Jesus-Bruderschaft

The Jesus-Bruderschaft is an ecumenical Christian community (Kommunität) headquartered at Kloster Gnadenthal in Hünfelden, Hessen, Germany. It brings together celibate brothers, celibate sisters, and families from various churches and denominations, who remain members of their original churches. The community's life is shaped by prayer, community, and work, with members supporting themselves financially. It also maintains a Weggemeinschaft (a decentralized membership for those who feel connected but do not live in the community) and the Gnadenthaler Jugendgemeinschaft (youth community). The community traces its origins to meetings of young people from East and West Germany between 1955 and 1959, which led to the idea of a "prayer ring." In 1961, two celibate brothers, Pastor Gerhard Jan Rötting and police officer Thomas Schmidt von Puskas, began living together in Hamswehrum, East Frisia, initially called the Ökumenische Christusbruderschaft. In 1964, the sister community was founded in Ludwigshafen, and the registered association "Jesus-Bruderschaft e.V." was established. The family branch began in 1968/1969. In 1969, the Welsch-Hof in Gnadenthal was purchased, and further communities were founded in Bad Camberg and abroad in Latrun, Israel (1972/1973) and Makak, Cameroon (1974). In the 1980s, the Nehemia-Hof and the front half of the monastery in Gnadenthal were acquired and renovated, including the monastery church and the abbess's house. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the community acquired the old spinning mill in Hennersdorf near Chemnitz in 1991, establishing a work and study center. In 1993, it received the Hessian Monument Protection Prize for the reconstruction of Gnadenthal village and monastery, and also purchased Kloster Volkenroda. In 2001, the Christ Pavilion from Expo 2000 in Hanover was moved to Volkenroda. In 2004, the community faced near-insolvency but was saved with help from the Protestant Church and supporters. In 2009, the Weggemeinschaft was founded, and in 2011, the Stiftung Kloster Gnadenthal was established. The community is a registered non-profit association and a member of the Diakonisches Werk in Hessen and Thüringen. It is also a provider of free youth welfare in Hessen and Thüringen. In March 2022, the Jesus-Bruderschaft publicly disclosed that co-founder Gerhard Jan Rötting had committed spiritual, psychological, and physical abuse against young adults in the 1970s; he left the community in 1978. The community has been working through this history with the help of church abuse commissioners since 2007. Today, the Jesus-Bruderschaft operates at several locations: Kloster Gnadenthal (main seat), Kloster Volkenroda (Thuringia), and the Werk- und Studienzentrum Hennersdorf (Saxony), as well as international outposts in Israel and Cameroon. The brother branch, led by Bruder Viktor Voss, had twelve brothers in 2019, living in Israel, Volkenroda, Hennersdorf, and Gnadenthal.

The Jesus-Bruderschaft emerged from meetings of young people from East and West Germany between 1955 and 1959, where Bible reading and prayer were central. These gatherings led to the idea of a "prayer ring." In 1961, two celibate brothers, Pastor Gerhard Jan Rötting and police officer Thomas Schmidt von Puskas, founded a common life in Hamswehrum, East Frisia, initially called the Ökumenische Christusbruderschaft. They had already been living celibately in the house "Jesu Friede" between Hamswehrum and Upleward in 1958/59. A diary from 1958 mentions a "Ring of Brotherhood" as a symbol of the celibate lifestyle. In 1964, the sister community was founded in Ludwigshafen, and the registered association "Jesus-Bruderschaft e.V." was established before the local court in Ludwigshafen. In 1968/1969, the family branch began. In 1969, the Welsch-Hof in Gnadenthal/Taunus (Hessen) was purchased, representing the rear half of the monastery. In 1972 and 1973, further communities were founded, including a community of single women in Bad Camberg and the first foreign outpost in Latrun, Israel. In 1974, a station followed in Makak, Cameroon. From 1984, the Nehemia-Hof and the front half of the monastery in Gnadenthal were bought and renovated. The monastery church, previously used as a cow stable, was restored, and the abbess's house was rebuilt. At the same time, a brotherly village community and ecologically managed agriculture were developed. After the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1991, the Jesus-Bruderschaft acquired the old spinning mill in Hennersdorf near Chemnitz, where a work and study center was established. In 1993, the community received the Hessian Monument Protection Prize for the reconstruction of the village and monastery of Gnadenthal. In the same year, it purchased Kloster Volkenroda, which later became another important location. In 2001, the Christ Pavilion from Expo 2000 in Hanover was moved to Volkenroda. In 2004, the Jesus-Bruderschaft faced near-insolvency but was saved with help from the Protestant Church and the support of the Freundeskreis. Kloster Volkenroda became an independent location within the Jesus-Bruderschaft, managing its activities autonomously with support from the Stiftung Kloster Volkenroda. In 2009, the "Weggemeinschaft" was founded, a form of membership for people who share the community's spirituality but do not live in one of the communities. In 2011, the Stiftung Kloster Gnadenthal was established to support the community's work. As of 2019, the brother branch, led by Bruder Viktor Voss, had twelve brothers: four in Israel, two in Volkenroda, two in Hennersdorf, and four, including himself, in Gnadenthal. In March 2022, the Jesus-Bruderschaft publicly disclosed that co-founder Gerhard Jan Rötting (born 1931) had committed spiritual, psychological, and physical abuse against young adults in the 1970s. He manipulated souls, abused his power, exploited dependency relationships, and sought physical closeness with some brothers to satisfy his own needs. The internal knowledge of his misconduct led to his departure from the Jesus-Bruderschaft in 1978. The community has been working through this history with the help of church abuse commissioners since 2007.

• 2022

  Public disclosure of abuse by co-founder Gerhard Jan Rötting in the 1970s.

• 2011

  Stiftung Kloster Gnadenthal established to support the community's work.

• 2009

  Weggemeinschaft founded, a decentralized form of membership.

• 2004

  Near-insolvency; saved with help from the Protestant Church and supporters.

• 2001

  Christ Pavilion from Expo 2000 in Hanover moved to Volkenroda.

• 1993

  Awarded Hessian Monument Protection Prize for reconstruction of Gnadenthal; Kloster Volkenroda purchased.

• 1991

  Old spinning mill in Hennersdorf near Chemnitz acquired; work and study center established.

• 1984

  Nehemia-Hof and front half of the monastery in Gnadenthal bought and renovated; monastery church restored.

• 1974

  Station established in Makak, Cameroon.

• 1972

  Community of single women founded in Bad Camberg; first foreign outpost in Latrun, Israel.

• 1969

  Welsch-Hof in Gnadenthal/Taunus purchased, representing the rear half of the monastery.

• 1968

  Family branch of the Jesus-Bruderschaft begins.

• 1964

  Sister community founded in Ludwigshafen; registered association "Jesus-Bruderschaft e.V." established.

• 1961

  Two celibate brothers found a common life in Hamswehrum, East Frisia, initially called the Ökumenische Christusbruderschaft.

• 1955

  Meetings of young people from East and West Germany begin, leading to the idea of a prayer ring.

Ecumenical Christian community focused on prayer, community, and work, with a commitment to celibacy and service.

1. 1Jesus-Bruderschaft - Kloster Gnadenthalkloster-gnadenthal.de
2. 2Jesus-Bruderschaft - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Jesus-Bruderschaft - Wikidatawikidata.org