A village in Mecklenburg, Germany, carries my name. Itʻs my birth name, the one connecting me to my fatherʻs family: Ihlenfeld. We found it by accident, while traveling. My mother-in-law saw the sign: “O look, a village named Ihlenfeld!”. That kindled our curiosity. We turned into the little dusty country road and discovered a picturesque village with an abandoned manor house and a church made of large reddish-grey stones. Later, we did some research and discovered that my ancestors indeed occupied an early version of that manor house, as far back as the beginning of the 14th century. At that time, our name was ʻvon Ihlenfeldʻ. We were nobility, but, I am sorry to say, the ruthless kind, also known as “robber barons”. Apparently we fell on hard times and had to gain our income by feuding neighbors and, as I understand, extracting ʻtaxesʻ from passing travelers, weapons in hand, just so that the dire consequences of refusing to pay these taxes were understood by all. But even these violent measures did not help my family in the long run: We lost our property, we lost our title, and now we are just a handful or two of former nobles, some still in Germany, some scattered all over the globe.
Beyond my personal family history, there is another intriguing feature of Ihlenfeld for me. It is an ʻAngerdorfʻ. The German word ʻAngerʻ, pronounced with a long Ah, has nothing to do with the English noun describing an intense emotional state of displeasure. It is translated as ʻvillage greenʻ. The village is built around a central pasture ground, oftentimes by a natural pond. That ground is common property of the whole village community. This village form is known throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Oftentimes, the village as a whole would hire a shepherd, and every family would bring the modest amount of animals they had to graze there together. Sometimes, churches and schools were added in that central area, also as common property. The center of the village belongs to all, is cared for by all, and used by all.
In a time when public property shrinks and private property grows, it is worth looking at the benefits of public property for common life, also today. In an article in the Seattle Times from July 2, 2023, the benefits of parks and green spaces are discussed. Dr. Howard Frumkin from the Trust for Public Land is cited as saying, they have “public health superpowers”. Doctors could prescribe time outdoors in public parks to prevent cardiovascular and osteoporosis conditions, as well as loneliness, stress and anxiety – and all the mental , soul and bodily health benefits come without negative side effects and at minimal costs. The article discusses a study ranking the municipal park systems across the 100 most populous cities in the US – Seattle scores number eight. Within the top 25 cities of the study, residents are 9% less likely to have poor mental health and 21% less likely to be physically inactive compared to the lower ranking ones. There is great benefit in having public spaces, accessible to all, where nature, culture, and community can be experienced with people known and unknown. These places are common ground, places which belong to the public, but they also promote common ground in the sense of shared understanding, mutual belonging, and the opportunity to connect with people across differences in a benevolent setting. Common ground in North America and other places is threatened in both these senses by a volatile mixture of political and cultural divisions, economic greed, the lure of violence, and a break down of societal norms and social networks.
1480 was not a good year for my family. We were engaged in a feud with the city of Neu-Brandenburg. That feud was called “Ihlenfelder Fehde”. It is described in the journal “Neubrandenburger Mosaik” from 1982, a museumʻs publication. Cities had become more and more powerful over the previous 200 years, with new classes of merchants and craftsmen emerging. The feudal system which had governed relationships before, was based on agriculture: Local Lords granted the use of their land to farmers and other workers in exchange of goods and services. Now more and more cities governed themselves independently of the rural nobility, and their citizens grew very rich, mainly by wide reaching trade. That led to great tensions between to “old guardʻ of rural Lords and the ʻnew guardʻ of urban citizens. The von Ihlenfelds claimed their authority over the land by fiercely continuing to feud and plunder and extort. This endangered travel and trade, and so, one day in the year of 1480, members of the city council marched to the city house of the von Ihlenfelds in Neubrandenburg, the “Markgrafenhof”. They intended to claim their authority by arresting the von Ihlenfelds for disturbing the peace. They were followed by a mob of enraged citizens. Father and son von Ihlenfeld were in residence, and by no means inclined to let themselves be arrested and thrown into prison. They threw rocks on the gathered citizens, and killed one council member. In retribution, the gathered crowd laid fire to the house. Both von Ihlenfelds died, the father in the fire; the son, while trying to flee, by hand of the mob.
Just as my ancestors lived in times of great and volatile change, we do to. The transition between medieval and modern times was characterized by increased global trade, the emergence of new money and banking systems, changing religious, political and societal systems and new and speedy ways of communication with help of the printing press. These changes greatly disrupted peopleʻs lives, made some rich, others poor, and led to new ways of life, but also violence and war. The ʻold guardʻ clings to power, while the ʻnew guardʻ claims it. Most of us feel that we live in times of unpredictable change and growing violence as well. In hindsight, we know how history moved from medieval times to the age of discovery, nation – and empire building, but we do not know yet what our future will bring. What we do know is that we also live in times of increased global trade, the emergence of new money and banking systems, changing religious, political and societal systems and new and speedy ways of communication, now with help of the internet. Just as with my noble ancestors, the old ways of life donʻt work well any more. The knightly rule and code of honor used to be admired and respected. But it had no place in the changing power structures of the emerging new times. More and more it was perceived as disruptive and dangerous.
Who longs for status and power of past times and feel displaced and disrespected today? And who reacts to this in volatile and violent ways? According to the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in Washington D.C., Christine Abizaid, in the US it is mainly the lone male actor, inspired by extreme ideologies, the REMVE: Racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist. The two ideologies most cited by perpetrators are Al-Qaida/ISIS and White Supremacy. War, terrorist attacks, mass murders and gun violence are killing people and greatly disrupting public life in many places. When warlords, terrorists and mass murderers attack people at public markets, parades, and concerts, they do that not only because they find convenient masses of people there to kill, but also because they want to make all others feel unsafe. They are claiming power and privilege by disrupting the sense of safety and belonging. It is exactly the common ground, this shared understanding and mutuality they seek to destroy. In the USA, the 4th of July now is the day of the year which attracts the most mass murder events. Mass murderers give a clear message: We are not in this together. You and yours do not belong into this space. I claim it for myself and those who are like me. Exclusively.
What are the societal consequences of these common attacks in public spaces? Will we not gather anymore for fear of being attacked? No friendly basketball game with our neighbors in the park? No 4th of July parade? No free concerts at the pier? Will we not send our children to in-person schools? Not worship in sanctuaries? Will our lives be reduces to whatever private spaces we have available and, of course, the world-wide web? How will we find common ground with our fellow citizens and live in peace?
Peace was achieved in medieval Neubrandenburg and surroundings, but only after an extended period of violence. After the burning of the city house, the von Ihlenfelds declared a feud against New-Brandenburg, and they received help from other noble families. After much more death and destruction on both sides, a peace agreement was brokered, and compensation and penance from the city of New-Brandenburg to the von Ihlenfelds was agreed upon. Their noble honor was restored, but their way of life was not. In 1495, king Maximilian outlawed the medieval right to feuds. The “Ewiger Landfriede”, Perpetual Peace, ushered in a new time. Rural nobility did not have the right to enforce their laws by violence anymore.
When I think of my robber baron ancestors, I am grateful that my family does not engage in extortion anymore and that the people around me can freely walk and drive on the roads without somebody setting up a road block and relieving them of their money. Even though it cost my family wealth and privilege, I am grateful for the Perpetual Peace, which seems to have made Germany a safer place to live and do business at the time. But I am very concerned about the systems of threats and violence which are becoming far to common in society today. Freedom is such a high value in our country, and we honor our military for keeping us safe from outside threats so that we can enjoy it. But how free are we really, when massacres happen within our country every day? More than 300 mass shootings already have been recorded in the US half way through the year of 2023.
The discussion about gun violence policies is one of these very divisive topics in our country. Nevertheless, polls show that a majority of Americans actually support common sense gun laws. I chose these very simple measures named in March 2023 by Readers-Digest, a trusted friend in a complicated world (I just love their tagline!) to show what kind of common sense gun laws most people seem to agree on:
- Polls show that a majority of Americans want Congress to pass commonsense gun laws.
- These laws would not ban gun ownership or repeal the Second Amendment.
- Proposals include raising the minimum age to buy semiautomatic weapons, banning high-capacity magazines, passing safe storage laws, and strengthening background checks.
- A new gun reform bill, H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, is currently being debated in the Senate.
- Studies show that gun reform measures could save thousands of lives every year
May I suggest that valuing, expanding, and caring for public spaces where people meet in-person for peaceful purposes might also do part of the trick. While outdoor spaces still exist to some extend; in most towns, the only public indoor community space is the public library. Recently I listened to a blog about Public Libraries. Joe Fish interview Nicholas Hune-Brown who did some research into the changing world of Public Libraries. Hune-Brown describes Public Libraries as the last easily accessible public indoors space. In a time when more and more public services have been reduced and dismantled, librarians do not act first and foremost as researchers and book finders anymore, but they are urgently needed as social workers and first aid providers. While this can be scary for library employees, who have been trained for vastly different needs, the public library as a system has stood up to the changing times and the changing needs. People still come to borrow books and other media. Young children and youth enjoy family, reading, play and craft times. Students and small business owners find space to learn and meet. Unhoused people find computers to search for potential housing and jobs. Seniors find tax help. Community groups host events there. Good staff training, clear rules and anti-aggression policies lead to all these different people actually sharing this public space respectfully and getting along with each other admirably. Who would have thought that the good old Public Library would shows us a peaceful path into the future?
We need more spaces like this. Spaces where people from all walks of life can meet and see with their one eyes, that ʻthe otherʻ is also a human being, just like oneself and everybody else. There is this bible passage in Matthew, chapter 5. It is part of Jesus foundational “Sermon on the Mount”. In it, Jesus says that God letʻs the sun rise on the good and the bad. I always struggled with this. Why this equal treatment of good and bad? Why not just throw out the bad and be done with it? Maybe because God knows better than me, that every person encompasses both, good and bad. Every person has good and bad thoughts. Every person does good and bad things. Some more than others, sure, and that remains a challenge. God does ask people who have done wrong to repent and repair. But God does not ask me to judge. God does not ask me to seek revenge. God asks me to love. Not necessarily to like, but to love in the sense of showing good will, kindness and respect to the best of my ability. Can you do that, too? Practicing neighbor love in times where hatred and violence are valued as much as in our society today requires determination and courage. But I can see no better way.
“You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.” (Matthew 5: 43-48, Common English Version.)