There has been a lot said and written about us. Newspaper articles, stories in magazines, radio and television features have appeared, but many of these contain mistakes or inaccuracies as the result of sloppy journalism, naive misunderstandings or, in part, even malicious distortion. Therefore we'd like to present more adequate and accurate background information here.
Lots of things written about us some time ago are also outdated and obsolete because we have continued to learn and develop. Not everything we thought and said before is still valid. Our own half-truths of that time have changed into real knowledge, and this real knowledge has often turned out to be quite different from those half-truths.
And, we do not actually like to write very much. After 16 years in Poland we're not so sure any more of our command of German and often don't feel our Polish is good enough to create a more ambitious text.
So, with so much of rather doubtful value having already been told about us, here is our own story year-for-year, with just the basic facts:

was born in 1965 in Canton Zurich in Switzerland. Like most people today she attended school for a long time and also university. One beautiful summer day destiny put her in front of Thomas, whereupon began for them a very exciting conversation. Vacation-time came and we travelled in opposite directions, Claudia far north to Norway and Thomas all the way to South Africa. After returning to Switzerland we started seeing each other. After some three weeks Thomas understood the difference between "falling in love" and love, and Claudia learned to see herself as an attractive young woman, worthy of love and desire.

was born in 1966 also in Canton Zurich. There he also attended school and then university because he was interested in what it meant to be human and - he wanted to meet Claudia. He had so many strange ideas in his head that if Claudia had not suddenly appeared, he might have missed the opportunity for this particular and very interesting life he has led.

In early October we commit ourselves to each other and to go through life at each other's side, as long as life should permit it.

We're now living together. Thomas at some point leaves university and finds a job at the post office in Zurich as a postman. Financial independence, civil marriage. We move into our first housing-cooperative apartment in Zurich's 4th district. Claudia, who has now also left her studies, gives birth to our first daughter, Lisa.

We begin our own business with a market-stand selling spices, herbs, tea, dried fruits, nuts, oils and other natural, mostly organic products. At this time we also take our first small steps towards creating an experimental community.

Birth of a second daughter, Nadja. In Zurich Thomas meets Thomas Banyacya and listens to the Hopi Indian prophecies.

Speech by Thomas Banyacya before the UN (DE)
Remembering Thomas Banyacya (EN)

Our decision to leave the city and "normal" modern life.

Our first, more moderate attempts to "drop out" from civilisation turn out not financially workable. A sudden inspiration gives us the idea to live in a tepee, and we take the radical decision to manufacture one, give notice on the apartment and move out. We move to the Zurich "Oberland" region and set up our first primitive, open-fireplace tepee. After registration with the municipality we continue our market business. We construct a 2nd tepee and continue to meet other people interested in founding an experimental community.

In the middle of winter, trouble with the municipal authorities who, because of our unconventional lifestyle, order us to leave. Birth of son Nicolas while still in the 2nd tepee. We give up this tepee towards the end of February and leave Switzerland, travelling by car through Italy to Southern France looking for a piece of land to buy for a self-sufficient life together with others. Nomadic life with apprenticeships in self-sufficiency at various places in France and Switzerland. We pass the winter in a new double-skin tepee with an oven and a tube chimney on an organic farm at Vermes in the Canton Jura.

At a meeting we attend of people interested in communes, the project of an "eco-village" in northeast Poland is presented. We take up this new challenge with trip to Germany to meet other people concerned, and then on to Poland to see the country and location. We take the brave (or crazy?) decision to emigrate and join the project. Return to complete formalities for leaving Switzerland and emigrating to Poland.
On June 1, 1993 our permanent settlement in Poland. We rent a piece of land in Sajzy, 20km north of Ełk. We set up our tepee and lay out a vegetable garden. The eco-village project is however cancelled while still in the organisational phase.
With the help of Elżbieta Niedziejko from SIRT and Jadwiga Łopata from ECEAT-Poland an old farm suitable for us is found in Bachanowo and acquired.
On September 5, 1993 we move into this our new home. First renovation tasks. Purchase of two piglets and a flock of hens with a rooster and, by a lucky chance, two goats and a he-goat.
November 9, a sudden attack of winter (very strong wind, temperature falls from +8 C (46 F) to -14°C (7 F) in eight hours, 1 meter (3 feet) thick layer of snow). A shockingly hard situation! But what does not kill us makes us stronger and more experienced. After 3 weeks the nightmare is over. The winter gets back to normal and first contacts with neighbors are established, to get to know more about polish behavior and traditions. Purchase of a small radio.