Make Santa Fe’s ethos can be attributed to the lost city of Vienna, Austria. Weird, I know, but here’s how.
Vienna is dubbed “The City of Ideas”. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Vienna was (and still is) a city of immigrants. These immigrants formed a powerful connection to the concept of Bildung (a German word, basically the tradition of self-cultivation or learning). At the time, Vienna had standardized education for 6-14-year-olds, and, being a city of middle-class immigrants, it was a part of life to be a hobbyist, tinkerer, philosopher, and maker. This was such a strong and popular way of living that even Vienna architecture supported this way of living. It was not uncommon for even modest homes to have workshops. In these home workshops (and sometimes even public cafes), groups of friends would gather and be makers. They’d try to reproduce the scientific experiments of the day, they’d build mechanisms and objects for fun, and the kids would raise and study insects.
Of course, the Nazis ruined all that. But the ethos of “The City of Ideas” remains. Vienna’s legacy lives on in maker spaces all over the world.
I see this movement is the beginning of our modern maker movement. During this time, the seeds of self-reliance, self-directed learning, and hands-on creativity and innovation were planted. Vienna’s City of Ideas, Italy’s Renaissance, Islam’s Golden Age, The Industrial Revolution, and now the Information Age are all examples of how makers led the way to a new, modern way of life.
We often think of innovation stemming from corporations with the means to invent at a large scale, but that could not be further from the truth! Innovation comes from people with ideas. Inventions are made in small shops, garages, and maker spaces, which is why they are so important. Makerspaces provide a safe space for people to try and fail, test and refine, and create the things they dream up.