Svanholm
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Svanholm,
Denmark
Income Sharing
Ecovillage
1978 - Present
Svanholm,
Denmark
Income Sharing
Ecovillage
1978 - Present
1 Mirror Hall 2 Kitchen + Dining 3 Common Area 4 Smaller apartments 5 Group Apartment
![2022 Conjectural Plan of Svanholm Main House. Plan: Drawn from various sources]()
If Denmark is the happiest country in the world, then Svanholm (Swan Island), makes a claim to being the happiest place in Denmark. Founded in 1978, the pragmatic paradise of 85 adults and 56 children rejects formal leadership and ideological “-isms.” The self-governing, income sharing collective - in Danish, Kommune means both commune and community - makes decisions through consensus, leading to long conversations and negotiations during the common meeting.
Svanholm is 990 acres of farm and forest, and produces more than half of the community’s food through organic farming, permaculture, and agroforestry. Two wind turbines installed in the late eighties provide most of the community’s power, and residents have one third of the CO2 footprint of an average Dane.
Svanholm occupies a country manor, built in 1744, and a number of new-built dormitories and apartments. Eleven adults, twelve children, and two cats live in the main hall. The main building also contains the Mirror Hall (1) for group meetings, a hall for movies and meetups (3), smaller apartments (4), a group apartment (5) for seven residents that share a kitchen, bathroom, and living area. The majority of families live in new apartments with their own kitchen with the rule being one room per person.
If Denmark is the happiest country in the world, then Svanholm (Swan Island), makes a claim to being the happiest place in Denmark. Founded in 1978, the pragmatic paradise of 85 adults and 56 children rejects formal leadership and ideological “-isms.” The self-governing, income sharing collective - in Danish, Kommune means both commune and community - makes decisions through consensus, leading to long conversations and negotiations during the common meeting.
Svanholm is 990 acres of farm and forest, and produces more than half of the community’s food through organic farming, permaculture, and agroforestry. Two wind turbines installed in the late eighties provide most of the community’s power, and residents have one third of the CO2 footprint of an average Dane.
Svanholm occupies a country manor, built in 1744, and a number of new-built dormitories and apartments. Eleven adults, twelve children, and two cats live in the main hall. The main building also contains the Mirror Hall (1) for group meetings, a hall for movies and meetups (3), smaller apartments (4), a group apartment (5) for seven residents that share a kitchen, bathroom, and living area. The majority of families live in new apartments with their own kitchen with the rule being one room per person.
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