Don't cry for me, Christiana

Don't cry for me, Christiana
by Kurt St. Angelo
@2005 Libertarian Writers' Bureau

One of Indiana's most unique and special places to visit is the historic community of New Harmony, near Evansville. Prior to 1850, it was the site of two of America's great utopian communities, which had unusual impact on science, industry, architecture and public education.

Harmonie on the Wabash was first established in 1814 by the Harmony Society, a communitarian separatist group from the German Lutheran Church, led by the charismatic George Rapp. In 1825, the Harmonists sold the entire town of 30,000 acres to businessman and social reformer Robert Owen of Scotland, who sought to create a community without social classes and personal wealth. Along with Scottish geologist William Maclure, the community introduced vocational education, kindergarten and other educational reforms.

In contrast, one of Europe's most unique and special attempts at utopia is the free community of Christiana, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 1971, when Danish hippies squatted in the 18th century navy fort on abandoned state property and then declared themselves immune from the laws of Denmark, Christiana has been one of the world's great experiments