The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Wrocław-Koberwitz Conference, Waldorf School, Youth Longing

[ 1 ] In the last issue, I was only able to recount our Breslau and Koberwitz conference up to its penultimate day. The last day included the final meeting of the participants in the agricultural course, Marie Steiner's last language course lesson, and a social gathering of the course participants on the evening of June 16.

[ 2 ] In the last lecture, I supplemented what had been said about agriculture with some discussions on fruit growing, animal nutrition, forestry, pests in agriculture, and so-called plant diseases. Count Keyserlingk once again emphasized emphatically that the content of the lectures on agriculture should initially serve as working material for the newly formed community of farmers within the Anthroposophical Society. No announcements should be made about this until the members of this community wish to speak about the results of their experimental work. Those participants in the course who, as non-farmers interested in agriculture, had been allowed to listen, were therefore asked to regard what they had heard only as inspiration for themselves and not to report on it anywhere. When it comes to things that are intended from the outset to have an effect in practical life, such a measure is entirely justified. What anthroposophy has to say about agriculture will initially find its best possible care in the circle of agricultural experts; and it must be left to them, in association with the Natural Science Section at the Goetheanum, to proceed as they see fit.

[ 3 ] At the social gathering in the evening, Mr. v. Koschützky, who after a long and effective career in agriculture has become a priestly collaborator in the movement for Christian renewal, in which he now works, first spoke some warm closing words. Then Rector Bartsch thanked Mrs. Marie Steiner for her contribution to the conference. Count Keyserlingk had already taken it upon himself the evening before to point out the difficult financial situation of the Waldorf School and to encourage a collection among the course participants. On the last evening, he repeated this. In doing so, he drew attention to something that should be kept as strongly as possible in the consciousness of the members. And others should follow his example. For the Waldorf School is, after all, gaining recognition in ever wider circles in a very visible way. We have a student body of about eight hundred. Most of the grades work in two parallel classes; for the fifth and sixth grades, we even had to establish three parallel classes each. The number of teachers working at this institution must be continuously increased. We can no longer accept all applicants who want to attend the Waldorf School. And despite this deeply satisfying situation, the school is the subject of grave financial concern. In the coming months, we will be faced with the fact that we do not know how to maintain the school unless its friends provide us with even more financial support than they have done so far. First of all, a member of our society who is always willing to make sacrifices has come forward and provided us with some of the missing funds. However, even this does not cover the shortfall we will have in the coming months. Friends can help either by making contributions, by recruiting members for the Waldorf School Association, or by sponsoring children whose parents cannot afford the school fees. You can contact the Waldorf School Association office for more details on how you can help. The collection suggested by Count Keyserlingk at the conference in Breslau was the most successful one-time collection ever. But we are dependent on the example set here being followed at every opportunity within the Anthroposophical Society. For only in this way will it be possible to continue the Waldorf School, whose work began with such high hopes and is developing so promisingly.

[ 4 ] A number of younger members of our society also took part in the agricultural course. At the end of the conference, they felt the need to gather their circle together. This took place in the early hours of the morning of June 17. From the bottom of their hearts, these younger friends spoke of their longing to approach, in their creative work, the insights from the spiritual realm that connect human beings with the effective forces of nature. It was an expression from the depths of the soul of youth, which wants to move beyond the barren materialism that does not connect with nature but separates man from it and condemns his work to barrenness. At this youth gathering, I was able to point out the paths along which this longing should move in order to reach a goal.

[ 5 ] I do not want to conclude this account without briefly repeating what I already said during the social gathering. The satisfying progress of our movement in Silesia is closely linked to the long-standing, energetic, and insightful work of Rector Bartsch. For many years, through his writings and his always impressive words, he has done for the cause of anthroposophy what only one person can do. The society owes him a great deal. I felt the need to express at the social gathering in Breslau how beneficial I have always found it that my work has received such strong and continuous support from him.

Further guiding principles sent out by the Anthroposophical Society from the Goetheanum

[ 6 ] 56. The epoch of existence between death and new birth, in which human karma is formed, can only be described on the basis of the results of spiritual research. But it must always be borne in mind that this representation is plausible to reason. Reason need only consider the nature of sensory reality impartially, and it will realize that this points to something spiritual just as the form of a corpse points to the life that dwells within it.

[ 7 ] 57. The results of Spiritual Science show that between death and birth, human beings belong to the spiritual realm just as they belong to the three realms of nature—the mineral, plant, and animal realms—between birth and death.

[ 8 ] 58. The mineral kingdom can be recognized in the present form of the human being, the plant kingdom as the etheric body is the basis of his becoming and growing, the animal kingdom as the astral body is the impulse for the development of feeling and will. The crowning of conscious feeling and will life in self-aware spiritual life makes the connection between human beings and the spiritual world immediately apparent.

(Continued in the next issue.)