Zaunbier

a story about simple, intentional community building

What’s this strange german word, you may wonder - like many words in the german language its an amalgamation of 2 things.

Zaun = fence

Bier = you guessed it.. beer.

Moving into a new neighbourhood

Let me wind back a little, this is an idea that started shortly after moving into our new place and neighbourhood. It’s a tranquil street in a 40k people city, just outside the doors of Berlin. You find the people here you’d expect. There are other families with children, a single parent, some almost retirees, a lady in her 90s etc. It’s a mixed but pretty quiet place.

While we quickly met everyone, I was still missing some regularity in hanging out with folks.

Missing deeper connection

I would see people quite frequently, like the man in his 40s across the street, when he got his children in the car. He would wave and exclaim “Guten Morgeeeen” which I would return even more enthusiastically. It feels nice to be friendly with the neighbours. Something was still missing though.

So after some reflection with Naura and thinking this through further, I realized that I did not yet have a deeper connection with the other men. We knew each other casually but thats it. That’s when we invented Zaunbier.

The minimum viable Beer

While I am big fan of beer, I don’t actually drink alcohol. Luckily there is plenty of tasty non-alcoholic beer available. My go-to is typically Heineken 0.0

So on one warm summer day last year, I put a couple of them in the fridge, created a text group with the folks in the hood and texted them “Hey, I have 5 cold beers in the fridge and can’t drink them all by myself. I’ll be outside by the fence in 5 minutes with those. Join me if you like”

I wasn’t sure whether anyone would show up, Germans like to plan. There is a running gag that even a casual coffee catchup should be pre-planned at least 8 weeks in advance.

To my surprise 2 people showed up. We sat by the fence, drank the cold beverages, chatted a bit, had some laughs and really just hung out. We may have spent 1.5hrs there. That’s it.

The rules were really simple: Don’t plan it. Ideally it’s short notice. We’ll rotate where we meet. There is no big setup. Couple drinks and thats it. Whoever can come, comes. Who’s busy joins next round.

Keeping things simple

The second time we were already 4 people. The third time, everyone was there. Now another thing that has started happening is that it got a little fancier. Last time we got together in December, there was Glühwein, Beer, Christmas Cookies, a roaring campfire, sausages from the BBQ. I think it’s natural that these things get a little more complex and elaborate over time. Together with that complexity also comes the lead time. We are back now at planning those weeks in advance. I get the feeling that we’ll need to simplify a little. The key to it being fun and enjoyable is it’s simplicity.

Going below the surface

A few beautiful things started happening really quickly. We got to know each other on a much deeper level almost immediately. We could not be any more different in terms of political view, religion, life experience, taste, shoe size etc - yet, we all get along, enjoy each others company and are respectful.

An example: one of the folks shared some personal health history he had been dealing with for a while. It’s something people are usually pretty vulnerable about. There was no judgement, no weird looks, just pure support and camaraderie. The beer has almost become a sideshow to the main act - human connection.

A call to build community

Here’s my invitation - start building your own communities. Start small, start local. It could be around a common interest, a common geographical area, a common passion. Ideally a mix of people with mixed backgrounds, views and values. It will make for incredibly interesting conversations. In person is ideal.

Yes, starting can be hard - it requires at least one person to take some initiative. The rewards are well worth it. Imagine a space of safety, belonging, joy and acceptance outside of your immediate family.

Based on the longest running Harvard study on happiness and longevity, good social relationships and community are the #1 indicator for a long and happy life. (article)