Publications
The project is documented across a peer-reviewed article, three illustrated volumes, and an academic monograph. Together they contain over 1,400 photographs and a theoretical framework for transformative community projects.
The Article
Transformative community projects in East Germany’s rural spaces: exploring more sustainable forms of learning, working, and living
Joachim Bröcher & Janet F. Painter Frontiers in Sociology, Vol. 8, May 2023. Open access.
The article that anchors the project in international academic discourse. It connects the critical analysis of social structures with an outline of an alternative model — a model that aims at sustainable development for all, including nature, wildlife, and the whole planet.
The Documentation Volumes
Three volumes chronicle the physical and intellectual development of the project. Each is structured around a character prototype — a young person whose story illuminates the project’s pedagogical and social dimensions.
Tomasz — Volume 1
Notes on Future Ways of Learning, Working, and Living. Educational Projects and Experiences on a Farmstead in Anhalt, Eastern Germany.
436 illustrations. The first year and a half: acquiring the farm, the first bitter winter, improvising life, beginning renovations. Tomasz is a young man from the Carpathian Mountains, homeschooled by a centenarian professor. Available in English, German, Polish, and Italian.
Ludwik — Volume 2
Notes on Future Ways of Learning, Working, and Living. Educational Projects and Experiences on a Farmstead in Anhalt, Eastern Germany, Part II.
~280 illustrations. The project deepens: stable reconstruction begins, horticultural experiments, the key role of music, Polish literature as cultural foundation, planting a walnut tree. Ludwik is a young pedagogue from Sopot, a gifted pianist who left the school system.
English edition → BoD · German edition → BoD
Ragnar — Volume 3
How a Young Man Develops New Motivation for Learning, Working and Living. Processes, Experiences and Insights in the Development of a Think Tank in Anhalt, East Germany, Part III.
~400 photos. A chronological journal from May 2023 to August 2024. Ragnar is a composite character — a young man who left school early, works collecting scrap metal, and discovers new motivation through the project. Published as a free e-paper on ResearchGate.
Academic Monograph
Transformative Community-Projekte: Zukunftsmodelle des gemeinschaftlichen Lebens, Lernens und Arbeitens
Published by De Gruyter, December 2025. 192 pages, 100 color illustrations. A structured academic treatment with an extensive thematic index covering topics from social sculpture (Beuys) to Wanderjahre, from control society (Deleuze) to utopian method.
Film
A YouTube channel documents changes to the site and buildings over time through film recordings.