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Oral Histories

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Klaus Wendlandt-Gruner

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DescriptionKlaus Wendlandt-Gruner talks about life at Riverside Community.CreatorPania WaltonKlaus Wendlandt-GrunerTasman District LibrariesDate17 December 2021Runtime49:19Recorded ByPania WaltonRecording NotesABSTRACT

Klaus introduces himself, says where he’s from, and explains his double-barrelled surname. Klaus describes his interest in communal living in New Zealand and how this led to an awareness of Riverside. He goes on to discuss his desire to change the world, and for a different way of life, and attempts to achieve this from age 15, beginning with leaving his family and travelling to France where he was jailed. Klaus describes his experience in jail, his return to his family in Germany and the different ways he tried to live a different kind of life through involvement in a peace movement, education and living in various communal living situations. Klaus talks being a conscientious objector, moving to NZ and living at Graham Downs Community for 20 years. He talks about the challenges of living at Graham Downs Community, setting up a ‘free’ school that his and other local children attended, and the events which led him to move to Riverside. Klaus discusses the intention of Riverside, and how this plays out in a community setting where people are living there for very different reasons. He talks about the benefits of values-based living for people and the environment. He also discusses the drawbacks or challenges of living at Riverside – such as consensus decision making, shared property and navigating financial issues like inheritances. Subject/KeywordIntentional communitiesConscientious objectorsLower Moutere (N.Z.)Riverside CommunitySchoolsConditions of Use© Tasman District Libraries, 2021
This is an edited version of the oral history recording. A full recording of the interview may be available on request.

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CollectionOral HistoriesOrganisationTasman District LibrariesIntentional CommunitiesRiverside Community Oral Histories

RC2022052504R.mp3

Captions/Tags

Klaus introduces himself 86 secs
Riverside first encounters 215 secs
Interest in communities 135 secs
Jailed in France 437 secs
Changing the world 111 secs
German communes 176 secs
Conscientious objector 199 secs
Moving to NZ 44 secs
Graham Downs Community 182 secs
A ‘free’ school 241 secs
Leaving Graham Downs 79 secs
Moving to Riverside 142 secs
Intention of Riverside 267 secs
Values-based living 134 secs
Drawbacks of Riverside 533 secs

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Klaus Wendlandt-Gruner