Camphill movement

In 1939, a group of war refugees from Austria, seeking to escape the Nazis, found refuge at the outskirts of the city of Aberdeen in the eastern part of Scotland. Among them was a doctor, pediatrician Karl König, who advocated and spoke about forming a new form of community for children and later for adults with special needs. K. König believed that every person possesses a healthy inner personality that is not dependent on their physical characteristics, including those that mark an individual’s developmental challenges. The mission of the movement initiated by K. König was to recognize, develop, and educate this essential inner personality of the individual.

Throughout the world, the activities of Camphill communities are based on the ideology of anthroposophy, founded by Rudolf Steiner. Recognizing the uniqueness of each person and understanding that this uniqueness is independent of race, nationality, religious affiliation, physical or mental development aligns with the philosophy of anthroposophy and also with the Camphill movement.

Every Camphill centre in the world is independent and is governed only by the national law of the country it operates in. In some countries they are funded by the goverment, in other ones they depend on donations. Camphill village Rožkalni does not receive direct governmental support and depends on gifts and donations for its development – the contributions from the residents and municipalities cover only the most basic necessities.