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In 1987, members of Muehl’s community acquired the El Cabrito estate on La Gomera and relocated part of the group there in an attempt to re-establish the communal model that had declined following the crisis of the Friedrichshof commune in Austria. However, by 1990, the original utopian framework of the movement had largely dissolved, and the community was reorganized into a member-owned cooperative structure. The El Cabrito estate subsequently underwent a transformation from a communal settlement into a tourist enterprise.
The movement experienced a further decisive rupture in 1991, when Muehl was convicted in Austria on several charges, including sexual abuse of minors and drug-related offenses, effectively ending his role as the group’s leader.
Following his release from prison in 1997/1998, Muehl returned briefly to El Cabrito, but his authority was increasingly challenged, and within approximately two years a significant number of remaining members rejected his leadership. He subsequently left the community with a small group of followers and moved to Portugal, marking the final fragmentation of the movement he had founded.
