Lomaland

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A site in Point Loma near San Diego , California , was designated as Lomaland . It was here that Katherine Tingley founded a theosophical community around 1900 that also performed social and educational tasks. Until 1942 the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America (TGinA) was also located there and a theosophical world center was established.

The first steps

As early as 1894, Gottfried de Purucker , a member of the theosophical San Diego Lodge, discovered the property in Point Loma, north of the San Diego Bay, and thought that a theosophical center should be built here. Katherine Tingley had become president of the Theosophical Society in America (TGinA) in 1896, initially unofficially, and in 1898 she was officially elected. When she on a trip around the world in September 1896 in Switzerland Geneva met Purucker first time, this shared her thoughts with over the land in Point Loma. Tingley herself dreamed of a “white city in the west” since childhood, where she could realize her far-reaching ideas. Based solely on a hand sketch by Purucker, Tingley immediately telegraphed to the USA to arrange the purchase of the property. The purchase agreement was signed on January 22nd, 1897, so that the TGinA owned 330 acres (= about 132 hectares ) of land, which later became Lomaland.

expansion

In the following years, building activity began on Lomaland, the first residential and administrative buildings were built, and in 1899 Tingley moved from New York to Lomaland. On February 13, 1900, the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society (UBTS), as the TGinA was now called, also moved there. This made Lomaland the headquarters of the American Theosophical Society . In the summer of 1900, a Raja Yoga school was opened, in 1901 an open-air theater followed and a little later a columned temple based on the Greek model, in 1914 an academy and a college with associated boarding schools, and finally in 1919 a theosophical university. In addition to around 500 apartments, u. a. a guest house, a theater, a textile factory, carpentry, bakery and a publishing house with an attached printing and bookbinding shop. Fruit and vegetable gardens were created, the surrounding hills were planted with trees and bushes, roads, paths and squares were paved. Theosophists and friends from all over the world had settled in Lomaland and formed a real village, a community .

The schools

The Raja Yoga School, a kind of elementary and secondary school , began with 5 students and soon grew to over 300 children. All the children lived in boarding schools on Lomaland. School and housing allowances were only collected from those who could afford them; many children from poor families were educated free of charge. Numerous orphans , u. a. from the Spanish-American War , found a new home and education here. At that time it was completely new that a teacher taught only one subject in a class, and the classes only consisted of around 15–20 students (as opposed to “normal” school classes with 40–50 students). The purely intellectual transfer of knowledge was rejected according to theosophical conviction, instead a synthesis of physical, mental, moral and spiritual development was pursued, which promoted intellect and intuition equally. In addition to exercising, experiencing nature through gardening and compulsory help in the household, one focus was on artistic activity. The students performed ancient dramas , but also those by William Shakespeare , in front of an audience in the open-air theater . Since every student learned at least one musical instrument at the Isis Conservatory , the first school orchestra in the USA was able to give weekly concerts and go on tour from 1905 . This and the performances of several Lomaland choirs made Lomaland known and famous.

The academy and college on Lomaland, established in 1914 , were supposed to ensure the further education of the older students. In this sense, in 1919, a Theosophical University, both a mind - and a Natural Sciences hosted Faculty built.

The Publisher

A publishing house with an attached printing and bookbinding shop was also located in Lomaland. The publishing house changed its name several times, e.g. B. The Theosophical publishing company , Aryan theosophical press or Theosophical university press . He produced numerous theosophical works in large numbers, including a. by Helena Blavatsky , William Quan Judge , Gottfried de Purucker and Katherine Tingley . In addition, several theosophical magazines, textbooks, many brochures and leaflets were produced.

Production and agriculture

Lomaland's own textile factory produced school uniforms and ensured that many of the rooms were comfortably furnished. The Lomaland joinery manufactured furniture, fittings and utensils. In addition to a bakery, there was a kitchen for all students and residents of Lomaland, with fruit and vegetables coming from their own gardens. These gardens also represented experimental farms in which z. B. was worked on the cultivation and refinement of avocados or oranges to increase yields. Avocados first came to California through Lomaland .

The theosophical center

From 1900 to 1942 Lomaland was the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America (TGinA) and also a theosophical world center. From here, Katherine Tingley and, from 1929, Gottfried de Purucker directed the fortunes of the TGinA with its sections, centers, lodges and schools all over the world. Theosophical congresses and lectures were held in Lomaland, readings and training courses were held and guests from all over the world were received.

Problems

recognition

Although the education at the Lomaland Theosophical University was recognized by the California state and was highly regarded, for example, at Berkeley and UCLA , the US Department of Education never accredited the university. Katherine Tingley herself made no effort to gain accreditation, so a Lomaland graduation was only recognized in California. This was a serious disadvantage for some students in later years.

money

Although a lot of the work in and around Lomaland was carried out by volunteers without payment, some of the running costs had to be met. In addition, the entire Theosophical Society in America (TGinA) and thus also Lomaland were subject to normal tax liability, only the university was excluded as a non-profit organization. In 1928 property taxes were massively increased, which hit Lomaland hard. In the same year, the tax authorities reassessed the Lomaland properties, which resulted in a further increase in the tax burden of 500%. The following global economic crisis in 1929 destroyed a large part of the assets of Katherine Tingley, who had recently died, as well as the possessions of numerous sponsors and patrons. In addition, the property was encumbered with mortgages and, as a result of the global economic crisis, property prices had plummeted. In 1929 Lomaland was practically bankrupt within a short period of time . The debts piled up and Gottfried de Purucker , Tingley's successor, had to sell more and more land and buildings on poor terms just to keep the business going. As a result of far-reaching austerity measures, a number of Lomaland residents, more or less voluntarily, were forced to leave the community in order not to become a further burden. With the help of friends and sponsors, the debt was finally paid off by 1942.

schools

All corners and ends were saved, on writing paper as well as on electricity consumption or when eating. Since many parents, also affected by the global economic crisis, could no longer afford the fees for the boarding school on Lomaland, the number of students fell drastically. For the Raja Yoga School and the Academy , which had already been jointly renamed the Lomaland School in April 1930, the compulsory boarding school was lifted and day pupils were also accepted. Despite a reduction in school fees, student numbers remained low and in 1941 the Lomaland School had to close. Only the university moved to Covina in 1942 and accepted students until 1950. When she moved to Pasadena in 1950/51, she was unable to move due to lack of funds and ceased operations in the mid-1950s.

The end

The Lomaland property was in the immediate vicinity of a naval and air force base of the US armed forces in San Diego Bay . In late 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor , the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet were relocated there. For fear of a Japanese invasion, troops were stationed on the west coast of the USA , and gun emplacements were also installed on Lomaland. This raised fears of being drawn into acts of war. The structure of the building was also in poor condition and urgently needed renovation. The necessary funds were not available and Gottfried de Purucker did not want to put any credit money into a war-endangered project. This uncertainty eventually led to the abandonment of Lomaland and the sale of the property in early 1942. The Theosophical Society in America moved to Covina near Los Angeles on June 29, 1942 .

Today the Point Loma Nazarene University is located on the Lomaland site . Most of the Lomaland buildings have disappeared and only a few lonely remains, the open-air theater and the extensive trees are reminiscent of times gone by.

literature

  • Greenwalt, Emmett A .: California utopia, Point Loma, 1897-1942 . Point Loma Publications, San Diego 1978
  • Greenwalt, Emmett A .: City of glass, the theosophical invasion of Point Loma . Cabrillo Historical Association, San Diego 1981
  • Greenwalt, Emmett A .: The Point Loma community in California, 1897-1942, a theosophical experiment . AMS Press, New York 1979; ISBN 0404600689
  • Streissguth, Thomas: Utopian visionaries . Oliver Press, Minneapolis 1999; ISBN 1881508471
  • Whiting, Lilian: Katherine Tingley, theosophist and humanitarian . Aryan Theosophical Press, Point Loma 1919
  • Whiting, Lilian: Katherine Tingley and her Râja Yoga system of education . Bookshop for Universal Brotherhood and Theosophy, Nuremberg no year (approx. 1920)

Web links

Commons : Lomaland  - album with pictures, videos and audio files