Our origins

Born in Braunschweig in 1904, Klara Schlink moved with her family to Darmstadt in 1921, where her father was appointed professor at the university. At the age of 18, she found Jesus and gave her life to Him. For training and studies she spent some years in Kassel, Berlin, in the Bible House Malche and finally in Hamburg.

In 1935, Klara Schlink and Erika Madauss returned to Darmstadt in response to a call from God. Twelve dark, challenging years followed - all plans fell through. The girls' Bible study group, whose leadership was entrusted to them, grew in spite of the political situation, but the actual task did not materialize. In this apparent senselessness, however, something decisive happened inwardly - as preparation for the founding of the Sisterhood of Mary.

Mother Basilea reported about it (original sound, from a BBC/ZDF report from 1963):

"From rubble new life"-in the truest sense of the word! The devastating bombing of Darmstadt became a turning point in life for the young people who faced eternity that night. Repentance and conversion led to a revival and to a life reconciled with God and man - under the call to uncompromisingly follow Jesus. From the beginning, the Lord led us on the path of faith, depending on God alone. In great poverty, the sisters began to build the chapel and motherhouse with their own hands - with rubble stones from the ruins of Darmstadt. It was their longing to build a place of worship to God in contrast to what had happened during the Second World War.

In order to tell many more about the saving love of Jesus, a small printing shop was established and later the publishing house. Travel services with bookstore visits followed. Soon people from Germany and abroad flocked to Kanaan for retreats, celebrations and festivals. But in everything, everyday life in the service for Jesus was interspersed with service to Jesus - times of silence in the midst of activity and work.

Jesus called out to His disciples (Mark 16:15). Thus, when requests for Kanaan centers came from other countries, we knew that we could not close our minds to it, and sisters were sent out little by little in all directions.