ABSTRACT
A significant group of 'Others', however, comprise those who voluntarily withdraw from urban society and these have received considerably less attention in the literature. These people commonly share their disapproval of the dominant norms and values in the city and reject the place itself. Urban-rural migration illustrates the spatial consequences of discomfort experienced in the city and the need to move to better, more quiet or safer places. There are, however, examples of people who have focused and structured their collective disgust with mainstream society and formed communities elsewhere, often in rural areas as well. An interesting example of such communities is one of artists on the island of Usedom in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). The origin of this community can be traced back to the early rise of Fascism prior to World War II when a number of less compliant members of society established their own way of life in a remote place, largely untouched by this ideology. However, collective escapism to promising places does not necessarily guarantee contentment without an expiration date. Changing times influence life outside and in these new communities, thus challenging people's histories, homes and identities all over again. After a short discussion of the relationship between identity, place and 'intentional communities', the focus of this chapter is on the relationship to place of a community of artists in Germany.
