Kabouters

The Kabouterbewegung ( Dutch: Kabouterbeweging; Kabouter means something like goblin or goblin ) was a Dutch protest movement in the period 1969-1974 Roel van Duijn of the initiators and Robert Jasper Grootveld. Their protests were directed primarily against consumerism and pollution.

Objectives

The Kabouterbewegung consisted of about 65 to 70 active agents ( Coes Tasman ). Initiatives for a "new society" were to be used with the main focus natural materials for clothing, among other things, the " alternative clothing industry" ( hook size Alternatieve Kledingsindustrie ). " A Alternatieve PTT " (Alternative Postal Operations ) with their own stamps. Other Kabouters opened small shops with organic food, the first organic shops in the Netherlands. In another exchange markets, the " Oranje 'vrijmarkt' " came to protest against the throwaway society.

In more than 60 cities emerged Kaboutergruppen. In seven cities Kabouters came to the council. On 20 and June 21, 1970 was held in Amersfoort Heksenkring ( mutatis mutandis, Heksenkongress ') instead. Around 400 Kabouters, including those from Belgium, discussed alternative economy, national coordination and organizational structures. Together with the Provobewegung the Kabouterbewegung had the anti-authoritarian attitude, a non-hierarchical organization, spontaneous initiatives and anarchism as an ideological inspiration. Tactical approach with humor and imagination, together with serious proposals for social change and nonviolence and international contacts.

Genesis

The Kabouterbewegung was founded in February, 1970, three years after the dissolution of the Provo movement of some earlier Provos. The main objective was to bring together the various extra-parliamentary groups in Amsterdam with the ideas by Roel van Duijn as the last representative of the Provo movement in the Amsterdam city council. The Kabouters intended, among other things, a change of mentality in order to break through social structures and change it.

Laid early in October 1969 van Duijn the council his plan before Amsterdam as "Amsterdam Kabouterstadt ". He explained the Kabouter - culture representative of the counter-culture, a symbol of the harmony of man and nature City ( Coen Tasman ). A utopian society based on the ideas of Peter Kropotkin, Rudolf Steiner, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx and Erich Fromm.

The motion called on February 5, 1970 the so-called Oranjevrijstaat (, Orange Free State ') from, including shadow government, squats, thrift and organic shops. Also in 1970 ran the movement at the Amsterdam municipal elections and was able to win 5 seats there.

Similar to the Kaboutern in the Netherlands there was in the 1970s in Cologne, the group "Cologne Heinzel people " which drew its inspiration from the Kabouterbewegung. They gave from 1971 to 1977, the magazine Heinzel press out.