Cleanup date May 2011 unreferenced date January 2009 Barbara Heinemann Landmann Jan. 11, 1795 May 21, 1883 was twice a Werkzeug , or Instrument, for the Inspirationalists Community of True Inspiration . A Werkzeug, under the influence of the gift of Inspiration, conveys the word of the Lord to believers. Barbara was first a Werkzeug in Germany and in Alsace . She received the gift during the Christmas holidays of 1818, but she lost it when she married George Landmann in 1823. After she lost the gift, she and her husband migrated with the Community from Germany to the Ebenezer Colonies in New York State , and from the Ebenezer Colonies to the Amana Colonies in Iowa . While she was in the Ebenezer Colonies, she regained the gift of Inspiration. In the Ebenezer Colonies and the Amana Colonies, she shared with Christian Metz Inspirationalist Christian Metz the responsibilities of a Werkzeug. Christian Metz died in 1872, and Barbara became the sole Werkzeug until she died, at the age of 88. Her testimonies continue to be read aloud during the Community s religious services. Charles Nordhoff visits the Amana Colonies, 1874. In 1874 Charles Nordhoff, gathering materials for The Communistic Societies of the United States Nordhoff, 1875 , visited the Amana Colonies in Iowa. He reports The society has at this time 1450 members owns about 25,000 acres of land lives on this land in seven different small towns carries on agriculture and manufactures of several kinds, and is highly prosperous. Its members are all Germans. The base of its organization is religion they are pietists and their religious head, at present a woman, is supposed by them to speak by direct inspiration of God. Hence they call themselves Inspirationists. The religious head whom Nordhoff met was Barbara Heinemann Landmann. At the time, she was 80 years old. Each of the seven towns mentioned by Nordhoff consisted of a single congregation of Inspirationists. There were no outsiders in any of the towns, except f ... more details
Encyclopedia
top
