Welcome to Camphill Village
This is our page where you will find a Glossary of Terms used on this website. Many will be familiar, some may not.
The Village: Camphill Village USA
Villager: An adult with developmental disabilities who lives and works in the Village.
Co-worker: An individual who chooses to live and work in the Village, and share responsibility for villagers’ well-being, home making, workshop training, caring for the land, administration and finance, and the cultural and spiritual life of the community.
Long-term co-worker: An individual who seeks to commit to the work of Camphill and has lived in the Village for more than 1 year.
Short-term co-worker: An individual who currently has committed to stay for 1 year or less.
Social therapy: The continual creation of a healing social and physical environment.
Anthroposophy: A path of knowledge based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner 1861 – 1925.
Rudolf Steiner: Austrian philosopher, literary scholar, educator, artist, and social thinker. The founder of Anthroposophy, Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine, and eurythmy.
Karl Konig: Austrian pediatrician who practiced in Vienna and in 1938 was forced to flee. In 1940, he started the Camphill movement with a group of young doctors and artists. Through his remarkable leadership, the work of Camphill spread throughout the world. Today there are more than 100 Camphill communities worldwide.
Eurythymy: An art that seeks to renew the spiritual foundation of dance revealing the spoken word and music as visible movement.
Social renewal: The perception that the relationship between economic, legislative, and cultural aspects of a society need to renew continuously.
Biodynamic agriculture: An ecological and sustainable farming system developed by Steiner. The relationship of the earth to lunar and planetary influences is one aspect of biodynamics, along with the cyclical practice of composting to planting the gardens to harvesting crops to nourishing the people and animals to composting. Approximately, a quarter of all farms in India now adopt biodynamic practices.
Fountain Hall: The cultural center of Camphill Village USA.
Black Elk: A quiet place in the Village dedicated to the relationship of the Camphill ideal of doing good in the world with the heritage of Native Americans.