The Rudolf Steiner Archive

In the presence of ¹ Dr. Steiner's first point of discussion was the plan of the building on the Waldorf School grounds. He declared that the “Free Anthroposophical Society” could not under any circumstances build accommodation there. Its members were already spending far too much time in the Waldorf School, where their influence on the pupils had already led to the introduction of manners more in keeping with those of a grammar school, which he would not tolerate under any circumstances.

Afterwards, the Völker-Unger affair was discussed. Miss Völker was besieged from all sides to put an end to the matter, including by Dr. Steiner, who attacked her with fierce words. But she remained obstinate, so much so that I doubted her goodwill and insight. She believes that it is not in her power to bring the matter to a conclusion, which Dr. Steiner seemed to confirm afterwards. Rittelmeyer suggested that she declare in her branch that she would leave it if the matter was not settled.

There was more back and forth talk until Dr. Steiner declared that he could no longer attend these meetings if only non-substantive matters were discussed.

• 1. The meetings of 14 and 25 July and 1 August, see Appendix II

A plenary meeting of the Circle – including Rittelmeyer, Ruhtenberg, Molt and others who had been away for some time – in Landhausstrasse in the presence of Dr. and Mrs. Steiner. Dr. Steiner reported on his trip to England, on the educational event in Ilkley and then especially on the summer course at Penmaenmawr, which he described as one of the most significant events in the history of the movement. This latter event took place near ancient Druid sites, many of which he described in detail. Once, he and Dr. Wachsmuth climbed up to a lonely plateau all alone and found two hollows there, one large and one small, which, seen from above, looked exactly like the floor plan of the Goetheanum. In general, he said, the entire spiritual past of these places is written in the astral sphere of this area as if in imperishable letters, and imaginations that would otherwise transform and blur remain there, so to speak. The island from which the Arthurian mysteries originated is also nearby. (As Dr. Steiner spoke, the light went out. A lamp was brought and he continued speaking by its light until the light came back on.)

Afterwards, Kolisko read out a series of statements of approval that had been received in response to the rally in No. 6 of Anthroposophy. [See appendix II, page 830 ff.]. Almost all of them were impressive and heartfelt, bearing vivid witness to what Dr. Steiner's personality means to countless people. Dr. Steiner noted down the names of all those who had sent in contributions and who were not members.

Kolisko then spoke again about his journey, which he had already reported on in detail at the meeting on August 15, and about the planned new organization of the “Anthroposophical Society in Germany,” which he had already presented on September 5. [No notes are available for these two meetings.] Through an “extended board”, the center is also to be present in the periphery. A circle of trusted individuals is to accept each member individually into the Society. Only then should they join a branch where the esoteric work is to take place.

Stein and von Grone also reported again on their trip to Thuringia. An interesting discussion about Friedrich Lienhard followed Stein's account of his visit to Weimar. His last essays in the “Türmer” were brought and read by Dr. Steiner himself. He and Frau Doktor then told a lot of humorous details about Lienhard, whom Dr. Steiner does not want treated as an “opponent” under any circumstances.

See GA 228

I cannot help but take this opportunity, because opportunities for such things do not always arise and every one should be seized when it presents itself. I cannot help but take this opportunity, in these introductory words, to point out something that is directly related to the inner content of the anthroposophical movement in a broader sense, especially at this time. Many things have been mentioned that the anthroposophical movement has achieved. And precisely in view of the situation in which we find ourselves, where there are so few opportunities to attract attention to what comes out of the womb of this anthroposophical movement, it should not be neglected that, in these days, the anthroposophical movement also has something very important to point out with regard to the research that is being done within it. If our work were as well received in the world as that in the field of external science, we could again point out how research results of the very highest order have emerged from the bosom of the anthroposophical movement. It is well known how the medical dispute between homoeopaths and allopaths has been waged over a long period of time, how all manner of arguments have been put forward against the use of the smallest entities of substances, and how, to this day, no one has been able to produce exact, authoritative experiments that show beyond doubt that entities, when suitably diluted, enter into a metamorphosis of activity that is now something quite different from their material-substantial mode of action. Now, at our Biological Research Institute, we have succeeded, thanks to the dedicated work of Mrs. Kolisko, in scientifically determining the results of the effectiveness of the smallest entities in a flawless manner up to 1 in a trillion. You see, these are things that arise from anthroposophical work. And we in our Society must not pass by such things indifferently, but it is part of the attainment of a comprehensive consciousness for a society to know what is actually going on within its own horizon, within its own body. For one cannot really imagine that anyone can have a true awareness of his overall state of health if, for example, he is unaware of the processes of nutrition that are taking place within him – I do not mean in a scientific sense, but in the sense that one feels hunger and thirst. Therefore, I wanted to take this opportunity to point out that in the writing that emerged from the Biological Research Institute, written by Mrs. Kolisko, and which can now be purchased, something has come into the world again that should actually be pointed out today. So we can already say that within the anthroposophical community today, something is happening that is worthy of being brought to the general consciousness of the Anthroposophical Society. Because of this, a strengthening and invigoration of this consciousness will certainly be able to emerge. I don't know if I have anticipated anything that someone who wanted to talk about the matter wanted to say; but I did want to take the opportunity of this introduction and also to express my warmest greetings to the biological part of our anthroposophical research on this day, when I am speaking for the first time during these days.

• 1. In Dr. Kolisko's report.
• 2. The minutes are not available.

See GA 228

...that tomorrow a discussion will begin here that will make itself felt within the Anthroposophical Society, that there is a real desire to shape this society in such a way that there is a very lively consciousness in this society of what the fully human being should be, the fully human being who must correctly understand himself as the human being of the future. For these three are also one. And what man has been in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future, that will only be, I might say, before the divine order of the world, embrace the whole Anthropos. But it will have to be striven for in such a way that an enthusiastic, wholehearted grasp of anthroposophy leads to the right, true Anthropos, the total human being, the full human being.

In response to remarks by Dr. Walter Johannes Stein, who had described the anthroposophical impulse as a world affair, Rudolf Steiner said [according to notes by Lilly Kolisko (in “Eugen Kolisko. Ein Lebensbild,” manuscript print for members, Gerabronn 1961, S. 87/88). There is no official shorthand transcript of these farewell words.]: “It is certainly beautiful and corresponds to a natural enthusiasm, which must arise from anthroposophy in everyone who loves it, when dear friends now close this meeting in an enthusiastic way,” and then continued:

But the enthusiasm that has entered the hearts of those gathered here today corresponds, especially today, as always in the anthroposophical movement, to a world impulse that should also be looked at concretely.

Just a few days ago, I was asked, by an Oriental, what the significance of it is in earthly karma that some peoples seem to be called to make others dependent on them. You understand that in today's world, which is by no means yet very objective, it is not exactly easy to give an answer to such a question, because such answers are really quite poorly understood. But I was able to answer that things sometimes appear differently on the inside than they seem on the outside, and that even if it is true that in world-historical development one people sometimes becomes physically dependent on another, the spiritual opposite is often hidden behind this physical dependence. The physically oppressed nation sometimes becomes the spiritual conqueror over the conqueror in a very mysterious way. This was only meant as a suggestive answer. It did not refer to Europe, at least not to continental Europe, but to wider circles of the earth.

But the thoughts that can be inspired by it do have something to do with the horizons in which Central European people live. You see, my dear friends, although much of what surrounds us today in such a depressing, terribly terrible way, and which will become even more terrible, does not yet belong to the most painful things in a deeper sense, nevertheless much of it is extraordinarily painful. It does not yet belong to the most painful. Something does belong to the most painful, which was already present in the “Appeal to the German People” at the time, even if only in a hinting way. It belongs to the most painful that in a strong sense, especially in Central Europe, the Central European past is in many ways being denied and forgotten in a spiritual sense in the present. But today the situation is such that this Central European will, despite the physical misery, is awaiting a kind of resurrection. What is in the background really arouses very significant feelings. Much of what seems to be buried in the intellectual life of Central Europe awaits a certain future. In the not too distant future, people all over the world will long for what is often denied here today, even by many people with an older, Central European mindset. People all over the world will long for Central European spirituality.

And here, my dear friends, I come to what I would still like to hint at with these few words at this point. You see, many bad things may be caused by the fact that some things are overlooked in the spiritual today, many things are overlooked. But one thing must not happen, for that would be the most terrible thing: that when the world cries out for the resurrection of Central European spiritual life, and it will do so in the relatively near future, for its own salvation, there should be no people in Central Europe who could themselves be the ones to occupy the important spiritual positions, if they cannot understand this call.

If one must say that the world outside of Central Europe is today waiting for a spirituality, then it would be very bad if one had to experience that Central European humanity does not wait for this spirituality. For that would be the greatest loss for the world. It would be one of the most terrible catastrophes the earth could experience if the call goes out to Central Europe — regardless of what the world may look like — and the call goes out: We need this spiritual life — and Europe would carelessly ignore this call because it cannot appreciate this Central European spiritual life. Let us remember today that it could perhaps be the mission of the Central European in the very near future to understand from the nature of Central European spirituality what the world will want to receive from Central Europe, for it would be terrible if there were then no one in Central Europe who would have an understanding of giving.

[After the orientation discussion with Dr. Wegman, Albert Steffen and Dr. Wachsmuth on Sunday, December 16, Rudolf Steiner went to Schaffhausen, where he was responsible for the performance of the Christmas plays and spoke the introductory words. On the 17th or 18th he traveled on to Stuttgart to meet Marie Steiner, who arrived in Stuttgart early in the morning of the 18th from Berlin, and together they returned to Dornach.

In Stuttgart — it can only have been on the 18th or 19th — Rudolf Steiner, in the presence of Marie Steiner, now informed the executive committees of the two German societies of his intentions with regard to the new society formation. No minutes of this meeting have been preserved. But one of those present, Ernst Lehrs, reports in his memoirs Gelebte Erwartung (Stuttgart 1979, p. 2501.:]

"There we learned that he intended to found a new society, and under his chairmanship. In addition, there would be a number of personalities (not yet named to us) who would form its board together with him. We also learned of the opening of a new esoteric school as a “Free University for the Humanities” and of some of the main features of its organization. Members would be free to accept or decline his proposal, but once they had done so, the actions taken by this board would be binding on the membership."

It is fitting to speak words of comfort that are not lightly woven when one stands as a friend of a deceased among those who have lost a most precious one. For the deep pain that we feel in such a moment, when life bonds are torn apart that are tightly woven, that were woven to endure existence together in shared destinies and shared life tasks, is all too justified, all too understandable.

But another thing may perhaps also speak into the greatest, most bitter pain and the most bitter grief at such a moment: it is the compassion and mourning of those who, in addition to those closest to them, have come to appreciate and love those who have left the physical plane in the deepest part of their souls and from the bottom of their hearts. And perhaps I may, in this moment of mourning, remember the soul of the one whom we know we are hurrying to join the one who is now leaving us in our physical existence on earth. For I remember the soul of the dear husband who has become so dear to us, of the dearly departed, this searching personality, delving deeply into the mysteries of existence. Many unforgettable moments remain with me, which I was privileged to have in conversation with the soul, who has now been gone for a long time into spiritual worlds, about spiritual matters, about spiritual conditions and spiritual worlds, with the soul of the husband of the departed and the father of those sadly left behind here. And when the dear, seeking soul of the departed now appeared in our circle, the same power of genuine, true, spiritual striving and seeking for higher, lighter worlds was reflected in her eyes, in these seeking and, one may well say, light-bearing and love-bearing eyes, which lived in the soul of her predecessor. And we may, in this moment of mourning, remember the beautiful spiritual encounter of the two, which may be a reconciliation for the departed soul, in the face of all that she has left here in her dear, loving circle, in that circle for which she seemed so deeply predestined by fate, in that circle, from which world interest in the deepest sense approached everyone who approaches this circle. It was uplifting to hear and see how those to whom mother became the dear departed through the will of fate, how they carried the seeking spirit of the Dieterle family out into the furthest circles of the world, how they sought to find human happiness in human activity, how they sought to always move out of the narrow into the wide.

That is what we may visualize for this circle that the dear departed has left, and we may be assured that the circle of relatives will find sympathy and mourning in the wider circle of those whom the deceased has entered in order to search for the spirit, to find an approach to the solution of those riddles that burned so strongly in their souls. And those who were connected with them in this circle, searching for the spirit, they will remain unforgettable to them, the two deceased who were seeking the spirit and loving. We will not see them here in the physical life anymore, these two, these mild, strong, these seeking souls, but we will know that our memory will remain alive and feel connected as a living memory with the living soul of those who have only physically left us, that soul sought harmony with the eternal spirit and to a certain extent certainly found it, so that she can carry it over into spiritual worlds, in order to continue there in the appropriate way to care for her own and other people's salvation, for her own and other people's development.

And so, as a last greeting, I may repeat from memory, from the union with the soul and spirit of my dear friend, the words that came to my soul when this soul, this spirit, left its earthly cover:

Soul, arisen from the realm of mild strength,
Which in the struggle of earthly life, rock-bottom
For the inner depths of being
Courageously acquired,

Which, in the search for truth, blessing
Genuine human goal striven for,
And in noble human love
wanted to work meaningfully;

A spirit that in the vastness of life
strived for the depths of the soul,
and wanted to fathom the sources of true values of existence,

Who in the stream of life
always kindly offered what he had achieved for himself
to other people, beneficially, effectively:

You enter the soul's realm of light.
Look into the hearts of your children,
And into the souls of your friends,
Look down to us,

How we would like to accompany you
With the soul step of love,
With the word of the heart of loyalty,
Here from the place of mourning

To the heights where you can know
Our soul senses are not lost,
Where the light through the veil of death
Cannot be darkened.

And so we depart from your earthly shell, which will shine for us in the never-extinguishing light of spiritual life, and we know that in that spirit which has sought in you for the origin of its being, has sought for that conquest of death which, out of spiritual knowledge, wants to come to the Christ, who wants to find the power of rebirth, the eternal power of the soul, by immersing himself in the Christ-being, - so we know that in the search for this spirit we have found each other with you, and that this spirit, which carries human souls through eternities and gates of death and gates of life, will keep us together with you forever. We will know that we are connected not only in dead memory, but in full vitality, because we have found You in such a way that we can never lose You.

My dear friends!

Since we last saw each other here, both within and outside the circle that is united here, numerous of our members have left the physical plane, partly as a result of the events that are currently so severely testing humanity, and partly without any connection to this external, physical plane. It is not possible to refer to all those who have joined us in the spiritual world and no longer on the physical plane by name. The heavy losses that our movement has suffered here through the death of our dear Mr. Barth, our dear Miss Reitich and our dear Mrs. Pauline Dieterle are vividly present in our minds. It would take a long time if I were to recount to you now all that arises in our souls at this moment when we think of these dear souls. But that is not what we are here for. For each of them there is a very large circle here that can feel in its own soul with tremendous intensity and complete devotion to these souls what would take a long time to express in words. And that we keep this alive in our soul, that we vow, so to speak, to keep this alive in our souls, that we do not lose any opportunity to maintain the connection with these souls, that is what must move us.

Anyone who knew Miss Rettich's quiet, calm nature, who lived with her, who worked with her, knows that a rich spirit, which has gone through the difficult trials of life, which was inspired by serious, most sacred pursuit of truth, was inspired by purest benevolence and philanthropy, lived in this our friend. And the individuality of Miss Rettich is such that no one who has ever been in any kind of contact with her will ever be able to forget her. The quiet, modest nature, combined with a strong inner power of aspiration, was what was particularly appealing about this personality. That was what made the continuing soul of Miss Rettich, with whom we want to feel united, remain particularly close to us, insofar as we were lucky enough to be close to her during her lifetime.

What Mr. Barth was for the Kerningzweig in terms of his special individuality and way of working, some others here will be able to tell better than I can, because they will have much to say about what they owe to Mr. Barth. That a large circle was devoted to him with the most ardent love is widely known; that he spared no effort, left no strength ineffective, to work in the direction he recognized as the right one, that is what must live in lasting memory, what can act as an example beyond this memory, and what will underlie what many souls experienced in a living connection with this soul. What Mr. Barth was to his circle, it has been described by a member of this circle when our dear members parted from the earthly shell of this our dear friend, and we can honor the memory of him best when we never lose sight of the tremendously devoted nature of the cause and the personalities.

What is alive in my soul, and what I believe is alive in many souls as a result of the departure of dear Frau Dieterle, I tried to hint at with a few words this morning when we parted from the earthly shell of this dear friend. I felt I could touch on this occasion in particular how this soul was born out of contradictions, which united into the most beautiful harmony, as is always the case with true contradictions. I had to think of the broad interests in life into which this woman's karma had brought her. And above all, I had to think of the broad spiritual interests that were vividly present in my soul at this moment of mourning, the spirit of her husband, who had passed away long before her, the father of those left behind. I had to remember many a conversation with this man, which was always filled with the purest spiritual, impersonal spiritual interests, filled with what never actually took the point of reference to the personal. And in this moment we may remember this man entirely in the sense of our spiritual-scientific attitude, which lets us look in the spirit to the now to be taking place meeting of our friend with the soul that preceded her into the spiritual world. What she herself meant to me through the way she has always participated here for a long time in our work and life, that presented itself to me in the words that I said as a last farewell to our dear friend this morning and which I may perhaps repeat here, which were intended to express how the relationship of the soul, the spirit of this woman, presented itself to me:

Soul, arisen from the realm of mild strength,
In the struggle of earthly life, the rock bottom
For the inner depths of being
Bravely acquired,

In the search for the truth blessing
Genuine human goal,
And in noble human love
wanted to work meaningfully;

A spirit that in the vastness of life
strived for the depths of the soul,
and wanted to fathom the sources of true values of existence,

Who in the stream of life
always kindly offered what he had achieved for himself to other people benevolently and effectively:

You enter the soul's realm of light.
Look into the hearts of your children,
and into the souls of your friends,
look down to us,

How we would like to accompany you
with the soul step of love,
With the heartfelt word of loyalty,
Here from the place of mourning

To the heights where you can know
Our soul's sense not lost,
Where the light through the veil of death
Cannot be darkened.

To honor the memory of all our dear departed, we rise from our seats. And we think about how we gain strength when we remain firmly connected to the departed in spirit.

Dear Mourners!

Now that the solemn priestly ceremony for our dear 'friend Elisabeth Maier has been performed here, I would like to say a few words on behalf of the spiritual community to which the dearly departed belonged from the bottom of her heart, the dear, good soul.

Elisabeth Maier sought this spiritual community from the depths of her soul because she had an intimate affinity to spiritual being and spiritual work through her entire being, because she knew with human clarity, through the best forces that lived in her soul, how life in the spirit must always triumph over death in the material. Her soul sought the company of human souls united with her in this sacred conviction, united so completely that nothing could sever the bond that bound them together. They therefore also know that death is only a transition from one life to another. But that is why, beloved mourners, the pain and sorrow that such souls feel at the coffins of those who leave them remains in its full magnitude. The pain and sorrow are transfigured, but they are not diminished.

Therefore, in this moment of sorrow and grief, I may turn especially to the beloved mother of the dear ones who have passed away from us, to assure her that there is in the souls that were connected with the dear Elisabeth Maier, the deepest, most sincere and honest sorrow for those who can understand the feeling of life that can comprehend such pain and that expresses itself in the realization that one must say: You gave life to a dear being as a mother, and you had to watch her earthly life disappear earlier than you were able to lift yourself up into the spiritual realm.

And it is out of this deep shared pain that I turn to all the other brothers and sisters, to all the other relatives and to the wider community of sorrow and mourning that is united here. All of you, dear mourners, may in this case truly regard pain as the basis for beautiful, good, sacred feelings and thoughts that may and can accompany the soul now rising up. And on the basis of this genuine pain, but transfigured by our conviction, we may speak the words that are to be a vow to remain in further loyal connection with the soul departing from the earth.

Souls that were intimately connected here on earth with that which flows as spiritual life and spiritual uplift through the spiritual conviction in which Elisabeth Maier lived, of such souls it may be said that they already stepped into life, destined to seek the spirit again here on earth, from which they had descended from the spirit-filled breath of existence in the pre-earthly life, from the community in the spirit, the divine spirit that lives and weaves through the world. Such souls bear the spirit-sign here on earth. And such a soul was Elisabeth Maier. One could truly say of her: she was born of the spirit that was seized in God. And the power of this spirit led her to that spiritual knowledge and spiritual conviction that shone before her like an ideal that carried her like a strong soul. That, in particular, was something, my dear mourners, dear funeral party, that one could experience with our dear Elisabeth Maier, and what, in this hour, with a painful heart, but also, I would like to say, with great supplication, can be expressed here, justifying the dear soul. The spiritual ideal that Elisabeth Maier had set for herself from the depths of her soul was a lofty ideal. It was an ideal that required strong forces. In her always weak body, these forces called for spiritual strength. For a long time, these soulful eyes have looked out of the frail body, gazing so longingly towards her lofty ideal. That was the deeper soul basis of this physical suffering from which our Elisabeth Maier had been suffering for a long time. Her courage to face life wanted to falter, her will to live wanted to falter because she felt weak in the face of the greatness of her ideal. And human words were not strong enough to give her the courage to face life, to give her the strength to live that she needed. And so she died, in a sense also against her soul, against life in the eternal realms of existence, to which she now ascends from this earth. Precisely from the strength with which we were often met here, something like a lack of hope in life, will come to her that strong soul power that will now lead her on in the spirit. For in the last analysis, what sapped her vitality was rooted in her soul strength. She wanted to combine in the great ideal of the spiritual community, of which she was a member with such heartfelt devotion, everything that her soul could muster in the way of strength.

Because the strongest life forces for the soul come from this spiritual community, we stand, allowing this feeling to arise very gently and intimately in our soul, at the disappearing soul that is rising up, the soul of Elisabeth Maier.

We know, dear mourners, dear funeral guests, that through this strong power she has found communion with the one who descended from spiritual heights in intimate communion of spirit with humanity in order to unite with human destiny, who is the conqueror of death, who is the founder of eternal life in all people. We know, dear mourners, dear funeral guests, that she has found the Christ who guides the human souls that seek him through the portal of death, and we know that such souls, which look up to this spirit with such intimacy, find the spirit that reigns through all spaces and times. We know that the spirit of Elisabeth Maier, who is now fading from our lives, will find this spirit.

We will no longer see with her eyes. But we will want to unite our thoughts with her soul, our feelings with the feelings of her soul, our best human existence with her soul existence, and so we can assure those who are the next to grieve, her mother, siblings, other relatives and her spiritual kin, that all thoughts that rush up to the spiritual being Elisabeth Maier will unite with her soul in the future. All those who were intimately connected with her spirit within the spiritual community sought by Elisabeth Maier.

Just as those who were dear to her will find this precious soul up in the spiritual heights, so they will always find the thoughts of those to whom she was, to their sorrow, snatched from the earth all too soon. They will find her in the spiritual heights. And so today, with our soul ascending, we send up the thoughts that most intimately and warmly connected us with dear Elisabeth Maier. We send them up through the same paths that you take, spiritual paths, so that they will always find you. From the words of today's vow, we want to draw the strength that our thoughts connected with you will always seek you, so that you will find the community forever through all worlds in which human souls live through all transformations of existence in world distances and through all time spaces. This we want to vow to you today with your dear ones and those close to you for all time.