The web sites below provide further information regarding various aspects of the history of the Amana Colonies. If we can be of further assistance, please e-mail us at info@amanacolonies.com
- The Amana Colonies - a National Park Service Online Travel Itinerary
- Amana Heritage Society
- Amana Arts Guild
- Amana Church Society
- South Amana: The Virtual Tour
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions
Learn about Amana Colonies history
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the origins of the Amana Colonies?
In 1714, a religious group known as the Community of True Inspiration was founded in southwestern Germany by Eberhard Ludwig Gruber and Johann Friedrich Rock.
2. When did they first come to America?
Christian Metz and a few close companions landed in New York on October 26, 1842. They were scouting a location in which they could build a communal community for their 800 members. Their initial community was called Ebenezer, located near Buffalo, New York.
3. When were the Amana Colonies settled?
The entire community (1,200 total) began moving from New York to the new state of Iowa in 1855. Over a period of ten years, they built the new Amana Colonies and sold the New York property, moving to Iowa in groups.
4. Where does the name Amana come from?
The name "Amana" comes from the Bible, the Song of Solomon 4:8. It means "remain true" or "believe faithfully."
5. How many people live in the Amana Colonies?
Approximately 1,700 people live in the seven villages today.
6. Are all the people around here from Germany?
Actually very few people are from Germany. However, a majority of the residents' ancestors came from the German provinces -- especially from the Frankfurt area -- as well as France and Switzerland.
7. Can anyone live here?
Yes. Many people presently live in the Amana Colonies that are not descendants of the original German settlers.
8. Why are there seven villages?
The villages of Amana, West Amana, and South Amana were the first towns to be set up. They were located on the outside perimeter of the land owned by the community. After that, villages were spaced apart so that all of the land could be easily farmed.
9. How is an Amana village laid out?
Like 19th-century German villages, the Amana village had one main street which was used primarily for shops. Farm buildings were located at the edges of the villages. The large residences housed several families in apartments. Grape trellises were often placed on the sides of houses to supply fruit and shade the building.
10. What does it mean to be a National Historic Landmark?
The Amana Colonies were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 by the United States Department of the Interior. This designation means that the Colonies possess particular significance in the history of the United States. There are over 475 historic buildings and sites throughout the Amana Colonies.
11. Are the Amana people Amish?
No. The Amana Colonies community has its origins in Germany around 1700. The Amish people can trace their roots to the 16th century. There is absolutely no connection. It's confusing because the names sound so much alike, and both groups are German and religious.
Communal Amana
12. What does communalism mean?
Communalism is a social arrangement for people living together in which all property -- except for some personal property like clothing -- is held in common. Amana Colonies communalism had nothing to do with political communism.
13. When and why was the communal system established?
The Amana Colonies community was above all a religious community. Communalism was seen as a means for the community to realize its religious ideals and goals. Although there was much cooperation and sharing in Germany, the communal system was not formally adopted until the people settled in New York in the 1840s and continued in the Iowa Amana Colonies.
14. Did anyone receive wages in the communal days?
An adult member would be given a certain amount of credit annually in the general stores, pharmacy, and craft shops to purchase items which were not supplied by the community.
15. What did the community supply?
The community supplied housing, food, education, a job, and medical care to each of its members.
16. Did the communal Amana have its own schools?
Each village had its own "Kinderschule" or daycare and a grade school for both boys and girls through the eighth grade. If the community needed a doctor, pharmacist, dentist, or teacher, the elders of the church would pay the expenses for a student to study outside of the community.
17. Were the schools part of the public school system?
Yes, Amana Colonies schools were always a part of the Iowa public school system. Religious topics were taught in an extra school day on Saturdays.
18. What was the communal kitchen?
Communal kitchens provided meals for all the members of the community. Each village had several large communal kitchens. Everyone was assigned a Kitchen in which to eat. Approximately 30-40 people ate in each kitchen. Men would eat at one table and the women and young children would eat at another table. Grace was said before and after each meal.
19. Who worked in the communal kitchen?
Girls, after having completed the eighth grade, would begin work in the communal kitchens. A kitchen boss -- always a woman -- would be their supervisor. Women would be assigned individual tasks of working in the gardens or preparing food.
20. What if someone didn't like communal life?
They were free to leave the community, and many did.
21. When did the Amana Colonies abandon communalism?
People had been planning for a reorganization for some time but the final change came June 1, 1932. The reorganization is often referred to by Amana people as "The Great Change."
22. Why was there a reorganization?
There were numerous reasons to change the structure of the business and social system. There had been a disastrous fire in 1923 which destroyed the flour and woolen mills in Amana, causing substantial loss of capital. Young people were leaving the community in order to find better jobs and get a higher education. 1932 marked the third year of the Great Depression -- orders for woolen goods and farm items were being canceled.
23. What did the reorganization mean for people's lives?
Most importantly, the religious and economic life of the community was separated. The Amana Church continued to be the religious focus of the community; and, the Amana Society Corporation guided the business activities. People were given shares of stock in the corporation which they could sell if they wished. Some purchased cars and homes and other necessities of a non-communal lifestyle. A high school was built so that children could continue their education. People began to work for wages, cook their own meals, and individualize their homes.
The Amana Church
24. What is the Amana Church?
The Amana Church, or as it is more formally known, "The Community of True Inspiration," was begun in 1714 primarily by two men, Johann Friedrich Rock and Eberhard Ludwig Gruber, who believed that man should have a personal relationship with God, study the Holy Scriptures, and lead a life of moderation. These men and their followers believed that people could be inspired by God to give testimony to His word.
25. What does the church believe?
The Community of True Inspiration is a Christian Church and believes in the Scriptural teachings of Jesus Christ. It believes in a simple, pietist faith and inward devotion. What sets it apart from other churches is its adherence to the doctrine of Inspiration.
26. What is meant by inspiration?
Inspiration is the belief that God still speaks to his people through "Werkzeuge" (instruments) just as He did through the prophets of the Old Testament. Although the last Werkzeuge (Barbara H. Landmann) died in 1883, the inspired testimonies were recorded and remain an important part of the faith.
27. Has the church changed at all?
In the 1930's a Sunday School program was started. In the 1950s English services started to be held in addition to the German. Some old practices such as foot washing and 11 services a week are no longer followed.
28. I don't see the churches, where are they?
Each village has a church building which is located in the center of town. There are no stained glass windows, steeples, or anything that would distinguish it as a church.
29. What does the inside of the church look like?
The walls are painted a light blue. There are plain pine benches upon which the congregation is seated. The windows are a little larger than normal size. Men still sit on one side of the church while women sit on the other side. Women usually wear black shawls and aprons as signs of humility and equality.
30. Are there ministers in the church?
No, there are lay elders. An elder is a man or woman who has either been asked or chosen to lead the spiritual community. The elders take turns presiding at the Church service.
31. How is a church service conducted?
There are German and English services given each week. Singing is done without instrumental accompaniment. There are readings from the Bible and the inspired testimonies, and the presiding elder comments on the readings.
32. Where are the cemeteries?
Outside of each village; a grove of pine trees surrounds each cemetery. Everyone is buried in order of death with a plain stone marker, symbolizing the equality of all people in the eyes of God.
33. May I attend services?
Yes, the church does request that you respect the customs and forms of worship.
The Amana Society
34. What is the Amana Society?
The Amana Society is a business corporation made up of stockholders. This corporation owns the agricultural land in the Amana Colonies and operates some of the businesses.
35. How large an area does the Amana Society cover?
The Amana Society manages over 26,000 acres of land. Farming is an important aspect of the Amana Society.
36. Does the Amana Society own the Amana Refrigeration Products Plant?
Amana Refrigeration Products was once part of the Amana Society, but it was sold to private investors. It became a subsidiary of Raytheon Corporation in 1965. It is now owned by Whirlpool.
Amana Colonies History
After an exhausting 40-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Germany, Christian Metz and his companions landed in New York Harbor on October 26, 1842. They were on a mission to establish a communal home in America for 800 members of the Community of True Inspiration. This religious society had decided to pool their personal assets to escape intolerance and persecution in Germany, and find a new home in America where they could worship, work and live in peace.
They first settled in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York but, because the area was rapidly becoming urbanized, they moved to the new state called Iowa, where they purchased the site of the present-day Amana Colonies -- seven villages on 26,000 acres in the Iowa River Valley of Eastern Iowa. Together, they built each village by hand, filled with houses, shops, mills, factories, churches and schoolhouses to meet the needs of their growing community of 1200 souls.
The seven villages were spread out across the land holdings for convenient access to the huge farm fields, and they were placed about an hour's ox-cart drive apart. Their names are Amana, Middle Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High Amana, and Homestead. Each village was laid out in classic, old-world style, resembling the German "Dorf" of the Fatherland, with one long street and several offshoots. At one end were the barns and sheds, and at the other, the factories and workshops were gathered. On either side were orchards, vineyards and gardens. Each village had its own church, school, bakery, dairy, wine cellar, post office and general store.
They relied on their heritage as skilled German and Swiss craftspeople to make much of what they needed for their communal lifestyle. The original Amana Colonies settlers made their farm implements, formed their bricks from area clay deposits, cut stones from nearby quarries, wove the fabric for their clothing, constructed grandfather clocks and other timepieces, made furniture for residents' homes, created baskets and brooms for a wide range of uses, cultivated vegetables in community gardens, pressed their own grapes for the village wines, printed and bound their own books, and invented many utensils for use in the great communal kitchens where all the colonists dined together everyday.
The Amana Colonists developed a highly successful form of communism, not because of any philosophical or social ideal, but because it was seen as the best way to leave them free to worship in peace. All goods were held in common, except clothing, toys and other personal items. They all contributed their labor to the communal enterprises and, in turn, the Society took care of all of their food, shelter and clothing needs.
Although organized as a communal society, capitalism played a role in the Amana Colonies from the beginning, as the community pooled their labor to market agricultural and manufactured products to 19th century America. Their mills and factories were among the first established in Iowa, and their woolen mills were widely known for quality and value.
The communal lifestyle went on for nearly 100 years, until the people voted in 1932 to separate their religious and economic interests and fully adopt the free enterprise system, and adapt that system to their own needs. This is known in the Colonies as "The Great Change" which brought a new planned society that combined aspects of communalism and capitalism. The Great Change marked the end of a long period of determined isolationism and signaled the beginning of a new sense of community openness that welcomed the outside world.
And the Amana Colonies have been involved in welcoming visitors ever since. More than 1.5 million tourists visit the Colonies each year. The entire settlement of seven villages is a National Historic Landmark with over 475 historical sites and buildings, including five museums. Many of the original Amana Colonies'products such as hardwood furniture, clocks, crafts, woolens, meats, cheeses, breads, wines and other items are available to shoppers in a variety of shops throughout the villages. The communal kitchens have evolved into sophisticated -- yet simple -- restaurants serving thousands of visitors per day in the old-fashioned, Amana Colonies family style way. There are more than 500 hotel, motel and bed-and-breakfast rooms available, plus camping, RV facilities, meeting rooms, outdoor conference areas, a 275-seat proscenium theater, 18-hole golf course and more.
Although the busiest season is from May through September, there are special events and festivals held year round, and of course, life goes on day in and day out for the descendants of the original settlers who still live in and around the Amana Colonies.
For complete information about visiting the Amana Colonies, planning a group tour, or arranging large meetings or conferences, contact the Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau, 622 - 46th Avenue, Amana, IA 52203. The USA toll-free telephone is 1-800-579-2294.