First attempt of "Rooting"

For a long time we focused our project work (negotiations, financing etc.) on “Eisenberg 108”, our first desired project center. Unfortunately, however, the purchase of “Eisenberg 108” was called off in May 2003. The first issue of our newsletter Keimbl@tt was published that same month, and the print edition soon increased to 600. (Click to Subscribe to Keimbl@tt, our free e-mail newsletter.)

In August 2003 KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF organized a permaculture certification course in Eisenberg. With regard to the design and planning of the ecovillage the concept of permaculture plays a decisive role. (You will find further infhormation in this leading article here (pdf)".)

Successful "Rooting"

In June 2004 KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF met one person who was willing to provide the financial means for a project center. The decision was taken in favor of House Sunshine (Pictures here). In spring of 2005 the house was furnished and the first people moved in. One large room on the top floor was set up as an office and there are several bedrooms available for project guests.

Already before moving into House Sunshine, on 15 December 2004, the first “Ecovillage Day” took place at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, organized by KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF in cooperation with the Austrian University Students’ Association (ÖH) and the TüWI. Photos  here.

In the Project Center

The move into the project center was the beginning of a “new era” in the history of KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF. During the first phase of dealing with this new economic challenge the support of committed people was a great help. These people decided to become supporting members and thus gave the team the necessary financial leeway. A decisive factor regarding the numerous project activities was the support provided by volunteers. (Click here for more information if you are interested in participating.)

Further Steps

In April 2006 the first permaculture certification course was held successfully at the project center, followed by further courses every six months (click to view pictures.) Public presentations were given in the context of these permaculture courses.

With his contribution to the ideas competition “Energievision 2025” (organized by the platform “Steirisches Vulkanland”) the KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF chairman Alexander Dworak won the third prize. Click for further details on Energievision.

Public Relations

We would like to mention two outstanding events:

On 3 June 2005 KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF went ‘on air’ for the first time. The radio broadcaster and film-maker Elisabeth Scharang came to visit the project center. At 7:30 p.m. the FM4 radio show “Jugendzimmer” was broadcast live from the terrace of House Sunshine. For 90 minutes the vision of the project, the background and the current state were the key topic of the youth radio station. Click here to download this radio show.

On 27 January 2006 KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF organized the second “Ecovillage Day” at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna. In the lecture hall 150 participants were invited to take a glimpse beyond the Austrian reality into the ecovillage reality. The inhabitants of the ecovillage Sieben Linden (Germany) Julia Kommerell and Wolfram Nolte spoke about the topic “How is it to live in an ecovillage?”. Martin Kirchner talked about the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and Alexander Dworak gave a presentation of KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF. 15 information tables completed the informative part. After the event the 7th KEIMBLATT festival took place. Click here, for pictures.

The 25th issue of the project newsletter Keimbl@tt in July 2007 was sent to 1570 recipients. (Subscribe here here to Keimbl@tt, our free e-mail newsletter.)

In February 2007 KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF held the first introductory permaculture workshop for a school class from Vienna. It took place in House Sunshine and included a presentation of KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF.

Co-operations

In the summer of 2005 we initiated a permanent cooperation with oekostrom AG, a positive step towards resource and environmentally friendly electricity supply. Since the summer of 2007 we have cooperated with zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur in Bergl near Riegersburg – a neighbor of KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF so to speak. Subsequently we have established co-operations with further partners.
In the winter of 2007/2008 we were able to intensify our cooperation with the University of Graz. Some of the results were presented on one evening of the series [education movies]. Here you will find the video recording of the event (KEIMBLATT ÖKODORF is a topic in the first part of the video).
During this winter the establishment of a scientific advisory council was advanced significantly as well. Click here for further information about its members.

Current Situation

You will find information on current events under News.
If you are interested in being intensively involved in establishing the first ecovillage in Austria you will find further information on collaboration here.