A communal housing complex or worker housing built on cooperative principles, originating in 19th-century French socialism.
From French familistère, combining familia (family) + -istère (variant of ère, from Greek polis or similar formation meaning place/system). Specifically named after the factory community built by Jean-Baptiste Godin.
The Familistère of Guise was a radical 19th-century experiment—workers didn't just work together, they lived together in a specially designed community with shared kitchens and childcare. It's a forgotten ancestor of modern cohousing and cooperative communities.
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