Photos

How do you show a unique way of life? Photojournalist Danny Burrows spent the best part of a year traveling to Bruderhof locations in England, Germany, the United States, and Australia. All photos on this site are Danny's unless otherwise noted. Read his thoughts on the project here.
A Sunday evening sing-along starts at eight and ends when the neighbors say it’s enough!
Eberhard Arnold’s original vision was for a community centered around children. What Money Can't Buy
Evening worship with members of the Harlem community on their rooftop deck Building Justice
Each year, as part of the school curriculum studying the Paleolithic Era, the middle-school students spend twenty-four hours alone in the woods. Within an hour this student had her fire lit, soup on the boil, and a stack of firewood ready for the night. Working For A Purpose
Caring is often simply accompanying someone you love through her daily routine. Maria and Olgi walk to work. Working For A Purpose
A Sunday morning meeting at the Sannerz community. WHAT MONEY CANT BUY
The Bellvale community watches a marionette show created and performed by the fifth and sixth graders. Children And Education
Fetching fresh bread for breakfast from the communal kitchen. What Money Can't Buy
After community meals, the men do the dishes. WORKING FOR A PURPOSE
Powering the same merry-go-round that spun their parents . Seeking And Making Peace
Shopping for fruit at a London market Seeking And Making Peace
The whole community accompanies Marion Harvey as her husband’s coffin is carried to the burial ground following the funeral service. In Sickness And In Health
A prayer for Alan and Cynthia’s new son at an outdoor service In Sickness And In Health
Ben’s band leads the holiday singing. Children And Education
Playing in the Cuckoo Woods, a favorite haunt of Darvell’s children Finding And Sharing Faith
Simeon shows his daughter to the Danthonia community. Seeking And Making Peace
Evening fishing at Danthonia’s stocked pond From Isolation To Community
Anita works as a nanny in Manhattan
A promise of lifelong faithfulness In Sickness And In Health
Twin girls in their princess dresses exploring the world From Isolation To Community
Future in-laws arrange flowers and craft the bridal wreath for the wedding ceremony. In Sickness And In Health
Seth and Rosalind prepare to feed each other wedding cake during the week of community celebrations before their wedding. In Sickness And In Health
Whittling their own marshmallow-roasting sticks Looking For Freedom
Fathers and sons making cookies to share with a rival team at the next soccer game in the village What Money Can't Buy
An outdoor production of Much Ado About Nothing by the Woodcrest middle school. Karl (as Benedick) bursts offstage and indoors. Finding And Sharing Faith
Clement’s woodworking class hand-drilling and notching the posts and beams for a fifty-foot tower What About Technology?
Married over fifty years, Dan and Hanni have nine sons, fifty-two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. What Money Can't Buy
Many hands make light work – in this case, multigrain rolls for community dinner Working For A Purpose
Community campfire with s’mores What Money Can't Buy
Tim and Kathleen with Sammy behind the Harlem House community What Money Can't Buy
The Mount Academy is the Bruderhof’s four-year high school in Esopus, New York. Building Justice
Watermelon and Sir Walter Scott: Dori reads Ivanhoe to her family. What About Technology?
Deciding how to approach a project on the community farm What Money Can't Buy
Finding And Sharing Faith
What About Technology?
Women decorate a wedding arch In Sickness And In Health
Ryanne and Marcella studying in Peckham House, London From Isolation To Community
"Goodnight clocks, And goodnight socks" What About Technology?
Passing on the art of bicycle maintenance: School afternoons are devoted to practical learning and play. Finding And Sharing Faith
Looking For Freedom
Schoolchildren work on their wilderness survival skills. Children And Education
A family watches the hay being mown on a summer afternoon. What About Technology?
Neal, a science teacher at The Mount Academy, coaches the school’s Envirothon team, by studying a deer’s jawbone to determine age and habits. The Mount team has won two championships in the National Conservation Foundation Envirothon. Children And Education
Sarah and Serin, who call themselves The Marigolds, are counted on to stack serving bowls and cups for the community mealtimes. In Sickness And In Health
A student in Manhattan, Judith is studying education at City College. Working For A Purpose
Midmorning coffee break at the Sannerz community Working For A Purpose
Children And Education
Serin, captivated by an ingenious marble chute In Sickness And In Health
An evening on the beach after a day of hiking in the South Downs in southern England Working For A Purpose
Morning chores: taking the recycling before school Building Justice
A story and popcorn made over the fire in the Wood Island Children And Education
Sarah bikes to work with a friend In Sickness And In Health
The Mount Academy’s mock trial team – state finalists in 2019 Building Justice
“Quick! Come out of the rain and in for lunch!” Looking For Freedom
The floor of the communal dining hall in Fox Hill gets a scrub Working For A Purpose
Making the most of summer with an impromptu volleyball game Seeking And Making Peace
Hanna helps a child find her basket at the Easter egg hunt. Seeking And Making Peace
Karen teaches Daralyn the art of sign carving in the Danthonia Designs workshop. Finding And Sharing Faith
Afternoon soccer practice with the Robertsbridge village team Children And Education
Norann preparing food with friends From Isolation To Community
Darvell’s famous free donuts at the Robertsbridge village Christmas fête
Capturing the Christmas lights at Trafalgar Square Finding And Sharing Faith
Mike brings groceries into The Bowery Mission. He is one of many young people from the Bruderhof who have worked here over several decades. Seeking And Making Peace
Jenny finishes a painting at home with her cat, Cassius. Looking For Freedom
Harvesting English heirloom apples From Isolation To Community
A wall of wellies outside the Darvell school: after a morning of classes, students spend their afternoon learning practical skills in the garden and barn or enjoying the fields and forests around the community. What About Technology?
Early morning sun on the linden tree at the center of Darvell community What Money Can't Buy
Members of the Harlem community on their way to volunteer at a local church Building Justice
Sammy, Harlem House’s dog, welcomes everyone. Building Justice
School recess From Isolation To Community
Catching a ride home after lunch in the communal dining hall What About Technology?
View from the gallery down into the Great Hall of Beech Grove Academy In Sickness And In Health
A fall afternoon in Australia Building Justice
The gardener gets some extra help from other community members during an early-morning project in the Danthonia garden. What About Technology?
Members of the Danthonia community serve on the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. In Sickness And In Health
Students arrive to start the day at the Bruderhof's Mount Academy Children And Education
The community welcomes Marcus and Becky’s fifth child – through a window, of course, till he’s a little older. From Isolation To Community
High school girls perfect their ball-handling skills. What Money Can't Buy
Mercy at a London Christmas market From Isolation To Community
City College, Manhattan Building Justice
As Christmas approaches, excitement builds as students and teachers take a day off to make ornaments and decorate the school. Children And Education
A Darvell school group visits Cranbrook Union Mill, a working windmill and museum in a neighboring town.
Lester drops off his son at school as he walks to work. Building Justice
Keith putting the final polish on a completed monument sign for Danthonia Designs Finding And Sharing Faith
Leanne teaches the art of flossing at Fox Hill’s dental clinic. From Isolation To Community
A Community Playthings design team develops outdoor play equipment using a strategic design process with the help of 3D printed prototypes and a whiteboard. Working For A Purpose
The communal dining room in Sannerz What Money Can't Buy
Coached by his teacher, a young falconer learns to master himself – and his hawk. Looking For Freedom
Families from Darvell community at the local fair Building Justice
Gary assembles outdoor play equipment. Seeking And Making Peace
In Sickness And In Health
Finding And Sharing Faith
Children And Education
Setting out for a class hike
Heading to school Children And Education
The last practice, and the choir director is asking for more power Looking For Freedom
Peckham, London: cherry blossoms and laundry on a December afternoon Seeking And Making Peace
Harvesting tomatoes – grown under a protective netting – in the light of the rising sun What About Technology?
Jason and his dog, Jess, herding cattle at the Danthonia community What About Technology?
Jerry reviewing medical options during a house call from Jake, his primary care physician and a fellow member of the Bruderhof Working For A Purpose
Kim repairs instruments for both professional musicians and Bruderhof schoolchildren. What About Technology?
Friede and Brenda working together in pre-assembly Working For A Purpose
In the community laundry, Anna-Mengia folds clean clothes for a family. Bring your laundry in the morning, pick it up clean and folded in the evening. In Sickness And In Health
A live nativity scene Finding And Sharing Faith
Lunch time: Young and old converge on the path that leads to the dining room. Finding And Sharing Faith
Assembling classroom furniture in a Community Playthings workshop Working For A Purpose
Sharing community online: Melinda edits videos for the Bruderhof’s YouTube channel. Bruderhof YouTube channel
Ending the day with some barbecue in Danthonia, Australia From Isolation To Community
Ryanne and Clare spend a cold moment on the Millennium Footbridge en route to the Tate Modern in London.
Finding And Sharing Faith
The second grade class from the Fox Hill school visits during morning coffee break in the Community Playthings workshop to recite poetry Children And Education
At the clinic, Kendra takes a baby’s vitals and gets an update from her mom. In Sickness And In Health
Sallie, an optometrist at Maple Ridge community, with a young patient Building Justice
Children And Education
Summer afternoon – French fries, burgers, and a water slide (not shown)
Camp crafts Children And Education
A game of 500
Through the screen door – breakfast in Danthonia, Australia
Janet Winter, who helps organize the Breaking the Cycle program, during a presentation at a New York high school Children And Education
Children And Education
Poetry appreciation evening with friends in Harlem Building Justice
Herding in an Australian paddock Working For A Purpose
A riotous tag game through the Australian paddocks around Danthonia Finding And Sharing Faith
During a school field trip to a working windmill, inspecting a sifter used for refining white flour
A seventh grade boy practices wilderness skills – making a shelter for a solo night out Children And Education
The community kitchen in Fox Hill. Bridget is a professional baker. Working For A Purpose
Jordan working with Jaehyoung, making furniture in the community workshop. Working For A Purpose
Admiring Stubbs and Turner at The National Gallery, London What About Technology?
Inside on a cold, wet December day, watching a very tall Christmas tree being set up in the middle of the community Children And Education
Danny and a student take the lead on a school hike. From Isolation To Community
In the bakery of the community kitchen Working For A Purpose
The stackable Woodcrest Chair is part of Community Playthings’ line of classroom furniture. Made of molded maple, it is shown here in the lacquer curing oven. Building Justice

The Book

A Window into a Christian Community at 100 Years

With photography by British photojournalist Danny Burrows, this 300-page hardcover book celebrates what is possible when people take a leap of faith. It will inspire anyone working to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future.

Buy the book Download Free Sampler
Book Cover in blue

Get a Sneak Preview

Sign-up below to download a free sampler of this book. You'll also be notified by email as new stories are posted.

We will never share your email address with unrelated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy.