)

After reading Hans Zimmermann's contribution in KIT of May 1996, Kurt appearedever so often in my thoughts. Apart from my memories, I own some real, solid itemsthat directly connect me to Kurt. I have a large red cedar chest which my oldest sonSeppel once made with Kurt's practical help and guidance. The sides of this chest are




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perfectly held together with exactly fitting, Schwalbenschwanz("swallow-tail") joints.Kurt was able to convey his exacting workmanship to many a youngster, such asSeppel. Gottlieb, another of my sons, also made a smaller chest, from paraiso wood,under Kurt's helping hands. Both chests were proudly presented as Christmas gifts totheir mother Hilde. They are precious treasures, holding other treasures of all ourchildren from the early years. Now these chests are the direct, solid connection withKurt.

My other recollections of Kurt are more weltanschaulich (philosophical worldoutlook-related). I joined the Bruderhof at 18 years of age, being disillusioned by thelying 'Christian Churches', but full of hope to help build up a just, brotherly life. Kurt'soining came along similar lines -- he came as a Communist. Now this is dangerous to

mention, but there are two kinds of Communist: one of the taking-away kind, the otherof the sharing/brotherly kind. Kurt and I were of the latter sort. In the early years inthe Bruderhof, we celebrated on the 1st of May, even singing the Internationale:

"Volker hort die Signale..."or"Bruder zur Sonne zur Freiheit...", but not ending with"...heilig die letzte Schlacht",but "...heilig der Liebe Macht"(in place of 'sacred thelast battle,' 'sacred the power of love'.)

Leo Dreher, who was baptized at the same time as Kurt, told me once that Kurt did nothave to say the words of the Christian Confession of Faith, but Eberhard Arnoldaccepted some of the words and genuine meaning of the Communist Manifesto. Manyof the joining members of those early times came from similar backgrounds. It wasgenuine, something for which one was ready to risk ones life.

Kurt, as I feel very close and understand him, could never agree to the pietisticChristian "humbug" which through the years gradually crept into the spiritual life andhabits of the Bruderhof, especially after the sale of Primavera. He had a very open andunderstanding way with children and young people. I know this from my own kids,but also from the many times we had "hort" (supervising the children during play-time) on Sunday mornings or weekday afternoons. Also there were the two cedarwoods in Primavera that he planted and cared for during so many siesta hours.Unfortunately, the Mennonites felled all the trees.

In the early sixties, we spent some time together at the Sinnthalhof in Germany. Hisfamily and my family suffered extremely difficult times. I got into trouble after thereports about the goings-on and the giving--up of Primavera. Kurt was sent away, andI was worked three times outside, at the water-bottling works at Bad Bruckenau, andlastly in the parquet factory in Bruckenau. At the end of Sinnthalhof, when it wasclosed down, we were told by two "Brothers" from England that there was no roomfor us anymore in the Bruderhof. No other reasons were given. This from Brotherswhom I had given my life for, the cause I -- that we, Hilde and I -- were ready to diefor.

Something then broke in me, and I can well imagine that something must have brokenin Kurt.




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I write about Kurt, but to Kurt belongs Marianne, his wife. I am not going to sing asong of praise to or about her, but just a few facts: her singing, her leading in thesinging, the singing in the Advent times in the circles and in family get-togethers, isust unforgettable. She must have done more good for the real life of the communities

than most of the so-called "DaWs" (Diener an Werd -- Servants of the Word).

I still shudder about her last letter to Hans Zimmermann.

Now they in the Bruderhof shoot at the hearts of their own members, not only at thehearts of outside relatives.

I greet with warm love any of the still very dear Zimmermann family who might readthese few reflections.


---- Poetry ----

B. Hood DigestN. Withheld

I lived with these brothers in the hood.They combined their names into brotherhood.They traveled away for many a mile,They grew, and they grew, and they multiplied.

They were the brothers believing in Christ,Of his coming, and going and sacrifice.But now there are new brothers in the hood,Who hunger for wealth -- NOT brotherhood.

They imported some dogs from Germany too,They are not for peace, but for attack -- they do.It is hard to believe, that these brothers-in-the-hood,Are selling those dogs in the name of good.

But that is not all I can tell you of them,Their view has changed from God to men.The elder, all mighty, and his b-kissing friends,Do rule and decide the fate of all men.

They seek for a tax break and welfare too.But they also own a jet, these brothers do.The elder is proud when he eyes his jet too,He takes to the skies on a mission or two.

But hold on to your seats, that isn't all,The elder is frightened for his fall.




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He went to the police and bought a gun,Come hell and high water, let them come!

The thousands of dollars he burns on a flight,On a senseless mission to the Pope or his kind.He feels himself equal to the Pope -- he does,For both of them speak for the Man above. Believe it or not!

click here to return to Table of ContentsAtlantis, The First Dayby Jere BrunerSardines in silver echelons descendingdrifted, parted, and joined, passing temple spires.Sea bass with innocent astonished staresgills solemnly compressing and distending,

patrolled the green penumbra of the squares.Chaste inquisitive parrot-fish perusedthe table set, the finger bowl unused,its waters mingled with the abundant sea:the lady with upraised hand, who had refusedto let in death by water when it came,intruding between dinner time and tea,leaving her island nothing but a name.In the unshadowed pallidness at noonsea-currents lifted the light folds of her gown.

The flowers died, the moss began to grow,and on the populous solitude belowthe sediment of the centuries fell like snow.1955

click here to return to Table of ContentsLife Story Part VIby Norah Allain

Our son Jacquo was born in Primavera during May of '47, our sixth child -- and allboys up to this point. Trautel was expecting a baby at the same time and we were bothin the sewing room, but I was first, as usual. He was born in the end room of thehospital, and I was reminded so vividly of the time of Andre's illness. Then Trautelhad a little daughter, Maia, who was her last child. She died when Maia was only four.I had hoped that Jacquo would be a little girl, but resigned myself to being a boys'mother. I preferred it that way rather than having only girls. I think we moved then toa big room in the old hall again. I seem to remember being next door to the Meiers.

It must have been this year too that Roger was made Servant of the Word. It was Hans

Zumpe who proposed it. I wasn't really surprised, as I knew Roger to be a verycapable person with a very active mind and capable of leading, and all such peoplesooner or later got taken. He knew he was capable of leading in practical things, but




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had doubts about being able to lead spiritually. At times these doubts really oppressedhim, but he was elected. This was a loss for the school, which had previously lost Balzand Hans Hermann in the same cause. That was the weakness of our life -- we werealways removing people from one task and giving them another, especially the mostgifted ones, and in that way the education suffered a good deal. About this time I gotput in the school for about six weeks to replace someone else, maybe a sister who washaving a baby. I have a vague memory of it being somewhat chaotic! Trudi was incharge then -- in a way I quite enjoyed it. At least it was a change from the everlastingwashing and cooking and looking after babies and toddlers. But I still felt I was nogood as a teacher.

Then I was pregnant again very quickly, and in the last months I was working withPhyllis Woolston in the babyhouse. I fell from grace towards the end and received aterrific telling off from Phyllis because I had turned away for a moment to fetchsomething, leaving a baby alone on the table, and it might have fallen off. It was

useless to tell her I had not done it absent-mindedly but consciously, with my eye onthe baby all the time, and that this was not one of your lightning movers -- no, I hadcommitted an almost unforgivable offense, and was sent home for that day to thinkabout it. I bore Phyllis no grudge, I knew her conscientious mind, and of course shewas responsible officially, but as the years went by and I became an experiencedmother it became more difficult to accept the rules and regulations of the baby-house.I knew quite well that in many cases I was better able to decide myself what should bedone with my own babies, and only if they were ill did I need help.

The problem of not getting enough to eat was by this time much less acute, and I

remember that I used to go every evening to the toddler house on my way home, at5.30, and get some of the left-over pudding. Yet Beatrice was another tiny baby,several weeks premature. I was overjoyed to have got a girl at last, and looked forwardto seeing her in pretty little dresses. Moni gave me a dress for her, and I enjoyedmyself embroidering little things for her. But this time I was determined to achievesomething during my six weeks, and I borrowed a children's story with sweet picturesfrom Emi-Ma, and painted all the pictures exactly alike, while Roger copied out thewords for me. This took up all my spare time, but gave me great satisfaction, andalways afterwards when the children saw this book and heard that I had painted it theywere most impressed!

When I had a baby, what I enjoyed most during my leisure time was to copy out, learnand sing lots of lullabies. Emi-Ma, during her long period of being an invalid, hadoccupied herself in collecting all the German children's songs she could find andmaking a book out of them, and Winifred Dyroff and Sylvia Beeles had collectedquite a lot of English songs. It was a mystery to me where they got them all from, but Ichose some of those I liked best and had my own small collection. Singing to mychildren and telling them sometimes a little story at bedtime was something I liked todo.

My memories of Beatrice as a baby definitely showed up in advance our relationshipas it was destined to be, and I noted this more or less clearly with all of them: the




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child's character shows at an incredibly early age. She was fearfully capricious anddifficult to feed, and drove me nearly to despair. I weaned her earlier than the others,thinking that she might do better with a bottle, but then she would refuse to drink thebottle either, and sometimes I got so mad with her that I flung her down roughly onthe bed. However, I began to have the strong conviction that the child's unconsciousmind knew that I wanted her to drink, and out of sheer cussedness therefore refused.She also knew when I was getting rattled, however well I might control myself on thesurface. So from this time on I began to make conscious efforts to detach myself fromthe subjective relationship of identity with the child, so as not to give her this powerover me. In other words, it became clear to me that a mother who wishes to have agood influence over her child must not give way to the natural desire to see the childdrinking and eating all it needs or all she thinks it needs, but must try to remainunmoved, so as not to put a weapon in the child's hands. Easier said than done,however, and I was still due to have many struggles on this point, where, incidentally,Roger saw quite clearly and often lost patience with me.

The famous "Displaced Persons" group must have arrived earlier than this, and turnedout to be a great disillusionment. First, we had wanted to have orphans, but theGerman government wouldn't let them out of the country, so then Hans collected agroup of 100 D.P.s, and of course we hoped that these people who had all suffered inthe war would be all too ready to listen to the message we had to give, and manywould join us. They had pledged themselves to stay and work with us for a year, butmost of them left before the year was up and went to Asuncion, and most of themelsewhere. Not one joined us, and only one very old man remained as a sort ofpermanent guest.

After this failure, minds got to work on other means of expansion. Roger had the ideathat we should go to another country in South America, for instance, Uruguay, ournext door neighbor. If we had a farm somewhere near Montevideo we should get intocontact with the type of person who was more likely than the Paraguayans to listen toour message. We might also find it easier to keep ourselves. The economic problem inParaguay was never solved. The soil was marvelously productive, but there was nomarket for anything except in Asuncion, and to bring stuff down there was too costlyon account of the lack of decent roads. We were employing a lot of cheap Paraguayanlabor, but even so we could not make both ends meet, and were receiving some helpfrom England and from begging. It always seemed to me that some people were prettycomplacent about the fact that we could not keep ourselves, but I remember how FritzKleiner used to emphasize the importance of our being self-supporting, saying that thespirit must penetrate matter. Fritz was the sort of man who didn't just talk: whileGeorg and his ilk would be talking about style, what was and what was not "our" style,Fritz went ahead and put up some building that served its purpose for years, althoughit was only meant to have been a temporary solution. If any man really symbolized thespirit of those pioneer years, that was Fritz, and the pioneer years were the best; theywere the imperishable essence, the spiritual meaning and value of the life. Before this

had begun to fade, Fritz met his death -- in the turning shop. Although he was only inhis forties, I felt and I believe everyone felt there was such a fitness in his death thatone could scarcely feel sad. It seemed a kind of special grace for him that he should




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never have had to grow old. Another one who died shortly after the birth of Beatricewas Adoph Braun. He must have been about 60. He was ill for a number of weeks,and knew how it stood with him, and he was extremely serene. I went to see him forthe last time taking Beatrice with me, at his request (we were both in the hospital), andI went away feeling really happy.

All this time Ibate was being built up, and in Loma the hospital was being enlargedand people were constantly being sent over from the Wheathill Bruderhof in England,as more people joined there, because there the accommodation problem was verygreat. It was much more costly and complicated to build in England. So Primavera,with the yearly increase from births as well, was growing bigger and bigger.

I had a rather longer pause between Beatrice and Isabel, and I think it must have beenduring the interval that I was sent with Roger to accompany a group of school childrenwho were sent for a week with the lorry to Wolendam for a holiday. This was a colony

of recently arrived Mennonites, come over from Holland about the same time as ourD.P.s, who had settled near the Paraguay River, North of Rosario. This was awonderful adventure for me, just as much as for the youngsters. I remember how weslept in tents on the way, and how the girls and boys sang and sang, all piled up on theluggage at the back of the lorry. Near Wolendam there were masses and masses offanpalms, and the landscape became more arid. We were impressed with what theMennonite families had already achieved, and we went to see one girl who had visitedPrimavera, and she had helped to build their house, as all those Mennonite women did.They already had some kind of hospital too. A few years later we were saddened tohear that these Mennonites were leaving the country again and going to Canada. They

found the climate and conditions too hard, and they received help from the MennoniteCentral Committee to go to Canada.

Roger continued to make propaganda for Uruguay, with the result that he was sentdown there with the idea of making preparations for starting a Bruderhof there. Isimply cannot remember the exact sequence of events. I think he went on apreliminary journey with Peter Mathis, and they must have been given a few addressesby Hans Meier, who had previously been to Buenos Aires, and they visited a numberof people there, including Stan and Hela Ehrlich and Stan's parents, but how theydiscovered the Bondys in Montevideo I have forgotten. On these mission journeysthey were not given any money, except the bare minimum for their fares, and wereexpected to beg their way and find hospitality. So sometimes they really went prettyhungry. But Roger loved the task, I am quite sure.

They came back, and it was definitely decided to begin trying to find a new Bruderhofin Uruguay, so a few were chosen who could speak Spanish, and to begin with theywent down and worked on an estancia near Montevideo for some rich fellow, Rogerand Johnny Robinson and Christophe Mathis and Alistair and maybe somebody else.So they worked for this man and earned some money, and then came the next stage

when we bought a small piece of land and sent a few more people down to make abeginning. There was no possibility at once of sending down a large family -- I thinkBetty R. went as about the only woman, or Betty and Annie Mathis, whose children




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were older and could be left behind, so I had to be separated from Roger for a wholeyear.

Before he left we were sent for a week to the river, and it seemed just like having asecond honeymoon. By this time there was a little house built down there which wasin constant use by school groups and families as a holiday place, but as we were about600 people one's turn didn't come round very often. Being sent there alone with myhusband for a whole week was the most wonderful treat, and indeed it was a mostbeautiful retreat. By day we went swimming and floating silently downstream in therowing boat, watching the water birds. There were kingfishers, little speckledwaterhens, wild ducks, herons, and a big hawk that flew overhead, and lots of weaverbirds whose pretty nests hung from palm trees on the banks. At night one could hearall sorts of weird noises from wild animals, and if you sat still on the bank and thenshone your torch over the water you often lit up two eyes on the surface of the water.These were crocodiles.

Naturally it was with a somewhat heavy heart that I faced the prospect of being alonefor such a lengthy period -- he was to stay for a year. Furthermore, I was expectingIsabel. Now I remember that when Beatrice was born we were at last given an extraroom, and enjoyed the great luxury of sleeping in a little room apart from our six boys.When Isabel was born we actually had three rooms, one for the boys, a living roomwhere Beatrice slept too, and a room for us and the baby, only most of the time I wasthere on my own. This was still in the old hall, on the corner near the kindergarten,and the walls were still made of single planks and full of gaps and chinks throughwhich the wind blew and the dust got in, and there was no ceiling and so the red dust

from the roof fell down.

Isabel was born in the mother-house which in the meantime had been built in Loma,and Margot sat with me all the time because Roger wasn't there. I remembersomething rather funny about Isabel's birth, which I afterwards regretted and vowed Iwouldn't do again, namely, I was fed up with always having my babies two or threeweeks early, because from the way I felt I always knew they were likely to be early,but I got no credit for it, so to speak, and would only be put on lighter work aboutthree weeks before the baby was born and only moved to the mothers' table for a bit ofextra food correspondingly late. So this time I thought I'd hoodwink Ruth the doctorand pretend I didn't know exactly when this baby was due, and then maybe she'ddecide it was due two or three weeks early, which in fact she did. The only troublewas that Roger, on being given this date as the right one, expected the baby to be bornearlier, as usual, and got worried when he heard nothing! So this was a lesson to me,and I gave up such petty selfishness.

I find it quite comical to remember what Isabel was like as a baby and to see howexactly it corresponded with her character as it has developed until now, when she isnineteen. She was very sweet, and yet at the same time extraordinarily obstinate. I

reflected that boys were, after all, easier to bring up, for Beatrice was turning out to beanything but easy. Altogether I had an extremely difficult time during that year. I hada baby and a toddler, three kindergarten children, Cisco in the first class and Paulo




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who was a fairly big boy of 12, going to school in Isla Margarita. He should have beenmy help and mainstay in the family, but he was having a hard time, poor boy, as hewas an unusual, solitary boy, and there were some older and bigger ones with whomhe had to go to school who bullied him unmercifully. He told me about it sometimesand was terribly upset, and I didn't know what to do, as I well knew that if I went tosomeone in authority and complained of these boys, they would find means to take itout on Paul even worse. Finally I did speak to somebody, and they found a solution bysending Paul to live with a family in Isla during the week, and I should receive somehelp in fetching the breakfast and fetching the water for washing, etc., by having a girlof 13 from the Vigars in Ibate to live with me during the week.

In the meantime I have got ahead and left out important things. It must have been atthe end of '48 or beginning of '49 that Philip, who had been ill for a long time, withsome unusual illness he had contracted while on mission in Brazil, was suddenly takento hospital in terrible pain and operated on the stomach and died the next day. This

was a devastating blow to me and Roger, Joan and Philip were close friends), and Ibelieve pretty well to everyone. One could not feel, as with Adolph, that his was a lifewhich had been really completed. It seemed so full of promise -- Joan was six monthspregnant with their fourth child, and when it turned out to be a boy it was calledPhilip. Everyone knew that he had written a few poems -- there was the one called'Drought' to which Sylvia had composed a tune and we often sang it -- but it turnedout that he had writ

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Kit July 1996, Vol Viii #7 New 7-15-96