ZEGG

www.zegg.de

ZEGG: Center for Experimental Culture Design – Intentional Community and Seminar Centre

The ZEGG community comprises almost 100 different people who have made a decision to live and work together. They see themselves as a project where new, cooperative ways of living and working can be tried out. Many of the questions which arise in the course of daily life here also have a significance for the wider society of which the project is part.

What does everyday life look like if priority is given to cooperation instead of competition? How can the basic human need for contact and connection be satisfied? How do we achieve non-violent conflict resolution? And inseparable from all the above is the issue of how to live in harmony with nature. The ZEGG community sees itself as a research project exploring socially and ecologically sustainable ways of living. Experiences and insights gained are then passed on to the public during the events organized here.

Ecology

One of the main concerns of the ZEGG community is to ensure an ecological way of living and working. Practical examples include the CO2-neutral energy supply, a closed water cycle with its own constructed wetland sewage treatment system, and a garden growing fruits and vegetables according to the standards of organic agriculture. Catering at ZEGG is vegetarian, with ingredients being sourced either directly from the ZEGG garden or from the region or fair-trade and organic suppliers.

ZEGG is actively engaged in activities to develop the surrounding region into an example of a sustainable regional economy. It works together with other people and projects in the area to establish regional business and raw material cycles.

ZEGG Eco-Village

The desire in ZEGG to live a life of connection encompasses nature, too, so the community considers it very important to live and work ecologically. Natural resources should only be consumed to the extent that they can be regenerated. And ZEGG also wants to be a pilot project showing how even more can be done with a lifestyle that makes an active contribution to ecological regeneration. Everywhere in the community there are examples of ecological ideas and their implementation: from the reuse of yogurt containers through the conscious purchasing of renewable resources to the transformation of a pine-tree mono-culture into mixed woodland. Perhaps the best chance for guests to gain an impression of life in the ZEGG Eco-Village is by working in the community.

Ecology is not something that can be separated from daily life. The changes that are necessary in society require changes in individuals‘ lives. Becoming aware of this connection is part of ZEGG’s work. And: Contrary to popular belief, sustainability does not imply making uncomfortable sacrifices. Rather, it can enrich everyday life.

ZEGG is in active contact with other eco-villages around the world within GEN (Global Ecovillage Network).