Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the Windcall to conversion with the call to an exodus from middle-class mammonism into a life of complete community.14Eberhard Arnold to Dr. Gerd Knoche, November 21, 1921, BA.15Das Neue Werk, 1921–1922, 97; cf. Michael Holzach, Das vergessene Volk [The forgotten people](Hamburg: 1980), 263ff.16German title: “Die Hutterischen Bruderhöfer im Militärkerker von Amerika,”published in Das NeueWerk, no. 11 (Dec. 15, 1921), 350 –354.17Up until 1870, the Hutterites lived in Russia, where their communities were exempt from all militaryservice. In 1871, however, the government revoked this privilege, and between the years 1874 and 1879all Hutterites left Russia and settled in South Dakota, USA. There the majority farmed homeseads, butthree groups esablished communities. In 1874 Michael Waldner founded the Bon Homme community.Since he was a blacksmith (Schmied), his people (Leut) became known as the Schmiedeleut. DariusWalter followed with a second group, esablishing the Wolf Creek community in 1875. This group 221took the name of their founder, becoming the Dariusleut. Lastly, Jakob Wipf, a teacher (Lehrer), ledan immigration in 1879 and founded the Elm Spring community. This group was then the Lehrerleut.From these three original communities have grown the more than four hundred Hutterite communitiesin North America today. The names of the three groups have remained unchanged, and, while all holdthe same basic tenets of faith, each group has developed distinctive characteristics.18Karl Barth replied that he was glad his belief in Neuwerk and Sannerz had been justified: “The ultimateis never present as a given fact, but must be striven for – again and again.” In Geschichtsband, vol. IV, bk.1, no. 16a.19According to Emmy, the Schultheises were already in Sannerz for Advent 1921; cf. Gegen den Strom,58. The text follows the account by Gertrud Dalgas in Die Neuwerk-Krise 1922 [The Neuwerk crisis 1922], unpublished manuscript, 5, BA.20Wilhelm Stählin: 1883-1975. Served as a pastor in Nuremberg. Shortly after the Wallroth conferencehe founded the Michaelsbruderschaft [Brotherhood of St. Michael], a ministers’ association, inBerneuchen, Pomerania. From 1926-1945 he was a professor in Münster, and from 1945-1952 he servedin Oldenburg as a bishop of the Lutheran Church. German title of Stählin’s book: Fieber und Heil in derJugendbewegung.21Emil Blum: 1894–1978.22Eberhard Arnold to Normann Körber, August 4, 1921, BA.23The date is esablished by Gertrud Dalgas in Die Neuwerk-Krise 1922.24The friendship formed with Maria Mojen lasted many years. Proof of this was shown in 1934, whenMaria Mojen arranged for a friend of Eberhard to convalesce in Tessin; cf. Eberhard Arnold to LeonhardRagaz, December 1, 1934, BA.25Recorded in the minutes of the meeting held August 3, 1922, Geschichtsband, vol. IV, bk. 2, no. 10.26Comment made by Wilm Verhulst, a guest during the days of crisis in August 1922, noted in Else vonHollander’s handwriting on publishing house letterhead, Geschichtsband, vol. IV, bk. 2, no. 8.27Only a few weeks later, Paul Hummel left the community as well.ChaptEr tEn1In Gegen den Strom Emmy describes in detail the tensions in the community’s atmosphere during theseweeks, including the irrational outbreaks of hatred, and schemes against the members who remained.