A 1,100-acre property near Johannesburg, known as Tolstoy Farm, stands as the most tangible physical legacy of the partnership between Hermann Kallenbach and Mahatma Gandhi. Designed to house families participating in the satyagraha resistance movement, the farm became a site for communal living, where the architect transitioned from a wealthy, athletic bachelor into a committed advocate for simple, egalitarian living.
Architectural Beginnings and Migration
Born in 1871 in Žemaičių Naumiestis, Lithuania, Kallenbach was one of seven children. He pursued architectural studies in Stuttgart and Munich before relocating to Johannesburg in 1896 to join his uncles. Established as a successful professional in South Africa, he balanced his career with a diverse range of athletic pursuits, including swimming, cycling, and gymnastics, while accumulating significant local property.
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In 1904, Kallenbach met Mohandas Gandhi, initiating a relationship that Gandhi later described as one of soulmates. Kallenbach designed the Satyagraha House to accommodate their shared life. Between 1907 and 1913, he managed aspects of the satyagraha movement and accompanied Gandhi during his 1913 penitential fast at Phoenix. Throughout this period, the pair jokingly referred to one another as the Upper and Lower House, metaphors used to discuss their budgetary and decision-making processes.
Zionist Activism and Later Years
During World War I, Kallenbach was interned as an enemy alien, spending two years as a prisoner of war on the Isle of Man. Following the war, the rise of Nazi antisemitism prompted his return to Jewish roots. He became active in the South African Zionist Federation, advocating for a non-industrialized society in Palestine. In 1937, he visited Gandhi to seek support for Zionist objectives, though the two disagreed on the necessity of violent resistance against Hitler. He maintained his friendship with Gandhi until his death in 1945.
Fast facts
- Born: 1871, Žemaičių Naumiestis
- Died: 1945, South Africa
- Citizenship: German and South African
- Education: Stuttgart and Munich
- Major Project: Tolstoy Farm
- Burial Site: Kibbutz Degania, Israel
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Tolstoy Farm?
Donated by Kallenbach in 1910, the farm provided housing and a communal workspace for families involved in Gandhi's non-violent resistance movement in South Africa.
What happened to Kallenbach's estate?
He bequeathed a portion of his wealth to South African Indians, but the majority of his estate was left to support Zionist causes, with his personal book collection donated to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
