Bruderhof Christian Community, East Sussex

• It is a movement that was founded in Germany in 1920 and it has communities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Paraguay and Australia. These communities are included in the US as Church Communities International legally.
• As of September 2020 there are 26 Bruderhof communities. It was founded in 1920 by Eberhard Arnold who was a philosophy student and was inspired by the German Youth Movement and his wife. In 1920 a young family with five children rented a house and founded a Christian community.
• With the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism the community moved its men and children to Liechtenstein in around 1934 because of their refusal to serve in the armed forces and adopt the Nazi teachings. This community became known as the Alm Bruderhof. The continuous pressure from the Nazi’s caused them to move to England and on the 14th April 1937 secret police surrounded the Bruderhof. The secret police confiscated the property and gave the remaining community members 48 hours to flee the country.