Pestalozzidorf „Im Grund“, Intentional community in Katernberg, Germany.
Pestalozzidorf Im Grund is a residential settlement of 15 twin houses with large gardens located within the Zollverein Industrial Cultural Landscape. The houses are compact in scale and together with the green spaces form a distinct residential area.
The settlement was built between 1953 and 1955 to provide housing for young industrial workers in the Ruhr region following World War Two. It reflects the postwar reconstruction and training needs of the mining industry during that era.
The settlement embodies Pestalozzi's learning ideal, where young people live together as a community and develop practical skills through gardens and workshops. Today this educational approach remains visible in how the houses and green spaces are arranged to encourage communal life and hands-on learning.
The site is easily accessible on foot and part of the larger Zollverein complex, which is clearly signposted. Visitors should allow enough time to explore the houses and gardens at a leisurely pace.
The project was experimental in combining vocational training with housing and care supervised by experienced mining families who served as house parents. This all-in-one training model was innovative for the 1950s and limited to that era.
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