Michaelshof is an international, colorful community with diverse activities around people and nature. Located southeast of Hamburg, near Hitzacker & amid breathtaking nature, one can not only attend numerous seminars, but also visit the Arche Hof, the café, the 6 hectares of beautiful gardens, or participate in many practical ways.

How can we create sustainable living models for the future? What makes a village liveable? And what role does beauty play in this context? The Michaelshof Sammatz working and living community has been seeking and finding answers to precisely these questions for 36 years now. It all started with a group of 10 friends and big dreams. Over the years, more and more interested people have joined the project 'Michaelshof', so that meanwhile about 250 people live and work on the farm all year round – including staff from 20 nations and around 100 students from German schools and volunteers from all over the world.

The children and youth facility "Peronnik" and the associated Selma Lagerlöf School create a safe and loving home for 35 children. The unique thing about it: caregivers and cared-for children meet each other every day on the street, even after work; all the village children, big and small, from whatever background, play or take care of the animals together. Inclusion is naturally woven into village life, creating tolerance and awareness.

"Community" means, after all, that it's all about the human, each and every one. The focus lies on the development and learning curve of individuals. Imagine being able to choose the work that matches your talents from a big pool of tasks. It doesn't matter if you've never milked sheep, built houses, baked bread or planted perennials. At Michaelshof you can simply try things. Feel like doing something on your own? Sure, that’s possible!

It is precisely the possibility to try things out for yourself that creates space for your own ideas and insights, for individual learning through transformative action. The newly gained experiences remain in the hearts of interns, volunteers and guests who visit Michaelshof. Even more: they will carry their knowledge out into the world and inspire even more people. Sustainability, bio-dynamic agriculture, building eco-houses, producing organic bread and cheese on-site, gardening, the deep personal experience of living in community and simply seeing the beauty in life.

At Michaelshof, you learn within life - for life. A learning site for everyone!

Getting involved is easy: just sign up for volunteering or one of the many events or seminars at Michaelshof.