The Seven Iowa Villages Built by Persecuted German Pietists in the 1700s

Amana Colonies (Iowa)

In 1855, a group of German families bought 26,000 acres of Iowa prairie and built something America had never seen. They called it the Amana Colonies, where no one owned private property and everyone ate meals together in large halls.

This is what happened to their way of life and how it worked.

The Radical Pietists Who Founded A New Faith

Two men started something special in Germany back in 1714. Johann Rock and Eberhard Gruber broke from the Lutheran Church because they wanted a simpler faith.

They believed God could speak directly through certain people called “instruments.”

The group almost disappeared until a tailor named Michael Krausert brought it back to life in 1817. He studied Rock’s old teachings and claimed God spoke through him too.

Soon Christian Metz joined as another “instrument” and became the real leader. He had a gift for inspiring others and would later guide everyone to America.

When Persecution Drove Believers To America

Life got harder for the group with each passing year.

German officials hated that they wouldn’t serve in the army, take government oaths, or send their kids to state schools. Members faced fines, jail time, and even public beatings for their beliefs.

By 1843, Christian Metz knew they needed to leave. He gathered about 800 followers for the dangerous journey across the Atlantic.

They left behind homes, extended family, and familiar surroundings. America promised the one thing they wanted most – the freedom to worship their own way.

The First American Settlement In Ebenezer

They called their first American home “Ebenezer,” taking the name from Scripture.

Near Buffalo, New York, they pooled everything they owned to buy 5,000 acres of land. The rich helped the poor, the strong helped the weak.

In 1846, they made it official with a new constitution that spelled out their communal way of life. When some members questioned sharing everything, Metz ended the debate by announcing God wanted them to live this way.

By 1854, their little community had grown to 1,200 people living in six small villages.

When The Community Moved To Iowa’s Fertile Valley

Buffalo kept growing around them, bringing unwanted influences and rising land prices.

In 1854, Metz called a meeting where they agreed to look westward. Four men traveled across America, searching for the perfect spot to rebuild their community.

They found it in Iowa – 26,000 acres of rich soil along the Iowa River. The land had everything they needed: fertile fields, timber, stone quarries, and flowing water.

Metz felt God wanted them to name their new home “Bleibtreu” meaning “remain faithful,” but they eventually chose “Amana” from the Bible, meaning “remain true.”

Building Seven Villages In The Wilderness

They didn’t build just one village – they built seven.

Each village sat one to two miles from the next: Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High Amana, and Middle Amana. Later they added Homestead when they needed access to the new railroad.

They built everything with local materials. In West Amana, they used sandstone from nearby quarries. In other villages, they used brick or wood.

Their churches looked nothing like typical American churches. No fancy stained glass, no steeples pointing skyward – just simple buildings that matched their belief in staying humble.

Life In The Communal Kitchens

Nobody cooked at home in the Amana Colonies.

More than 50 communal kitchens fed the entire community. Each kitchen served about 40 people who lived nearby, providing three full meals plus morning and afternoon coffee breaks.

A woman called the “Kitchen Boss” ran each kitchen with the help of younger women and girls. She managed everything – the cooking, the two-acre garden, and preserving food for winter.

Men and women ate at separate tables without much talking. The food was simple but plentiful – lots of bread, meat, vegetables from the garden, and always coffee.

Prayer Eleven Times Weekly

Church wasn’t just for Sundays in Amana.

Members attended services eleven times every week – once each evening plus morning services on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The simple church bell called everyone to worship.

Inside the plain buildings, men sat on one side of the aisle and women on the other. Children sat in the front rows, while mothers with babies stayed in the back.

No music played during services. Instead, they listened to Bible readings and testimonies from their founders, ending with quiet prayers before returning to work.

Craftsmanship That Became World Famous

They made things with their hands, and they made them well.

The Amana Woolen Mill, started in 1857, quickly earned a reputation for quality. By 1908, their two woolen mills produced a half-million yards of fabric each year.

Their calico factory printed thousands of yards of patterned cloth daily. Craftsmen also made furniture, clocks, baskets, and barrels – all known for careful workmanship.

While the outside world raced toward mass production, Amana kept to traditional methods. Skilled workers passed their knowledge to the next generation, keeping old-world craftsmanship alive in America.

Children’s Education In The Colonial System

School wasn’t just during the school year – it was year-round.

Children attended six days a week until they turned 14. They learned reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also practical skills like corn shelling and fruit picking.

At 14, boys left school to learn trades like blacksmithing, farming, or woodworking. Girls went to work in the gardens or communal kitchens.

A few promising boys were sent to college to become doctors, pharmacists, or teachers. They returned to serve the community, keeping medical care and education within their own villages.

The Financial Crisis That Threatened Everything

The 1920s brought problems they couldn’t pray away.

After World War I, their calico printing factory closed, cutting off a major source of income. Then in 1923, a devastating fire damaged their woolen mill and completely destroyed the flour mill.

The Great Depression hit the already struggling community hard. Farm prices collapsed, making it difficult to support the communal system.

At the same time, younger members grew restless. Many wanted more personal freedom than the strict communal rules allowed, creating tension between generations.

The Great Change Of 1932

On June 1, 1932, they voted to end their 80-year experiment in communal living.

Members faced a choice – return to stricter communal life or find a new way forward. When 96 percent voted for change, they called it “The Great Change.”

They split their community in two. The Amana Church Society would continue their spiritual traditions, while the new Amana Society, Inc. would manage businesses as a profit-sharing corporation.

For the first time, members earned wages, owned their homes, and made their own economic decisions. Women began cooking in their own kitchens instead of the communal ones.

Visiting Amana Colonies

The Amana Colonies sit about 20 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids and 90 miles east of Des Moines along Highway 151. Seven historic villages make up the area: Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead.

Start at the Amana Heritage Museum in main Amana to learn the history and pick up maps.

You can drive between the villages easily since they’re all within a few miles of each other.
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