Imagine No Possessions Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Johann Georg Rapp (1757-1847) and his adopted son Frederick (1775-1834) first started gathering a following in the town of Iptigen, with their proclamation of an understanding of Christianity that involved individual responsibility rather than following the 'rules' of the established Lutheran Church - most especially the practice of infant baptism. They refused to attend services, and met in private even after they had been banned in 1785. By the end of the century they had also alienated the civil government, because they refused to take an oath of loyalty because it contravened what they saw as a Biblical mandate. They decided to move the entire group (then about 12,000 members) to North America and establish themselves in a community of their own.

The move saw the congregation split, and only about 500 people were prepared to sell everything they owned and leave their families behind to make the big move. Some property was purchased in 1803 for $11,250, and the first wave of emigrants established their community in Harmony PA in 1805. Members pooled all their possessions and committed to promoting the common good without accepting any payment for their work. The Society, in turn, guaranteed to provide all necessary care for members as long as they stayed with the group. There was an escape clause - anyone who decided to leave would get back the equivalent of what they had invested on joining (without interest). The Rapps provided both spiritual and civic control of the community in the early days, with provision for a board of governors to be established that would be able to continue management in perpetuity.

The first Harmonist community focused on living a simple life, based on anticipating the imminent Second Coming, with a focus on agricultural endeavours. New members arrived, and were allowed to join after a probationary period of a year, during which both sides determined whether or not the fit between individual and community was working. The town grew steadily, and in 1814 the first settlement was sold to the Mennonite Abraham Zeigler, with the Harmonists moving to new land in Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash River. Here they continued their agricultural work, but also established some industries,, including a brewery, a winery, a distillery and a steam-operated wool carding and spinning factory.

The increasing development of industry spurred another move, back east to be closer to their potential markets. In 1825 the Indiana land was sold, and everybody moved back to Pennsylvania, settling on the Ohio River about 30 km northwest of Pittsburgh. The Society prospered to such an extent that they were considered a dominant commercial force in the region, running stores to sell the products of their farms and industries. Later they also became one of the pioneer sites for the silk industry in North America. Because of their continued commitment to celibacy (along with disappointment that the promised return of Christ did not seem to be happening as quickly as Rabb had predicted), numbers dwindled during the ensuing years, and more of the actual labour had to be contracted out, with the Society moving into investments, such as the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and an oil company.

Of course, a community is defined by more than its economy. While retaining the Christian tenets that were the underpinning of their Society, the Harmonists did establish a museum and a library in Economy. The town orchestra performed regularly, both in the hall and in several of the town's parks. Buildings were simple, but efficient. Many houses were designed to house groups of 4-6 individuals, not necessarily families as such; later there were some dormitories constructed for single men and women to reside in an even more communal setting. Clothing was simple, made from their own resources. The daily routine was pretty much what you might expect: get up around 5am, breakfast at 6am, light meal at 9am, dinner at noon, light meal at 3pm, supper at 6pm followed by prayer meetings and bed at 9pm. Between these set points, each member of the Society had their allocated job to perform - except on Sunday, which was set aside for church services, communal singing, and other social devotional activities.

It may not have been suited to everyone, but the Harmonists maintained their lifestyle, albeit with dwindling numbers in the later years, for over a century - no mean feat for a social experiment such as this.