The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-07-20
DISSOLUTION OF "HEAVEN. {"
The Passing Away of Geo. Jacob
Schweinfurth's Institutions
at Rockford, Ill.

Rockford, ILL.,, July ia strange
communal experiment, which has been
in progress more than a quarter Of a
century, having Its headquarters here,
has recently come to a close. 1t was
a religious and quasi-industrial move
ment, with community of property and
independent of the sanctions Of mar
riage. 1t was best known by the name
of its leader, Geo. Jacob Schweinfurth.
| who has been its spiritual head the
greater part Of its existence.
Its career ended because Schwein-
| furth had lost faith in the wisdom CT
| his own views, and believed that its
policy was bringing some people harm.
A violent antagonism to the Schwein-
| furth community has been in existence
here for years, because the community
| ignored the institutions of marriage.
Several times the grand jury has made
diligent effort to ferret out the practice
of the Heaven" as the community was
called but the efforts have all ended IL
| failure. 4.
| Schweinfurth has until now remained
| very close -mouthed about his move
ment. This week he has, for the first
| time, made full statement regarding
the community and religion he tried to
build up, and with respect to his change
of views. 1t amounts to a confession Of
the grave error into which he fell and
the havoc which it wrought making
no hesitation in saying that his old
views were revolutionary.
"Our community" said Schweinfurth,
| "was founded on the ideal Of the early
Christian church of having all things
| in common.
"In our church one man would not
| take note from another. No man
| was in quest of wealth for himself or
sought to hoard his property. Who
ever Joined us gave Of his own free will,
but the standard held up was that we
devoted what we had to the good Of
all.
"Our community fulfilled a high
ideal of what we believed was taught
by Christ We welcomed whoever
sincerely wished to join with us. We
had no creed and we exacted no bond
of any kind. Notwithstanding the
great number who formed part Of our
| household, there was a freedom from
friction and from occasions Of unhappi-
| ness such as is not usually found even
in a small household Of one family. All
strove to do what was in their power
| for the common welfare and for the
happiness Of each other. We endeavor-
| ed to carry out the principle Of a
Christian socialism after the model Of
| the early church.
What was it led to my change Of
| convictions? Well, it was partly the
feeling that our plan was not ac-
| complishing all that 1t ought in some
directions and our methods not wholly
adapted to bringing about the results
for which we strove. The reproach
in which we were held by the world
was painful to us. Our views were
misapplied in various cases by people
who essayed to follow them.
1T was the growth of my own
ideas that first led to the change,
felt that I was not using my powers
to the greatest advantage.
about eight years ago, ] began to
question in my mind whether we were
following the right course. / determine
ed to remove any doubt as to the social
status of my wife and myself by a mar
riage after the religious form generally
recognized, a step which we carried
out, five years ago. We had already
been married according to our view and
belief, since a time dating back to
Is years ago. I mean by that that we
were united in spirit and affection, al
though there were years Of that time
when we were not living in marriage
in the ordinary acceptation.
about year ago, took the step
which practically dissolved the body
of churches which looked to this
community as their headquarters
and to myself as their head This stem
was taken through the form Of letter.
had long been a student Of the writ
ings Of Mrs. Eddy, with whom had
much in sympathy. I recommended to
our churches to devote their attention
to that study. That counsel was quite
generally followed, and those who have
not already taken that course are
ready to do So"
Schweinfurth declares he has no
future plans outlined. sa