The Hutterian Brethren
The Question:
I am in a class entitled "American Communal Utopias" and we are studying the Hutterites. I was wondering if there is any information about life at a Hutterite colony that you could send me?
The Answer:
The Hutterian Brethren, or Hutterites, are an Anabaptist religious group which originated in Moravia (Eastern Czech Republic) in the 16th century. Some 450 colonies currently live communally in North America, most of them in Canada.
The religion of the Hutterites is unique in their belief in the "community of goods" in which all material things are held in common. All members of the colony are provided for equally and nothing is kept for personal gain. Hutterites do not have personal bank accounts; rather all earnings are held communally and funding and necessities are distributed according to one's needs.
Here is information about the Hutterian Brethren from the Columbia Encyclopedia.
And here is a link to The Hutterites of North America home page.
-The Fact Monster
