Diversity in the forest
Our association has been located on the Kesselberg site, which is mainly characterized by our forest, since 2003. The site also includes a number of buildings that contain, among other things, various workshops.
The intentions of our association are just as diverse as its members. For us Kesselbergers, the association is an attempt to create a place that unites people of different origins, ways of life and world views and offers us the opportunity to develop freely.
To our own astonishment and with constant enthusiasm, we have so far managed to keep our project going without great resistance and without funding – and just as astonishing and inspiring for us is that we have still been able to maintain our very open structures to date. So the claim remains to at least reflect, question and, if possible and bearable, let go of “That-is-mine-and-you-others-does-not-fit-with-us” reflexes.
Independently and equally, we create a space together where adults and children can experiment with their own projects. Everyone is given a great deal of personal responsibility and individuality, everyone should be allowed to be who he/she is. As a group, we are also faced with the sometimes time-consuming challenge of giving and leaving each person their place, but not losing ourselves as a group with our individual values.
What is important to us is the inclusive character of the place, which can also offer people in challenging phases of life the opportunity to be self-determined.
The maintenance of our forest has a high priority, the transformation of the pine forest into a mixed forest is a core part of our work. The tree population is thinned every year, new bushes and trees are planted and Benjes hedges are piled up at the edges. To date, over 90 new species have been planted, and forest gardens are being created bit by bit to further increase biodiversity. A yearly increase in the most diverse insects and birds is the reward..
Ecological and sustainable action is very much appreciated in our association, local production and design of local woods as well as upcycling are part of our everyday life in the association. Our infrastructure is increasingly geared towards grandchildren’s suitability, whereby our extravagant plant-based sewage treatment system is one of our flagship projects. For some time now we have also been working towards the implementation of a photovoltaic system and the restoration of our solar thermal systems.
Mit der Vielfältigkeit der Menschen entstehen bunte Projekte wie individuell und liebevoll gestaltete Bauwägen sowie diverse Kunstobjekte in Form von Lehmbauten, Metallskulpturen, restaurierten Autos und vielem mehr. Nach Absprache und Kapazität stehen verschiedene
Werkstätten zur Verfügung. Dazu zähl(t)en unter anderem eine Fahrrad-, Holz-, Metall- und Nähwerkstatt, ein mobiles Sägewerk sowie unsere Kleiderkammer. Ausgleichend bieten der Yogaraum/Meditationsraum, die Bibliothek, die Dancehall sowie die entstehende Skatehalle Orte
für Begegnung, Entspannung und Meditation und natürlich Spaß.
Due to private contacts in Colombia, three shamans of the Cofanis visited in the summer of 2002 and the idea of setting up a ” Indigenous embassy “.
19.12.19 on Kesselberg
On the night of December 19-20, 2019, the roof structure of our main building on the Kesselberg burned down completely. Thanks to the volunteer fire brigades, the fire did not spread and both people and animals were uninjured.
We are now facing major challenges. On the one hand, we have to find a way to make this building usable again, and on the other hand, we will have to review our entire building structure and modernize it if necessary. Our 40m deep fire extinguishing well also needs to be rebuild after the fire. We cannot yet assess exactly what is in store for us, but it is already foreseeable that it will exceed our own capacities.