Hutterite

Hutterites are a distinct branch of Anabaptist Christians who live in rural colonies and practice communal ownership and pacifism. Originating in the 16th century under Jakob Hutter, they are known for their plain dress, separate settlements, and emphasis on community life and mutual aid. They typically reject private property in favor of shared resources.

After persecutions in Europe, many Hutterites migrated to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, establishing colonies in Canada and the United States. Today most Hutterites live in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and in several U.S. states.

They practice adult baptism, nonresistance, and a life of separation from secular society to preserve their faith and community. Worship is centered in congregational meetings and weekly services; women wear plain dresses; men wear beards and broad-brimmed hats. They maintain German-language liturgy in many communities.

Colonies are economically self-sufficient, combining agriculture with manufacturing and crafts. Property and means of production are owned by the colony and profits are shared among families. Houses and farms are owned by the colony and families live together under the supervision of elected colony leaders, deacons, and teachers.

Education is conducted within colony schools, with instruction in German and English up to a basic level (often around 8th or 9th grade). Children usually join the colony's workforce as teenagers, continuing to contribute to the colony's enterprises while remaining within the community.

Estimates of the global population range roughly around 50,000. The Hutterite way of life remains distinctive for its combination of religious devotion, communal economy, and strict social norms, though individual communities vary in their acceptance of modern technology and outside contact.