The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Meeting of the Circle of Thirty

Dr. Steiner: Now that the call has been successfully made ^{1See page 334.} and the willingness of this group to tackle the affairs of the Anthroposophical Society has been demonstrated, it would be good if a kind of chair for today's meeting were elected from among the assembly. This would best correspond to the inner workings of the matter. We have so far been, to a certain extent, a disorderly group of people, and we are now to enter into a specific community of will, as has been emphasized several times. Therefore, I would like to ask you to elect a chairperson from among yourselves, so that today's proceedings are fruitful and proceed in such a way that it can be seen that something can come out of the delegates' meeting. It will only come to something if a kind of self-evident spiritual leadership and direction emerges from the group of personalities gathered here.

It is proposed that Emil Leinhas be appointed chairman.

Emil Leinhas: I would just like to point out that I am not sufficiently informed.

Dr. Steiner: Since today's meeting has obviously been prepared over the last few days, it would be reasonable for someone in the middle of it all to take the chair.

Mr. Baravalle: I propose Dr. Wolfgang Wachsmuth if it cannot be Mr. Leinhas.

Dr. Wolfgang Wachsmuth and Dr. Kolisko are proposed. Emil Leinhas: I accept the position if I have to.

Dr. Steiner: Then I ask those of the esteemed attendees who are in favor of Mr. Leinhas to raise their hands.

A vote is taken and Emil Leinhas is elected chairman. Dr. Steiner: I will now be able to listen all the more attentively.

Emil Leinhas: The circular letter should be sent to all members in Germany. Mr. Werbeck should participate after all, shouldn't he? (Note from Dr. Heyer: “Circular letter without Werbeck's signature? Sensitivities regarding Werbeck?”)

The following speak on this: Dr. Kolisko, Dr. Heyer, Emil Leinhas and Toni Völker.

Dr. Steiner: Apart from the reason given, namely sensitivity, I don't see what could be against it. The fact that this sensitivity plays such a role in the Anthroposophical Society is the really ruinous fact. We can give up on the Anthroposophical Society if we rely on the sensitivities. These sensitivities do not only show themselves in their naked form, but also in all kinds of masks. Over the years, they have gained tremendous power because they have been camouflaged. This is one of the factors that has become ruinous. If we continue to take sensitivities into account, the reorganization is in vain. We must begin to discard dishonesty and say truthfully: We can found a Philistine society, then sensitivities can play a role. But then we will drive anthroposophy out of society. We must make an effort to overcome this sensitivity.

Emil Leinhas: You often have to be considerate of it.

Dr. Steiner: You can do that in other things. (Note from Dr. Heyer: “not in matters of principle”)

Emil Leinhas: Werbeck will be admitted to the committee, and an explanation will be given later as to why his name is not on the appeal.

Dr. Kolisko speaks.

Emil Leinhas announces the detailed program of the delegates' conference and opens it up for discussion. Many speakers contribute.

Dr. Steiner (2): We would then accept the proposals of Dr. Schwebsch, who, as the most specialized, has proposed such a program.

Dr. Schwebsch: I have considered a few things, such as headlines: 1. Situation of the dwarves; 2. Branch work; 3. Organization of trust; 4. Inner history and

history of the institutions; 5. New generation and youth movement; 6. Treatment of opponents.

One speaker thinks it should be asked whether the assembly of delegates agrees that this committee remains in charge.

Dr. Steiner: You expose yourself to the danger of a random leadership. How do you want to prevent a random president from being elected?

Dr. Kolisko: The leadership must come from the same place as the invitations.

Dr. Steiner: It will just be a matter of preventing the question from arising in the first place by the appearance of the committee. There should be no desire to somehow elect a president. This desire should not arise. What I fear is that there will not be enough discussion by the committee and from this circle, so that a new tone would really be established from the outset. So that is what has emerged so strongly as a deficiency, that people have not become aware of what it means to lead such a society. At this assembly of delegates, this may lead to the election of a random president. Some member who joined the Anthroposophical Society the day before yesterday and who says something clever is then elected president. This happens in particular when such things recur and when people are not aware that they must not recur. Then all sorts of things happen.

It was criticized yesterday that — if I may put it this way — the management had failed completely. I could only perceive the after-effects because I arrived late. Yesterday it is said to have been the case that basically throughout the whole evening this committee of thirty did not take action at all, but rather was notable for its mental absence. ^{2There are no minutes of this meeting.} It can go wrong if this happens again at the delegates' meeting, that no sound is given, that one is not aware of what the actual duty of this circle of “large-headed” people is. If they are not aware that something must be done so that the others also have a reason to recognize the committee, then it can also go wrong.

Several members, Dr. Unger, Dr. Kolisko and Emil Leinhas, talk about the fact that the members of the Circle should speak.

Dr. Steiner: All members of this committee of nine are, of course, members of this Circle of Thirty. And just as these seven have signed from the Circle of Thirty, it could just as well be a different seven under certain circumstances, and yet another seven. The appeal will be signed by the individual members of the Circle of Thirty. It could not be signed only by the Thirty Circle itself, because the Thirty Circle as such – as has been revealed – has shown itself to be an impossibility in its entirety. It is a fact that this Thirty Circle is something terrible. It raged particularly terribly in the assembly, where the circle had strengthened [see the expanded Thirty Circle meeting of January 22]. If it had been written below: Thirty Circle, that would have been impossible. But when its members appear before the assembly of delegates as individuals, it is only each person's duty and obligation. I don't see why they shouldn't be there. There is absolutely no way to fathom why a mandate should first be created for those who should have represented the interests of the company here.

Consider just one fact that has been mentioned this evening. You could just as easily get a second one. That is that the members of the individual branches were delighted when the second newsletter arrived. If only the members outside hear anything at all about what is going on in Stuttgart, they are happy. The only terrible thing was that the central board said to itself on December 4: I will send out a newsletter; and after that it ignored the Society. Nothing has happened in the time since then. So when a sign of life came in the form of the newsletter, the members were very happy. If only someone will draw friendly nostrils in the anthroposophical sense, then the matter will be there. You cannot demand that by merely signing — you cannot draw the nostrils without them — that without these friendly nostrils the members will infer what the Thirty Circle has achieved with the appeal. The individual members are not obliterated by saying that the Thirty Circle as a whole is a disgrace. All the more should one prepare oneself, preferably in front of the mirror, to make the friendly nostrils. Hopefully the circle will focus some attention on the nostrils.

I have to speak with the individual people tomorrow and hold teachers' conferences; in the evening it is already too late. It should be possible to continue today.

[Because the meeting had to be interrupted due to the lecture by Rudolf Steiner in the Stuttgart branch, it should be continued later.]