Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

ChildrEn’S Community
Against the Wind
Caring for homeless children had been one motive for beginning the Sannerz
household community. After the Wallroth conference in 1922 Eberhard had stated
in an article published in Das Neue Werk that, among other things, a secific task of
the communal life at Sannerz was “to give children an education and preparation
for a life open to the influence of God’s spirit.” 24 It was precisely the urgent need to
care for children that had sparked the controversy over finances which led to the
split of August 1922. During the new building up of the community after the fall
of 1922, serving children and seeking childlikeness remained one of the primary
concerns. 122
Eberhard took child care so seriously because he had recognized Jesus’ reverence
for the childlike soul and Jesus’ praise of childlike faith. At the end of 1920
Eberhard had written, “Everything the young people are struggling for – absolute
truth and simplicity, lasting identification with the child’s world and the warm
glow of wholehearted love, life in the genuine spirit of community – is only
possible if Christ fills us through and through and rules over us.” 25 Time and again
throughout his years of community life, Eberhard would seek the childlike faith
that Jesus described – to become a child, to be a child, to remain a child. 26
“We want not an institution, but a big family – the children’s community as part
of the adult community,” was how Eberhard described the children’s place within
the community household. 27 Expectations and encouragement were to be suited
to the children’s ages. While still small they were given simple, easily supervised
tasks around the house and garden and helped care for the animals. According
to inclination each could learn to play a musical instrument, or could pursue
craftwork or artistic acivities. The community made this possible even in lean
times. The children could explore nature and discover their surroundings. In the
Fulda valley surrounding the community lay a great wealth of history, and to
absorb it, they had to leave the classroom and hike out – a dry lecture would not
have sunk in nearly as well.
Gertrud Dalgas (everyone called her “Trudi”) had a particularly cheerful and
enthusiastic nature and a good way with children. Eberhard had an eye for such
gifts. He himself always liked to be with the children, and esecially with the foster
children. To them he was just as much “Eberpapa” as he was for Emy-Margret,
Hardy, Heinrich, Hans-Hermann, and Monika. Sophie Löber, for example, came
to Sannerz as a ten-year-old in the spring of 1924. She remarks, “Eberhard was a
completely natural person, not at all studious and learned in his manner toward