Amana Iowa

Last week I was in Iowa for City Impact Roundtable. On the way to the airport I stopped by the Amana Colonies--known for communal living and reliable appliances. The Amana were Germans who emigrated from their country to ours in the 18th century so they would be free to practice their faith and communal living (sharing of work and resources) until they discontinued the practice for practical reasons in the 1930s. About a third of the residents are decendants of original settlers. I had the chance to talk to one of the original settlers at the Museum. She came over with her husband in the 1750's. She's now stuffed and stands behind the desk in the museum shop dispensing bits of Amana Wisdom via modern digital communication. Pretty amazing.