The Christmas Conference
GA 260
Part II. The Proceedings of the Conference
28 December 1923 10:00 a.m., Dornach
IX. Continuation of the Foundation Meeting
BEFORE the lecture, Dr Steiner makes some announcements regarding arrangements:
My dear friends!
Before opening today's meeting I must ask your forgiveness for yesterday's unpleasantness about access to the hall and having to wait outside. I do beg your forgiveness for this most annoying incident which, however, was truly the consequence of a whole sequence of misunderstandings. From now on we shall make sure that our friends will find the doors open here half an hour before any meeting. I am also doing my best to have two more radiators put in tonight so that it will no longer be quite so cold in the outer room. It is really difficult in this primitive accommodation to create conditions which are satisfactory for everybody. Please believe me when I say that the conditions are the least satisfactory of all for the Vorstand and myself. Let us hope that we can avoid too much trouble in the coming days.
Now may I ask Herr Stuten to speak. He is going to give us the pleasure of a lecture about the element of music in spiritual life.
Herr Stuten gives his lecture on music and the spiritual world.
After a fifteen-minute break the debate on the Statutes continues. Dr Steiner opens with the following words:
My dear friends! Today once again I shall speak the words which are to give us the foundation for our present work as well as for our continued work outside:
Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the limbs
Which bear thee through the world of space
In the spirit's ocean-being.
Practise spirit-recalling
In depths of soul,
Where in the wielding will
Of world-creating
Thine own I
Comes to being
Within God's I.
And thou wilt truly live
In the World-Being of Man.For the Father-Spirit of the heights holds sway
In depths of worlds begetting being.Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the beat of heart and lung
Which leads thee through the rhythm of time
Into the realm of thine own soul's feeling.
Practise spirit-awareness
In balance of the soul,
Where the surging deeds
Of the world's becoming
Thine own I
Unite
With the World-I.
And thou wilt truly feel
In the Soul-Weaving of Man.For the Christ-Will in the encircling round holds sway
In the rhythms of the worlds, bestowing grace on the soul.Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the resting head
Which from the grounds of eternity
Opens to thee the world-thoughts.
Practise spirit-beholding
In stillness of thought,
Where the eternal aims of Gods
World-Being's
Light
On thine own I
Bestow
For thy free willing.
And thou wilt truly think
In the Spirit-Foundations of Man.For the world-thoughts of the Spirit hold sway
In the being of worlds, craving for light.
Now, dear friends, let us once more inscribe the inner rhythm into our souls, the rhythm that can show us closely how these very words resound out of the rhythm of the universe.
The first verse:
Practise spirit-recalling
This is the activity that can be accomplished within one's own soul. It corresponds to what out there in the great universe is expressed in the words:
For the Father-Spirit of the heights holds sway
In depths of worlds begetting being.
The second is:
Practise spirit-awareness
That is the process within, which is answered out there in the universe by:
For the Christ-Will in the encircling round holds sway
In the rhythms of the worlds, bestowing grace on the soul.
The third is:
Practise spirit-beholding
From out there comes the answer:
For the world-thoughts of the Spirit hold sway
In the being of worlds, craving for light.
DR STEINER: We shall now continue our meeting with a discussion of Paragraph 4 of the Statutes. Would Dr Wachsmuth please read Paragraph 4.
Paragraph 4 is read by Dr Wachsmuth:
‘4. The Anthroposophical Society is in no sense a secret society, but is entirely public. Anyone can become a member, without regard to nationality, social standing, religion, scientific or artistic conviction, who considers as justified the existence of an institution such as the Goetheanum in Dornach, in its capacity as a School of Spiritual Science. The Anthroposophical Society rejects any kind of sectarian activity. Party politics it considers not to be within its task.’
DR STEINER: Mr Collison has applied to speak first.
MR COLLISON: Please pardon me, as a very old member, for saying a few words about the Statutes. We have now come to point 4. I believe that it cannot be our intention to improve on these Statutes. Dr Steiner has put so much effort into them and they are truly all-embracing. It seems to me that any debate on the various points should serve the purpose solely of asking any questions there might be about the meaning or the extent of any of them.
(Lengthy applause.)
DR STEINER: Who would like to speak about Paragraph 4?
The suggestion is made that the Statutes should be adopted by acclamation.
DR STEINER: Yes, but I still have to ask whether anybody would like to speak to Paragraph 4. This Paragraph is in the main concerned with the fact that quite soon we shall be presenting the Anthroposophical Society to the world as an entirely public society. And everything that can contain the esoteric element, despite this public character, will be ensured by Paragraph 5 and subsequent Paragraphs.
May I ask once more who would like to speak to Paragraph 4 of the Statutes? There seems to be nobody. So will those friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 4 please raise their hands. (They do.) Who is in favour of rejecting Paragraph 4? (No hands are raised.) Paragraph 4 is adopted at the second reading.
Would Herr Wachsmuth please read Paragraph 5 of the Statutes.
Paragraph 5 is read out:
‘5. The Anthroposophical Society sees the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach as a centre for its activity. The School will be composed of three Classes. Members of the Society will be admitted to the School on their own application after a period of membership to be determined by the leadership at the Goetheanum. They enter in this way the First Class of the School of Spiritual Science. Admission to the Second or Third Class takes place when the person requesting this is deemed eligible by the leadership at the Goetheanum.’
DR STEINER: Now, my dear friends, the purpose of this Paragraph is to enable the soul which naturally belongs to the Anthroposophical Society and which can be given to it in the Goetheanum at Dornach, to be given to it indeed in the near future. This Paragraph of the Statutes is intended to make members, or those who still want to become members, conscious of the fact that in the Goetheanum we are given the soul of the Anthroposophical Movement. This will make it possible for the esoteric impulses that ought to be given to the Anthroposophical Society to actually be given to it. We shall make progress if you endeavour to penetrate to the spirit of this fifth Paragraph.
I would only like to say a few things about how I see the constitution of the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach, at the Goetheanum, in the future. Those who have sojourned and worked within the Anthroposophical Society for some time have had the opportunity of realizing quite well that in the matter of advancing in the schooling by stages it will more and more be a question not merely of intellectual capacities, least of all the type of intellectual and empirical schooling customary in the outside world except where absolutely necessary in respect of specialist knowledge. An important role will have to be played by the capacities that lie in the feelings and in those of direct perception of the esoteric and the occult, and by moral qualities and so on. The fundamental feature of what will be at work with regard to the three Classes, which are built on the foundation of the Anthroposophical Society, which in its turn is entirely public—this fundamental feature in the working of the three Classes will be, of course, the spiritual-scientific content. But for this very reason it will be necessary for us to present the working of the School of Spiritual Science before the world in a way that shows how it can inspire the various realms of civilization, of knowledge, of art and so on. Here, too, from the start, we must not allow ourselves to think along any given lines. What is meant by thinking along a given line? To think along a given line would be to say: The School of Spiritual Science must be divided up in accordance with a concept or an idea such as a logical division into the first Section, the second Section, the third, the fourth, the fifth Section and so on. This can be nicely thought out.
What is usually the consequence of such a way of thinking? It is a structure that lies in the realm of Cloud-cuckoo-land. And on top of that, this structure has to be administered! So then you start hunting for suitable people, you look around all over the place for people who have to fit into the first, the second, the third Section, and finally they are somehow juggled in by means of some sort of election or something. Usually what then becomes apparent is that they settle as though into a chrysalis in their particular department in the scheme; they creep into their chrysalis, but no butterfly emerges. So let us not proceed in an abstract way. Let us start by taking the activities that are already going on and put together the Sections out of the existing facts. Let us take what is already there. You see, dear friends, the management of what has to be administered, including what has to be administered in the highest spiritual sense in the different realms, cannot be carried out by just anybody who might be called and who might not even live here permanently. Is it not so that if more is to be done than merely talking about work, if the work itself is actually to be done with full responsibility, then firstly each one doing the work must be constantly available for all the others, and secondly the leadership as a whole must be accessible at any time to those who are responsible. That is why simply out of spiritual empiricism I thought that the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach should be led by me with regard to all esoteric matters and that I should be supported in this leadership by those people who have shared spiritually in the work of bringing about the building of the Anthroposophical Movement.
What I am now going to say therefore arises naturally out of the situation in Dornach at the moment. First of all it will fall to me to maintain an overall view and to administer the School as a whole, while also taking on the leadership of the general anthroposophical and pedagogical aspects.
I would carry out the leadership of the other aspects by placing at the head of the different Sections those persons who are in a position, from what has gone before, to run a particular branch of the work of the Anthroposophical Movement.
Out of this there would arise: Firstly—I have mentioned it already—what in France is called ‘belles-lettres.’ I don't know whether the expression is still used. No? What a pity! In Germany they spoke of ‘schöne Wissenschaften’ up to the nineteenth century, and then the term lapsed. The ‘beautiful sciences’, sciences which brought beauty into human knowledge, aesthetics, art. How typical that even in France the expression ‘belles-lettres’ is no longer used!
SOMEONE CALLS OUT: ‘Académie des lettres!’
Yes, but the ‘belles’ has been left out! And it is just this aspect with which I am concerned. We have plenty of sciences, but where are the ‘beautiful sciences’? I don't know what those of you gathered here, especially the younger members, intent on science, think about the matter, but here in Dornach we link up not only with more recent times but also with most ancient past times. Therefore we may, and indeed must, create a Section for the field that in France used to be called ‘belles-lettres’ and in Germany is called ‘schöne Wissenschaften.’ Perhaps we shall have to give it a less unaccustomed name for the world at large, but so far I haven't found one. And once again I have to say that it is perfectly obvious that there is a person here who could not be more suitable as the leader of this Section, and that is our dear friend Albert Steffen who will most certainly do nothing in this realm which is not most eminently suited to the spiritual-scientific Movement as it is intended to take its start here from Dornach. (Lively applause.)
Then there is the realm of the spoken arts together with music and eurythmy. Once again there is a person on whom the choice falls quite naturally, so there is no need for me to say a great deal. My leadership of this realm will be through Frau Dr Steiner as the Section Leader. (Lively applause.)
Another department to be created here is a Section for the natural sciences themselves. You know that our attitude to the natural sciences is such that we seek in them something extremely profound and that it is most urgent for us to metamorphose the way they are treated nowadays into something quite different. You will see from a work of literature which is almost ready at the printer that our dear friend, Dr Guenther Wachsmuth, has devoted himself enthusiastically to this metamorphosis of natural science. Therefore we shall most fruitfully be able to entrust the department for the natural sciences to Dr Guenther Wachsmuth. (Applause.)
In connection with this will be a department which must be cultivated especially carefully because always in times when true spiritual knowledge has been striven for its field has been not so much a chapter of spiritual science as rather something quite organically linked with spiritual science. It is impossible to imagine that in olden times the spiritual vision, the spiritual knowledge given to mankind could have been separated in any way from the medical element. It will be seen in the work which Frau Dr Wegman has been doing with me here, which is soon to be made public, how not only a synthesis but an organic development can arise for a true anthroposophical view of the world. Once more, therefore, it is as a matter of course that the administration of the medical department, the Medical Section, should be conducted through me with the help of the Section Leader Frau Dr Wegman. (Applause.)
Now my dear friends, if you call to mind the old Goetheanum, and if you call to mind the beautiful words spoken about it today by our friend Herr Stuten in his excellent lecture, then you will see that the sculptural or plastic arts, too, have played a great role here. They will have to go on playing this role in future, so we shall certainly need a Section for the Sculptural Arts. You know that for years Miss Maryon has been at my side in carrying out the sculptural arts for the Goetheanum. Most unfortunately she is unable to take part in this gathering as she is suffering from a long illness which has prevented her even from stepping over here to take part. But I hope that after a while, when she is well again, she will be able to devote herself to the work of which I am now speaking. I shall carry out all that needs to be done here by way of sculpture and in the realm of the sculptural arts through the leader of this Section, Miss Maryon. (Applause.)
And there is another person who has marked out her territory in the world so clearly that whenever advice or help is needed in the realm of mathematics and astronomy it comes from her. You, and especially those resident in Dornach, can see from the content of my most recent lectures, including those given here before the last cycle, how necessary it is, especially in the field of astronomy, to go back to the more ancient conceptions. If you consider a small note in my memoires which are now appearing in Das Goetheanum—just at the beginning of the article coming out this evening52No. 21 of 30 December 1923 on Rudolf Steiner's relationship to geometry. Now Chapter One of Rudolf Steiner The Course of my Life, op.cit.—you will see how very profound are the reasons for the motto over Plato's Academy: ‘God geometrizes’. And indeed it is only possible to penetrate Platonic instruction—I am speaking of Platonic instruction and not spiritual-scientific instruction—by means of mathematics. Everything which needs to be put straight in this field must be put straight. And I believe that you will be as enthusiastic as you were in the other cases when I tell you that in the future I shall let this area be tended through Fräulein Dr Vreede as the Section Leader. (Applause.)
My dear friends! If I had divided up these Sections according to ideas, no doubt there would have been others too, but the people would have been lacking here in Dornach who could have seen to what was necessary in accordance with all the fundamental conditions. You may believe me that whereas the Statutes are the fruit of four weeks' consideration, the announcements I have just made are based on the experience of years. So this is how things will have to stand.
Later on, when we come to include the Vorstand in the Statutes, I shall speak on this final point of the Statutes and tell you how I see the relationship between the Collegium of Section Leaders, who administer the School, and the Vorstand, which bears the initiative for the leadership of the Anthroposophical Society.
Now would anyone wishing to speak to Paragraph 5 of the Statutes please do so. (Nobody does.) Mr Collison's words appear to be having a remarkably muting effect!
HERR INGERÖ: Respected friends! Just a brief question: In Paragraph 5 does the statement ‘a period of membership determined by the leadership at the Goetheanum’ refer to an individual period or will it be general?
DR STEINER: It will be entirely individual. You must consider how it will arise. Of your own free will you become a member of the Anthroposophical Society, or you are one already and have been for some time. For most of you sitting here the conditions are already fulfilled. But it also says here ‘on their own application’. This means that you express your will to become a member of the School. And then the leadership of the Goetheanum decides whether this is possible at the present moment or not until some future moment. This is how this matter will be dealt with in practice.
Would anyone else like to speak to Paragraph 5? If not, will those who wish to adopt Paragraph 5 please raise their hands. (They do.) Will those who do not wish to accept it please raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 5 is herewith adopted at the second reading.
Please would you now read Paragraph 6.
Dr Wachsmuth reads Paragraph 6 of the Statutes:
‘6. Every member of the Anthroposophical Society has the right to attend all lectures, performances and meetings arranged by the Society, under conditions to be announced by the Vorstand.’
DR STEINER: My dear friends! You may perhaps be brought up short by the clause: ‘under conditions to be announced by the Vorstand.’ I considered it for a long time. I said to myself that the most natural formulation for this sentence would be: ‘Every member of the Anthroposophical Society has the right to attend all lectures, performances and meetings arranged by the Society.’ It could indeed have been left like this. But then in principle we should have been unable to do what unfortunately we do have to do. We would not, for example, have been able to fix the price of tickets for the different events. This is the kind of conditions meant. In fact the thought uppermost in my mind was the price of tickets. It is dreadful, is it not, to have this thought uppermost in one's mind. But it cannot be avoided. For just as human beings cannot live on air alone, so is it also not possible to exist with the Anthroposophical Movement if our idealism does not occasionally reach for our wallet. Other similar conditions might also arise. But I cannot help finding it necessary to lay down in this Paragraph this matter of conditions of entry which refer to the public aspect of the Society. Does anyone wish to speak to Paragraph 6? (Nobody does.) Mr Collison really is a magician! Does anyone want to speak to Paragraph 6? If not, will those dear friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 6 at the second reading please raise their hands. (They do.)
Will those friends who do not wish to do so raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 6 is adopted at the second reading. (Applause.)
Will Dr Wachsmuth now please read Paragraph 7.
Paragraph 7 is read:
‘7. The organizing of the School of Spiritual Science is, to begin with, the responsibility of Rudolf Steiner, who will appoint his collaborators and his possible successor.’
DR STEINER: I have just been telling you how I see the leadership of the School. And I have nothing more in particular to say to this Paragraph. Will those respected friends who wish to speak to this Paragraph please do so. Does anyone want to speak to Paragraph 7? It seems not. So will those friends who wish to adopt Paragraph 7 at the second reading please raise their hands. (They do.) Will those who do not wish to adopt it please raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 7 is adopted at the second reading.
Now will Dr Wachsmuth please read Paragraph 8.
Paragraph 8 is read:
‘8. All publications of the Society shall be public, in the same sense as are those of other public societies. The publications of the School of Spiritual Science will form no exception as regards this public character; however, the leadership of the School reserves the right to deny in advance the validity of any judgment on these publications which is not based on the same training from which they have been derived. Consequently they will regard as justified no judgment which is not based on an appropriate preliminary training, as is also the common practice in the recognized scientific world. Thus the publications of the School of Spiritual Science will bear the following note: “Printed as manuscript for members of the School of Spiritual Science, Goetheanum, ... Class. No one is considered competent to judge the content, who has not acquired—through the School itself or in a manner recognized by the School as equivalent—the requisite preliminary knowledge. Other opinions will be disregarded, to the extent that the authors of such works will not enter into a discussion about them.” ’
DR STEINER: My dear friends! With this I have attempted to put into practice something about which I have been thinking—if you would like to know a definite point in time—since the year 1913 before the laying of the foundation stone of the Gaetheanum. We must be clear about the fact that it is quite likely that a movement such as the Anthroposophical Movement will create a society to be its bearer which in some form smacks of sectarianism. You cannot really blame such people who take part in a society of that kind, for you know how great a tendency towards sectarianism coming from ancient atavistic impulses people still carry within them. Often they do not realize it, but people do bear sectarian impulses within themselves. Thus it has come about that amid what I might call the somewhat tumultuous arrangements for the printing of the cycles something has entered the Society, with regard to the way these matters are dealt with, which does make a sectarian impression. For it is incomprehensible to people in their modern consciousness that it is possible to print a number of copies of something, a number exceeding one hundred, and then to want to hide it within some sort of community. You just can't do this. In some fields it would indeed be fruitful to hide certain things, but it is not carried out. In the year 1888 I once spoke with the well-known philosopher, Eduard von Hartmann,53Eduard von Hartmann, 1842–1906. Philosophie des Unbewussten. Versuch einer Weltanschauung, (Philosophy of the Unconscious), Berlin 1896. See also Rudolf Steiner The Course of my Life, op.cit. especially Chapter Nine. whose field concerned the unconscious, about how few people there are who read books about the theory of knowledge, even though 500 and even sometimes 1000 copies are printed. Eduard von Hartmann said that one ought to disseminate not more than 60-70 copies, for there were only 60-70 people who could really understand the theory of knowledge. I am referring to the theory of knowledge which Eduard von Hartmann was just preparing. I believe, though, that in my own little book on the theory of knowledge, The Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethes World Conception54See Rudolf Steiner A Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World Conception. Fundamental Outlines with Special Reference to Schiller, Anthroposophic Press, New York 1940. GA 2.—it has just appeared in a new edition—that I have contributed something in this field which everybody can read. However, I do believe that it is not possible to carry out the principle of keeping something secret once it has been put into print. In practice it has proved impossible. After all, we now have a situation in which our enemies are far more quick to speak in public about a new publication than are the anthroposophists themselves. Facts such as these have to be taken into account. We can only make progress with our great aims if on the other hand we take into account this spirit of the age. This spirit of the age cannot tolerate external secrets, but it can quite well tolerate internal secrets. For the really esoteric anthroposophical writings will still remain a very, very great secret for people for a long time to come. And externally we do not need to keep things physically secret if we can keep them private morally by working towards a recognition on the part of the world at large that, as with any other field of knowledge, there are boundaries between experts and non-experts. In dealing with the non-experts it must always be possible for us to point out that their judgment is comparable to the judgment of a peasant on differential calculus. If we work on this basis, we shall after a while—not straight away—succeed in solving the matter of the cycles in appropriate fashion. As I said, I have been thinking about this question for ten years and now a solution had to be found. This moral solution is the only one I can think of. After ‘All publications of the Society shall be public, in the same sense as are those of other public societies’ I want to add ‘The conditions under which one acquires a spiritual training have also been made public, and they shall continue to be presented publicly’. This is to be added in the form of a note in order to avoid the misunderstanding that was pointed out yesterday. I must of course reserve the possibility of perhaps improving the style of the imprint that is to go in the publications. Perhaps after ‘Printed as manuscript for members of the School of Spiritual Science, Goetheanum, ...’ should be added ‘but fully available to everyone’ or something like that. We shall see. It will have to be finalized very soon because the stamp to be used on the cycles that have already been printed, or are about to be printed, will have to be made up so that we can put the whole thing into practice as soon as possible once we have brought the Anthroposophical Society into being through our Conference here. Now, may I ask who would like to speak to Paragraph 8?
DR BÜCHENBACHER: Instead of ‘erkannt’ in the penultimate sentence, should it not say ‘anerkannt’?
DR STEINER: Yes, of course. It's a printer's error.AThe difference has no bearing on the translation of this sentence into English.(Tr.)
DR BÜCHENBACHER: May I ask whether the cycles which have already been in the possession of members for years are to be treated as publications of the School of Spiritual Science?
DR STEINER: All the cycles. In confronting the consciousness of our time we can do no other than make these measures applicable to all the cycles. This matter will mean that there will have to be a certain amount of piety among members, too. It is not a suggestion that they should sell off the cycles in their possession as quickly as possible to a second-hand bookseller.
FRÄULEIN SIMON: Does this also apply to all the publications similar to the cycles? Will they also have this note imprinted or stamped in them?
DR STEINER: On the whole it will apply only to the cycles and those publications which are equal to the cycles.
HERR WERBECK: What about the national economy course given here? Does that count as a cycle?
DR STEINER: The matter is somewhat different regarding the few works which have not actually been published by me or by the anthroposophical publishing company but which a particular circle has been given permission to print. In one way I am quite grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to speak about this rather vexed question. In the case of these papers it should be a matter of course that they are only to be used by those who have been permitted to do so. This national economy course is one, and the medical course is another, and so on. If they were to be published more widely, the author's rights would have to be returned to me. If we were planning to transform these papers into the form given to the cycles bearing this note, they would have to be returned to me, and they could only be brought out by the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag as cycles published bearing this note. The customary author's rights would have to be considered in such a case. Does anyone else wish to speak to this Paragraph?
DR KOLISKO: Regarding what Dr Steiner has just said I should like to say the following: I would be very happy to give the specialist courses, the three scientific courses which Dr Steiner gave in Stuttgart, and also the medical course, back to the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag because I am convinced that it would be better if all these publications were to be brought out by the School of Spiritual Science if Dr Steiner has this in mind. This is what I wanted to say about this vexed question.
DR STEINER: Does anyone else wish to speak to Paragraph 8?
HERR LEINHAS: It says here ‘the authors of such works will not enter into a discussion about them’. Does this mean that the intention is that members of the School belonging to a particular Class shall not enter into a discussion with others?
DR STEINER: Yes, of course.
HERR GOYERT: I want to ask whether it is intended that the note to be put in the cycles is also to be put in the copies that are already in the possession of members?
DR STEINER: In the Supplement to Das Goetheanum we shall appeal to members who possess such copies to write this note in their copies themselves. And as regards the copies still in stock, they will all have the note stamped in them. Every cycle, regardless of whether it came into being in the past or is yet to come into being in the future, will bear this note.
DR PEIPERS: Would it not be desirable, in order to avoid misunderstandings, to state in a note that the specialist scientific courses are included among the publications?
DR STEINER: What kind of misunderstanding is likely to arise? You cannot include something ephemeral in a statute. I mean it is impossible to say in a statute: ‘To avoid a misunderstanding’—about something that is obvious, and then expect it to refer, let us say for example, to the medical course. It is obvious that the medical course was given subject to certain conditions. And if it was given subject to these conditions, then, should it be published, it will be returned to me. I find this a matter of course. We should have to include an awful lot in the Statutes that does not belong there if we were to mention all kinds of things which are customary. I do not think this sort of thing belongs in the Statutes.
MR KAUFMANN: In future are we to advise new members to read the cycles even though they do not yet belong to the corresponding Class of the School?
DR STEINER: This is an entirely individual and personal matter. It is of course not possible to issue directives about it. There will be new members to whom it will be quite suitable to recommend the reading of the cycles, since they will be publicly available, and there will be others for whom this advice will not be suitable; the latter will then either abide by the advice or they will read them anyway. I think it is extremely difficult to give directives about this, and I have had some strange experiences in this connection. For instance I made the acquaintance of a branch55See Rudolf Steiner's letters to Marie Steiner-von Sivers of 18 and 20 February 1911 in Correspondence and Documents. Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner von Sivers, op cit. which even went to the extent of advising its members whether or not they should read this book or that book. Some people who were already members were not even allowed to read my book Theosophy because it was thought to be unsuitable for them. Well, it was up to these members themselves whether they found the leader of this group to be such an authority that they were prepared to stand to attention even in their souls! Or else they did not. You cannot issue generalized directives.
MADEMOISELLE SAUERWEIN: Will the cycles be published in the accustomed form or will they then be available from bookshops?
DR STEINER: The cycles will be published by the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag, but the route by which they make their way to those who possess copies will of course depend on those people themselves. If they want to order them by some means through the book trade—we shall of course not offer terms for them, as the expression goes—if someone wants to order a cycle from a bookseller, we shall have no objection to fulfilling the order. That is quite customary.
FRAU MUNTZ: If outsiders ask us to give them a cycle, should we do so?
DR STEINER: This has hitherto gone on to such an extent that I would not know how it could be prevented. Only by strictly emphasising the public nature of everything can we get beyond what smacks of sectarianism. Is there anyone else who would like to speak to Paragraph 8 of the Statutes? If not, then I shall now put this Paragraph to the vote. Will those friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 8 at the second reading please raise their hands. (They do.) Now will those friends who are against it please raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 8 has been adopted at the second reading.
Would Dr Wachsmuth now please read Paragraph 9.
Paragraph 9 is read out:
‘9. The purpose of the Anthroposophical Society will be the furtherance of spiritual research; that of the School of Spiritual Science will be this research itself. A dogmatic stand in any field whatsoever is to be excluded from the Anthroposophical Society.’
DR STEINER: It seems to me that the content of this Paragraph is easily understood. I would only like to point out that it is not a repetition of what has been said in earlier Paragraphs but that it is necessary because it states the purpose of the Anthroposophical Society, namely the furtherance of spiritual research, that is in so far as it is cultivated at the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach. And it has to be stressed that anything dogmatic is excluded from the administration of the Anthroposophical Society.
Does anyone wish to speak to this Paragraph 9? If not, will those friends who wish to adopt Paragraph 9 at the second reading please raise their hands. (They do.) Now will those friends who are against it raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 9 is thus adopted at the second reading.
Now we come to Paragraph 10. Will Dr Wachsmuth please read out Paragraph 10.
Paragraph 10 is read out:
‘10. The Anthroposophical Society shall hold a regular General Meeting at the beginning of the year at the Goetheanum, at which time the Vorstand shall present a full report with accounting. The agenda for this meeting shall be communicated by the Vorstand to all members, together with the invitation, three weeks before the meeting. The Vorstand may call special meetings and fix the agenda for them. Invitations to such meetings shall be sent to members three weeks in advance. Motions proposed by individual members or groups of members shall be submitted one week before the General Meeting.’
DR STEINER: Does anyone wish to speak to this Paragraph 10? My endeavour has been to say as much as is necessary in the Statutes.
HERR HOHLENBERG: I would like to ask whether this General Meeting has to take place at the beginning of the year or whether another time can be chosen?
DR STEINER: I am not capriciously attached to the beginning of the year if it is enough for you not to have the guarantee of being able to count on a particular time so that the meeting might sometimes be in January and sometimes in December. Would this suffice? We do not want to arrange any of these things in an abstract way and we will try to put out our feelers here and there. If you think it is enough, we can say: ‘The Anthroposophical Society shall hold a regular General Meeting each year at the Goetheanum.’ I only included it because I thought that not stating the time of the meeting would meet with contradiction.
DR KOLISKO: I am in favour of leaving it in.
DR STEINER: Why?
DR KOLISKO: Because after having had many conversations I have come to realize that very many friends attach great value to the meeting taking place at Christmas time when this Christmas Conference itself is taking place.
DR STEINER: Perhaps it would be better to state it as a general wish without including it in the Statutes. Such things can be arranged in a different way.
When we have finished the discussion on the Statutes I shall be announcing to you that the Vorstand—I hope it will still be possible during this Conference—will be presenting you with By-Laws as well. These will include a number of subsidiary points which do not belong in the Statutes. The Statutes should be composed in a way that makes it possible for anybody to read them in about a quarter of an hour, with five minutes to spare in which to think about them. So I am eager to make these Statutes as brief as possible. They must be so short that there is no room in them for any special points. So I think it will be quite alright to leave this out. Does anyone else wish to speak?
HERR DONNER: In connection with this point it would be good to consider whether the national Societies should hold their General Meetings first, before the General Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society. Would it be practical for this to be done every time?
DR STEINER: It would indeed be quite practical if it could become customary for the national Societies to hold their meetings first, in which they would nominate their delegates for the meeting here, after which they would hold another meeting to report on what had gone on here. This would perhaps be the best custom if it comes about.
MRS MERRY: I do not think three weeks are enough for the invitation.
DR STEINER: Very well, let us say six weeks. I have already said in the Vorstand that it could be six weeks. There is also another sentence to be added. The sentence I want to add here is: ‘A certain number of members, to be determined from time to time in the By-Laws, has the right to request a special General Meeting at any time.’ The possibility for this must also be left open.
HERR LEINHAS: I only want to recommend that the time for calling a special meeting should remain at three weeks; for the General Meeting itself six weeks, for the special meeting a shorter period.
DR STEINER: Very well. Three weeks can be made to suffice for the special meeting. Would anyone else like to speak to Paragraph 10? It seems not. So may I ask those friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 10 to raise their hands. (They do.) Please will those who are against it raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 10 is adopted.
Will Dr Wachsmuth please read Paragraph 11.
Paragraph 11 is read out:
‘11. Members may join together in smaller or larger groups on any basis of locality or subject. The headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society is at the Goetheanum. From there the Vorstand shall bring to the attention of the members or groups of members what it considers to be the task of the Society. The Vorstand communicates with officials elected or appointed by the various groups. Admission of members will be the concern of the individual groups; the certificate of membership shall, however, be placed before the Vorstand in Dornach, and shall be signed by them out of their confidence in the officials of the groups. In general, every member should join a group. Only those for whom it is quite impossible to find entry to a group should apply directly to Dornach for membership.’
DR STEINER: Does anyone wish to speak on this point? Naturally this point in particular can be explained further in the By-Laws. What is included here need not be said in general. This Paragraph shows how admissions are to be handled and everything else is a matter of general custom, which there is indeed no harm in changing from time to time.
Does anyone wish to speak to Paragraph 11? Seemingly not. So may I ask those friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 11 to raise their hands. (They do.) Now will those friends who are in favour of rejecting Paragraph 11 raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 11 is thus adopted at the second reading.
Would Dr Wachsmuth now please read Paragraph 12.
Paragraph 12 is read out:
‘12. Membership dues shall be fixed by the individual groups; each group shall, however, submit ... for each of its members to the central leadership of the Society at the Goetheanum.’
DR STEINER: I would now ask you for the moment not to discuss the amount to be inserted here. It will be considered to start with after the Vorstand has made suggestions at the meeting of the General Secretaries tomorrow morning at 8.30. What the General Secretaries consider to be possible and necessary can then be reported at the subsequent meeting of members. I would ask you to accept this Paragraph in its overall sense. Does anyone wish to speak? If not, will those friends who accept Paragraph 12 in this sense please raise their hands. (They do.) Will those friends who wish to reject Paragraph 12 raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 12 is adopted at the second reading.
Would Dr Wachsmuth now read Paragraph 13.
Paragraph 13 is read out:
‘13. Each working group formulates its own statutes, but these must not be incompatible with the Statutes of the Anthroposophical Society.’
DR STEINER: Does anyone wish to speak to Paragraph 13?—I think it is as obvious as anything could be. May I then ask those friends who adopt Paragraph 13 to raise their hands. (They do.) Will those friends who wish to reject Paragraph 13 raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 13 is adopted at the second reading.
Would Dr Wachsmuth now read Paragraph 14.
Paragraph 14 is read out:
‘14. The organ of the Society is Das Goetheanum, which for this purpose is provided with a Supplement containing the official communications of the Society. This enlarged edition of Das Goetheanum will be supplied to members of the Anthroposophical Society only.’
DR STEINER: I have already spoken about this Paragraph 14 and would now ask those friends who wish to speak to it to do so. Does anyone wish to speak to Paragraph 14?
QUESTION: Will Das Goetheanum be available from Switzerland only?
DR STEINER: We will adopt as a custom whatever will be most practical in the circumstances. An arrangement has already been made with the German section, in whose case it will be distributed from Stuttgart. Obviously we shall do whatever is most practical in any given circumstances.
A SPEAKER: To make things quite clear it ought to say: ‘The organ of the Society is the weekly Das Goetheanum’.
DR STEINER: The weekly. Very well. Does anyone else wish to speak?
HERR GOYERT: If the weekly is changed into a different kind of journal, then this will no longer be correct.
DR STEINER: Let us hope that this will not be the case. Perhaps it will be quite a good thing if we have a means of keeping the weekly journal as it is, and not changing it. Does anyone else wish to speak? If not, will those friends who are in favour of adopting Paragraph 14 please raise their hands. (They do.) Please would those not in favour raise their hands. (Nobody does.) Paragraph 14 is adopted at the second reading.
Now we have to add a fifteenth Paragraph:
‘At the Foundation Meeting at Christmas 1923 the constitution of the Founding Vorstand will be:
Rudolf Steiner as President
Albert Steffen as Vice-president
Frau Dr Wegman as Recording Secretary
Dr Guenther Wachsmuth as Secretary and Treasurer
Frau Dr Steiner as a member
Fräulein Dr Vreede as a member.’
Now I still want to mention that this is to be the Vorstand responsible for the Society but that for all matters pertaining to the leadership of the soul of the Anthroposophical Society, namely the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum, the relevant meetings and consultations shall also be attended by those Section Leaders who are not members of the Vorstand. At the moment all the Section Leaders except one are also members of the Vorstand. Does anybody wish to speak to this point? It says: The total Vorstand is ‘formed’, which is an indication of the fact that it is neither elected nor nominated but that it is a self-evident Vorstand which is designated as a result of the reasons which have been given; it is a Vorstand designated by the facts themselves and receives the ground on which it stands at this Foundation Meeting.
QUESTION: Is it not possible for there to be an accumulation of offices?
DR STEINER: I expressly said yesterday that it will be incompatible for members of the Vorstand to hold other offices in the Anthroposophical Society. For example it is not desirable for one of the members of the Vorstand to be the General Secretary of some group, or for instance the leader of a branch or something similar. Then he can devote himself exclusively to his task. But for the leadership of the School it is naturally necessary to call those who are most suitable. And the leadership of the School is likely for the most part to consist of members of the Vorstand. Therefore in this instance there is an accumulation of offices whereby the Section Leaders will be advisory members of the Vorstand. Does anybody else wish to speak to Paragraph 15? No. Then I would now ask you to give your consent, not by voting in the sense of the votes conducted for the other Paragraphs but with the feeling that you acknowledge the justification of this fundamental manner of leadership of a true Anthroposophical Society. I would ask you to give your agreement that this Vorstand be constituted for the leadership of the Anthroposophical Society. (Long applause.)
DR STEINER: My dear friends, I believe I speak also on behalf of those who stand here beside me, the members of the Vorstand who are not unprepared but more than enough prepared, when I express the most cordial gratitude for your consent and when I give the promise that the leadership of the Anthroposophical Society will be conducted in the sense of its spiritual foundations and conditions.
We are now coming to the end of our meeting. Having completed the second reading, we now come to the adoption of the Statutes as a whole in the third reading. May I now ask, after the discussion of the individual Paragraphs in the detailed debate, whether anybody would like to speak once more about the Statutes as a whole? I only wish to say that I would like to add the following historical note, which was asked for yesterday, after Paragraph 2: ‘The Anthroposophical Society is in continuity with the Society founded in 1912. It would like, however, to create an independent point of departure, in keeping with the true spirit of the present time, for the objectives established at that time.’
This is the note with which we can add what was said on this point yesterday. Now, would anyone still like to speak about the Statutes as a whole? If this is not the case, may I ask those respected friends who are in favour of adopting the Statutes at the third reading to raise their hands. (They do.) Will those who are not in favour please make this known by raising their hands. (Nobody does.)
My respected friends, the Statutes of the Anthroposophical Society are adopted herewith. We shall once again continue with this meeting of members tomorrow morning after Herr Werbeck's lecture. Would you please remain seated for a few more seconds as I have some announcements to make.
Firstly: The next gathering today will be for the eurythmy performance at 4.30 this afternoon. The programme will be entirely new. Secondly: The General Secretaries are requested to meet at 8.30 on Saturday morning, as they did last Tuesday at 2.30, down in the Glass House. I would also request the representatives of the various Swiss branches to be present, as the question already mentioned about the Swiss Anthroposophical Society will be discussed to start with in this smaller circle.
Further: Unfortunately the meeting of members of the school associations for free education in Switzerland cannot take place here in the hall because it is needed for eurythmy rehearsals. There is therefore no room large enough for all the members to participate as listeners at this meeting. The meeting Will take place this afternoon down in the Glass House and in consequence I unfortunately have to ask for the attendance only of the members of the Swiss school association itself and of those friends from non-German speaking countries, that is America, England, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Holland and so on. Alas, the baby has to be chopped in half somewhere, and so, to start with for today's meeting, I would ask those from countries with really weak currencies not to attend. That means all the German members and also, if they cannot find any room, the members from Austria.
Also: It has been drawn to my attention—we never seem to get away from these things—that people should be more careful about what they say on the street, in the tram, or wherever they are staying. It is quite a good thing not to irritate other people by saying all sorts of peculiar things. This is all I am able to say just now. Other things can be said when the Vorstand presents you with some By-Laws. They can be said tomorrow in the members' meeting.
At 4.30 this afternoon is the eurythmy performance. This evening at 8.30 will be my lecture. It will be necessary to have the lecture at 8.30 every evening. And tomorrow morning at 8.30 is the meeting I have announced for the General Secretaries and the members of the Swiss councils. Then at 10 o'clock Herr Werbeck's lecture on the opposition to Anthroposophy, and after a short interval the continuation of this meeting.
Fortsetzung der Gründungsversammlung
Thema: Anthroposophie und Kunst
Vorher gibt Dr. Steiner einiges auf die Saalordnung Bezügliches bekannt:
Meine lieben Freunde!
Bevor ich die heutige Tagung eröffne, möchte ich um Entschuldigung bitten wegen der gestrigen Mißhelligkeiten in bezug auf das Einlassen und das Draußen-Warten. Es war natürlich schon eine recht schlimme Sache, aber es beruhte wirklich auf einer Anzahl von Mißverständnissen, und ich bitte Sie, es zu entschuldigen. Es soll in der nächsten Zeit dafür gesorgt werden, daß unsere Freunde jedesmal eine halbe Stunde vor Eröffnung irgendeiner Versammlung hier den Eintritt offen finden. Dann werde ich mich bemühen, so gut es geht, herbeizuführen, daß diese Nacht noch zwei Heizröhren eingebaut werden, so daß man morgen nicht mehr so frieren wird da draußen. Dies ist nun einmal wirklich schwierig bei den primitiven Einrichtungen, die wir hier haben, nach allen Seiten hin befriedigende Zustände zu schaffen. Am wenigsten befriedigend, das können Sie mir glauben, sind die Zustände schon für den Vorstand und für mich. Hoffentlich können wir in den nächsten Tagen die Dinge vermeiden.
Jetzt bitte ich Herrn Stuten, das Wort zu ergreifen. Er will uns mit einem Vortrag über das Musikalische im geistigen Leben heute erfreuen.
Herr Stuten hält seinen Vortrag über «Die Musik und die geistige Welt».
Nach einer Pause von 15 Minuten findet die Fortsetzung der Statutenberatung statt. Dr. Steiner eröffnet sie: Meine lieben Freunde! Ich werde auch heute die Worte sprechen, die uns die Grundlage geben sollen für unser gegenwärtiges Wirken hier und für das weitere Wirken draußen.
Menschenseele!
Du lebest in den Gliedern,
Die dich durch die Raumeswelt
Im Geistesmeereswesen tragen:
Übe Geist-Erinnern
In Seelentiefen,
Wo in waltendem
Weltenschöpfer-Sein
Das eigne Ich
Im Gottes-Ich
Erweset;
Und du wirst wahrhaft leben
Im Menschen-Welten-Wesen.Denn es waltet der Vater-Geist der Höhen
In den Weltentiefen Sein-erzeugend.Menschenseele!
Du lebest in dem Herzens-Lungen-Schlage,
Der dich durch den Zeitenrhythmus
Ins eigne Seelenwesensfühlen leitet:
Übe Geist-Besinnen
Im Seelengleichgewichte,
Wo die wogenden
Welten-Werde-Taten
Das eigne Ich
Dem Welten-Ich
Vereinen;
Und du wirst wahrhaft fühlen
Im Menschen-Seelen-Wirken.Denn es waltet der Christus-Wille im Umkreis
In den Weltenrhythmen Seelen-begnadend.Menschenseele!
Du lebest im ruhenden Haupte,
Das dir aus Ewigkeitsgründen
Die Weltgedanken erschließer:
Übe Geist-Erschauen
In Gedanken-Ruhe,
Wo die ew’gen Götterziele
Welten-Wesens-Licht
Dem eignen Ich
Zu freiem Wollen
Schenken;
Und du wirst wahrhaft denken
In Menschen-Geistes-Gründen.Denn es walten des Geistes Weltgedanken
Im Weltenwesen Licht-erflehend.
Und nun, meine lieben Freunde, wollen wir uns wiederum den inneren Rhythmus in die Seele schreiben, der uns nahebringen kann, wie aus dem Weltenrhythmus heraus gerade diese Worte ertönen.
Erster Spruch:
[Es wird gesprochen und an die Tafel geschrieben. Faksimile siehe Beilage 4, Tafel III]
Übe Geist-Erinnern
Es ist das die Tätigkeit, die in der eigenen Seele sich vollziehen kann. Sie entspricht draußen im großen Weltall demjenigen, was zum Ausdrucke kommt mit den Worten:
Denn es waltet der Vater-Geist der Höhen
In den Weltentiefen Sein-erzeugend.
Das zweite ist das
Übe Geist-Besinnnen,
der Vorgang im Innern, dem da antwortet draußen im Weltenall:
Denn es waltet der Christus-Wille im Umkreis
In den Weltenrhythmen Seelen-begnadend.
Das dritte ist:
Übe Geist-Erschauen,
es antwortet draußen:
Denn es walten des Geistes Weltgedanken
Im Weltenwesen Licht-erflehend.
[Tafelanschrift]
1
Übe Geist-Erinnern
Denn es waltet der Vater-Geist der Höhen In den Weltentiefen Sein-erzeugend.
2
Übe Geist-Besinnen
Denn es waltet der Christus-Wille im Umkreis In den Weltenrhythmen Seelen-begnadend.
3
Übe Geist-Erschauen
Denn es walten des Geistes Weltgedanken Im Weltenwesen Licht-erflehend.
Dr. Steiner: Wir kommen.nun in der Fortsetzung unserer Versammlung zur Besprechung des § 4 der Statuten.
Ich bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 4 zu verlesen.
§ 4 wird von Dr. Wachsmuth verlesen:
«4. Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft ist keine Geheimgesellschaft, sondern eine durchaus öffentliche. Ihr Mitglied kann jedermann ohne Unterschied der Nation, des Standes, der Religion, der wissenschaftlichen oder künstlerischen Überzeugung werden, der in dem Bestand einer solchen Institution, wie sie das Goetheanum in Dornach als Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft ist, etwas Berechtigtes sieht. Die Gesellschaft lehnt jedes sektiererische Bestreben ab. Die Politik betrachtet sie nicht als in ihren Aufgaben liegend.»
Dr. Steiner: Zuerst hat sich Mr. Collison gemeldet.
Mr. Collison: Als einem sehr alten Mitglied verzeihen Sie mir ein paar Worte zu diesen Statuten. Wir sind jetzt erst bei Punkt 4. Ich glaube, es kann nicht unsere Absicht sein, die Statuten auszubessern. Herr Dr. Steiner hat sich so viel Mühe gegeben dabei, und sie sind wirklich ganz umfassend. Es scheint mir, die Debatte über die einzelnen Punkte sollte nur den Zweck haben, etwaige Fragen zu stellen über die Bedeutung und Tragweite dieser Punkte.
(Beifallklatschen, lang anhaltend.)
Dr. Steiner: Wer wünscht zu dem § 4 das Wort?
Es wird vorgeschlagen, durch Akklamation die Statuten anzunehmen.
Dr. Steiner: Ja, ich muß dennoch fragen: Wer wünscht zu § 4 das Wort? - Bei diesem § 4 wird es sich im wesentlichen darum handeln, daß wir in der nächsten Zeit die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft im vollen Sinne vor die Welt als eine öffentliche hinstellen. Und alles, was trotz dieser Öffentlichkeit das Esoterische enthalten kann in der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft, das wird durch den § 5 und die folgenden Paragraphen gesichert.
Darf ich nochmals fragen: Wer wünscht zu § 4 der Statuten das Wort? - Es scheint bei niemandem der Fall zu sein. Dann. bitte ich diejenigen Freunde, welche für die Annahme des § 4 sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Wer ist für die Ablehnung des § 4? (Nie mand meldet sich.) -— Der § 4 ist angenommen in zweiter Lesung. Ich bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 5 der Statuten zu verlesen.
§ 5 wird verlesen:
«5. Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft sieht ein Zentrum ihres Wirkens in der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft in Dornach. Diese wird in drei Klassen bestehen. In dieselbe werden auf ihre Bewerbung hin aufgenommen die Mitglieder der Gesellschaft, nachdem sie eine durch die Leitung des Goetheanums zu bestimmende Zeit die Mitgliedschaft inne hatten. Sie gelangen dadurch in die erste Klasse der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft. Die Aufnahme in die zweite, beziehungsweise in die dritte Klasse erfolgt, wenn die um dieselbe Ansuchenden von der Leitung des Goetheanums als geeignet befunden werden.»
Dr. Steiner: Nun, meine lieben Freunde, bei diesem Paragraphen handelt es sich darum, daß der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft die naturgemäße Seele, die ihr im Dornacher Goetheanum gegeben werden kann, auch wirklich in der nächsten Zeit gegeben wird. Es soll durch diesen Statuten-Paragraphen bei den Mitgliedern oder denjenigen, die es noch werden wollen, eben durchaus das ganz konkrete Bewußtsein hervorgerufen werden, daß im Goetheanum die Seele der anthroposophischen Bewegung gegeben ist. Damit wird durchaus dasjenige, was an esoterischen Impulsen der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft notwendig ist zu geben, wiederum gegeben werden können. Und wir werden dann vorwärts kommen, wenn Sie sich bemühen, in den Geist dieses § 5 der Statuten einzudringen.
Ich möchte nur einiges darüber sagen, wie die Konstitution der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft in Dornach, Goetheanum, in der Zukunft von mir gedacht werden soll. Es wird sich ja immer mehr darum handeln — was ja auch diejenigen, die längere Zeit innerhalb der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft geweilt und gearbeitet haben, ganz gut haben erkennen können -, daß bei dem, was man in irgendeiner Weise als ein Aufsteigen in der Schulung ansehen kann, nicht bloß intellektuelle Eigenschaften in Betracht kommen, am wenigstens die in der äußeren Welt übliche intellektuelle und empirische Schulung, anders als insofern sie zu irgendeinem Spezialgebiet absolut notwendig ist. Und es wird sich darum handeln, daß die Gefühls-, die unmittelbaren Auffassungs-Fähigkeiten des Esoterischen und Okkulten, daß die moralischen Qualitäten und so weiter eine große Rolle spielen müssen. Und der Grundzug desjenigen, was da wirken wird in bezug auf die drei Klassen, die den Unterbau der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft haben, die ganz öffentlich ist, der Grundzug im Wirken dieser drei Klassen wird eben durchaus derjenige sein, der der selbstverständliche geisteswissenschaftliche ist. Aber wir werden nötig haben, gerade dazu die Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft in ihrer Wirksamkeit vor die Welt hinzustellen, so hinzustellen vor die Welt, daß in ihr erscheint, wie sie die einzelnen Zivilisations-, Erkenntnisgebiete, die künstlerischen Gebiete und so weiter befruchten kann. Auch da darf keineswegs etwa von Anfang an ein schematischer Gedanke walten. Was versteht man unter einem schematischen Gedanken? Unter einem schematischen Gedanken versteht man denjenigen Gedanken, den man hat, wenn man sagt: Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft muß zerfallen nach dem Begriff, nach der Idee: Erste Sektion, zweite Sektion, dritte, vierte, fünfte Sektion und so weiter, wie es eben bei einer solchen logischen Gliederung geht; man kann das sehr schön ausdenken. [Siehe Beilage 4, Tafel IX.] Was ergibt sich dann gewöhnlich? Nun ja, dann hat man ein im Wolkenkuckucksheim liegendes Gebilde. Und jetzt muß dieses Gebilde auch verwaltet werden! Nun sucht man nach den Menschen, man hält so Umschau daund dorthin und sucht nach den Menschen; die müssen dann in das Erste und Zweite und Dritte hinein, und dann schachtelt man sie durch irgendeine Wahl oder dergleichen hinein. Da tritt dann gewöhnlich das zu Tage, daß sie sich verpuppen in den entsprechenden Abteilungen des Schemas; sie verpuppen sich, aber der Schmetterling kriecht nicht aus. — Hier soll nicht auf eine abstrakte Weise vorgegangen werden, sondern es soll so vorgegangen werden, daß die bestehenden Tätigkeiten genommen werden, und dann daraus, aus den schon bestehenden Tatsachensphären, zunächst die Sektionen zusammengestellt werden: das, was schon da ist. Denn, meine lieben Freunde, zur Leitung gerade desjenigen, was verwaltungsgemäß zu besorgen ist, auch im höchsten geistigen Sinne verwaltungsgemäß zu besorgen ist in den einzelnen Gebieten, zu dieser Leitung kann nicht irgendwie jemand berufen werden, der nicht hier dauernd am Orte wirksam ist. Denn nicht wahr, wenn nicht bloß gesprochen werden soll von der Arbeit, sondern gearbeitet werden soll mit voller Verantwortung, dann muß erstens für jeden jeder, der da arbeitet, immer zur Hand sein; zweitens muß die ganze Leitung eben immer für diejenigen, die verantwortlich sind, zu haben sein. Deshalb habe ich mir rein aus dem geistigen Empirismus heraus zunächst die Sache so gedacht, daß die Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft am Goetheanum in Dornach in bezug auf alles Esoterische von mir geleitet wird, und daß mir zur Seite stehen bei dieser Leitung diejenigen Persönlichkeiten, die in gewissen Sphären gerade hier in Dornach in geistiger Art am Zustandekommen des Baues der anthroposophischen Bewegung mitgewirkt haben. Und so würde zunächst das Folgende rein aus den natürlichen, selbstverständlichen Verhältnissen in Dornach sich ergeben. Es würde zunächst als Überschau über das Ganze, als Leitung des Ganzen mit der speziellen Leitung des Anthroposophischen und des Pädagogischen, mir diese Leitung zufallen.
Und ich würde die weitere Leitung ausüben auf dem Wege, daß an die Spitze der einzelnen Sektionen diejenigen Persönlichkeiten gestellt werden, die eben in der Lage sind, aus den Antezedenzien, aus dem, was bisher geschehen ist, einen gewissen Zweig anthroposophischer Bewegung zu leiten.
Und da würde in Betracht kommen: Erstens dasjenige, was — ich nannte es schon -, was man in Frankreich vielleicht heute noch «belles-lettres» nennt. Ich weiß nicht, ob man den Ausdruck noch kennt. Nicht mehr? Schade! In Deutschland hat man bis zum 19. Jahrhundert herein - dann ist das abgekommen - gesprochen von den «schönen Wissenschaften»: schöne Wissenschaften, die eben in die menschliche Erkenntnis Schönheit hineingebracht haben, Ästhetik, Künstlerisches. Es ist sehr charakteristisch, daß selbst in Frankreich der Ausdruck «belles-lettres» nicht mehr gebraucht wird!
Zwischenruf: «Académie des lettres!»
Ja, aber das «belles» ist eben weggelassen! Und gerade auf das kommt es an. Wissenschaften haben wir ja genug, aber «Schöne Wissenschaften»! Ich weiß nicht, was die hier versammelten, namentlich jüngeren Wissenschaftsbeflissenen dazu sagen, aber hier in Dornach wird ja nicht nur an die jüngsten Vergangenheiten, sondern sogar an die ältesten Vergangenheiten angeknüpft. Und deshalb dürfen und müssen wir schon, wenn wir auch vielleicht einen für die Welt bequemeren Titel dafür noch finden müssen - ich habe ihn bis jetzt noch nicht dafür gefunden - für das Gebiet, das man in Frankreich «belles-lettres» genannt hat, in Deutschland «Schöne Wissenschaften» sagt, für dieses Gebiet hier eine Sektion schaffen. Und wiederum darf ich sagen: Es ist selbstverständlich, weil die Persönlichkeit da ist, die zur Leitung dieses Gebietes ja so berufen ist, wie nur irgend jemand berufen sein kann: das ist unser lieber Freund Albert Steffen, der ganz gewiß nichts anderes machen wird auf diesem Gebiete als dasjenige, was im eminentesten Sinne im Sinn der geisteswissenschaftlichen Bewegung geschieht, wie sie hier von Dornach aus intendiert wird. (Lebhaftes Beifallklatschen)
Ich habe dann als ein weiteres Gebiet dasjenige der redenden, musikalischen Künste zusammen mit der Eurythmie Ihnen zu nennen. Und da ist ja wiederum die Persönlichkeit selbstverständlich gegeben. Ich brauche darüber nicht viele Worte zu machen. Dieses Gebiet werde ich leiten durch die Leiterin Frau Dr. Steiner. (Lebhaftes Beifallklatschen)
Es wird sich dann handeln darum, eine Abteilung hier, eine Sektion für rein Naturwissenschaftliches zu schaffen. Sie wissen ja, mit Naturwissenschaftlichem stehen wir so, daß wir in der Naturwissenschaft etwas außerordentlich Tiefes suchen, daß wir aber gerade die Behandlung, welche die Naturwissenschaft in der Gegenwart erfährt, gar sehr in eine andere Metamorphose überführen müssen. Nun werden Sie ja sehen durch eine literarische Arbeit, die fast schon ausgedruckt ist, daß mit allem Eifer sich dieser Metamorphosierung der Naturwissenschaft unser lieber Freund, Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth, gewidmet hat. Und wir werden daher die rein naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung Herrn Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth in der fruchtbarsten Weise übertragen können. (Beifallklatschen)
Im Zusammenhange damit wird stehen eine Abteilung, die ja ganz besonders gepflegt werden muß aus dem Grunde, weil ihr Gebiet eigentlich immer in den Zeiten, wo man nach wahrer GeistErkenntnis strebte, man kann nicht sagen, ein Kapitel der Geisteswissenschaft war, sondern mit dieser Geisteswissenschaft ganz organisch verbunden war. Sie können sich in den älteren Zeiten gar nicht denken, daß dasjenige, was als Geistesschau, als GeistErkenntnis hineingestellt wurde in die Menschheit, abgetrennt gewesen wäre von dem Medizinischen. Und man wird sehen, gerade aus der Arbeit, welche Frau Dr. Wegman mit mir jetzt leistet und die in kurzer Zeit vor die Öffentlichkeit treten wird, wie ganz selbstverständlich sich diese, nicht nur Synthese, sondern organische Entwickelung wiederum ergibt für eine wirkliche anthroposophische Auffassung der Welt. Daher ist es wieder ganz selbstverständlich, daß die Leitung der medizinischen Abteilung, der medizinischen Sektion, durch mich geführt wird mit Hilfe der Leiterin, Frau Dr. Wegman. (Beifallklatschen)
Nun, meine lieben Freunde, wenn Sie sich erinnern an das alte Goetheanum, wenn Sie sich erinnern an die schönen Worte, die darüber heute in seinem vortrefflichen Vortrage unser Freund Herr Stuten gesprochen hat, dann werden Sie sehen, daß hier auch die Bildenden Künste eine große Rolle gespielt haben. Sie werden es auch müssen in Zukunft, und wir werden gerade eine Sektion für die bildenden Künste brauchen. Nun wissen Sie ja, daß mir seit Jahren zur Seite stand, gerade in der Ausübung der bildenden Kunst für das Goetheanum, Miss Maryon, die nun leider diese Versammlung nicht mitmachen kann, da sie schon an einer sehr langen Krankheit leidet und nicht einmal die Möglichkeit hat, zu dieser Versammlung herüberzukommen. Aber ich hoffe, daß, wenn sie nach einiger Zeit wieder gesund sein wird, sie sich der Arbeit, von der ich hier spreche, wird widmen können. Ich werde dasjenige, was plastisch hier und im Plastischen im Gebiete der bildenden Kunst überhaupt geschehen soll, ausüben durch die Leiterin dieser Sektion, Miss Maryon. (Beifallklatschen)
Nun haben wir noch eine Persönlichkeit, die ihr Gebiet in der Welt in einer sehr eindringlichen Weise abgesteckt hat, so daß überall gerade von ihr Rat und Hilfe ausgeht, wenn man etwas zu wissen braucht auf mathematisch-astronomischem Gebiet. Sie können, insbesondere die Dornacher können es sehen aus demjenigen, was Inhalt meiner letzten Vorträge war, auch derjenigen, die vor dem letzten Zyklus hier liegen, wie notwendig es ist, gerade das Astronomische zurückzuführen auf die älteren Auffassungen. Und wenn Sie sich eine kleine Notiz anschauen, die in meinen Memoiren steht - die ja jetzt im «Goetheanum» erscheinen -, gerade im Beginne des heute abend erscheinenden Artikels, so werden Sie sehen, wie tief begründet es ist, daß über der platonischen Schule stand: Gott geometrisiert. - Und man kann in das Innere einer platonischen Unterweisung - ich spreche natürlich von der platonischen Unterweisung, nicht von der geisteswissenschaftlichen Unterweisung — nur durch Mathematik eindringen. Das alles, was in diesem Felde zurechtzurücken ist, muß zurechtgerückt werden. Und ich glaube, daß Sie mit eben solcher Begeisterung wie in den vorigen Fällen zustimmen werden, wenn ich sage, ich werde dieses Gebiet durch Fräulein Dr. Vreede als Leiterin in der Zukunft ausüben lassen. (Beifallklatschen)
Meine lieben Freunde! Hätte ich nun nach Ideen geteilt, so wäre gewiß manches noch da, aber es würden die Persönlichkeiten fehlen, die hier gerade am Orte das Betreffende versehen können aus allen Grundbedingungen heraus. Sie dürfen glauben, daß hier nicht nur, wie bei den Statuten, das Nachdenken von vier Wochen zu Grunde liegt, sondern daß bei den Mitteilungen, die ich jetzt gemacht habe, zu Grunde liegt die Erfahrung von Jahren. Und so werden wir es schon bei dieser Sache bewenden lassen müssen.
Ich werde noch nachher, wenn die Eingliederung des Vorstandes in das Statut zustande kommen wird, als letzten Punkt der Statuten darüber zu sprechen haben, wie ich mir die Beziehungen des Kollegiums, das die Schule leitet, zu dem Vorstande, der die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft initiativ führt, denke.
Nun bitte ich diejenigen, die zu § 5 der Statuten das Wort ergreifen wollen, dieses zu tun. (Niemand meldet sich.) Mr. Collisons Worte scheinen eine merkwürdig dämpfende Wirkung auszuüben!
Herr Ingerö: Verehrte Freunde! Nur eine kurze Frage: Die Angabe in § 5: «eine durch die Leitung des Goetheanums zu bestimmende Zeit», ist das individuell oder generell?
Dr. Steiner: Ganz individuell, ganz individuell. Nicht wahr, wenn Sie sich vorstellen, wie die Sache zustande kommen wird: Man wird durch seinen Willen Mitglied der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft oder ist es schon, man ist es aber auch schon gewesen; also es sind schon für die meisten derjenigen, die hier sitzen, die Antezedenzien vorhanden. Nun steht hier «auf Bewerbung», das heißt: man drückt seinen Willen aus, Mitglied der Schule zu werden. Und nun entscheidet die Leitung des Goetheanums, ob dies schon im gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt sein kann, oder erst in einem zukünftigen. So wird die konkrete Behandlung der Sache sein.
Wünscht noch jemand das Wort zu § 5? - Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich diejenigen, die den § 5 anzunehmen gedenken, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Diejenigen Freude, die ihn ablehnen wollen, bitte ich, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) Es ist also auch der § 5 in zweiter Lesung angenommen.
Ich bitte, den § 6 zu verlesen:
Dr. Wachsmuth verliest den § 6 der Statuten:
«6. Jedes Mitglied der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft hat das Recht, an allen von ihr veranstalteten Vorträgen, sonstigen Darbietungen und Versammlungen unter den von dem Vorstande bekannt zu gebenden Bedingungen teilzunehmen.»
Dr. Steiner: Meine lieben Freunde! Sie werden vielleicht anstoßen an dem Nebensatze: «unter den von dem Vorstand bekannt zu gebenden Bedingungen». Ich habe mir auch diesen Satz lange überlegt. Ich habe mir so gesagt: Die naturgemäßeste Fassung dieses Satzes wäre: «Jedes Mitglied der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft hat das Recht, an allen von ihr veranstalteten Vorträgen, sonstigen Darbietungen und Versammlungen teilzunehmen.» Gewiß, so hätte er heißen können, der Paragraph; aber im Prinzip würden wir dann dasjenige nicht tun können, was nun leider doch eben getan werden muß: wir würden nicht haben festsetzen können zum Beispiel Eintrittsgelder für die Darbietungen. Und solche Nebenbedingungen sind gemeint. Ich mußte sogar in erster Linie an die Eintrittsgelder denken. Nicht wahr, es ist ja schlimm, daß man das in erster Linie muß, aber man muß es eben; denn so wenig der Mensch von der Luft allein leben kann, so wenig ist es möglich, zu existieren mit der anthroposophischen Bewegung, wenn nicht eben der Idealismus doch manchmal auch an die Geldbörse geht. Es können natürlich noch andere solche Bedingungen sich ergeben, aber ich kann das nicht anders, als es doch notwendig finden, daß dasjenige, was die Öffentlichkeit der Gesellschaft betrifft, ihre Aufnahmebedingungen, in diesem Paragraphen also niedergelegt wird. -— Wünscht jemand zu diesem § 6 das Wort? (Niemand meldet sich.) Mr. Collison ist wirklich ein Magier! Wünscht jemand zu diesem § 6 das Wort? - Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich diejenigen lieben Freunde, die geneigt sind, den § 6 wieder anzunehmen in zweiter Lesung, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.)
Ich bitte diejenigen Freunde, welche abgeneigt sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) - Es ist der § 6 in zweiter Lesung angenommen. (Beifall)
Ich bitte Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 7 zu verlesen.
§ 7 wird verlesen:
«7. Die Einrichtung der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft obliegt zunächst Rudolf Steiner, der seine Mitarbeiter und seinen eventuellen Nachfolger zu ernennen hat.»
Dr. Steiner: Ich habe Ihnen eben auseinandergesetzt, wie ich mir die Leitung denke. Und ich habe zu diesem Paragraphen ja nichts Besonderes weiter mehr zu sagen. — Ich bitte diejenigen verehrten Freunde, welche zu diesem Paragraphen sprechen wollen, sich zu melden. Wünscht jemand zu § 7 das Wort? - Das ist wohl nicht der Fall. Dann bitte ich diejenigen Freunde, welche den § 7 annehmen wollen in zweiter Lesung, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte diejenigen, die ihn ablehnen wollen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) § 7 in zweiter Lesung ist angenommen.
Ich bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 8 zu verlesen.
§ 8 wird verlesen:
«8. Alle Publikationen der Gesellschaft werden öffentlich in der Art wie diejenigen anderer öffentlicher Gesellschaften sein. Von dieser Öffentlichkeit werden auch die Publikationen der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft keine Ausnahme machen; doch nimmt die Leitung der Schule für sich in Anspruch, daß sie von vorneherein jedem Urteile über diese Schriften die Berechtigung bestreitet, das nicht auf die Schulung gestützt ist, aus der sie hervorgegangen sind. Sie wird in diesem Sinne keinem Urteil Berechtigung zuerkennen, das nicht auf entsprechende Vorstudien gestützt ist, wie das in der anerkannten wissenschaftlichen Welt üblich ist. Deshalb werden die Schriften der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft den folgenden Vermerk tragen: «Als Manuskript für die Angehörigen der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft, Goetheanum, Klasse ... gedruckt. Es wird niemand für diese Schriften ein kompetentes Urteil zugestanden, der nicht die von dieser Schule geltend gemachte Vor-Erkenntnis durch sie oder auf eine von ihr selbst als gleichbedeutend erkannte Weise erworben hat. Andere Beurteilungen werden insofern abgelehnt, als die Verfasser der entsprechenden Schriften sich in keine Diskussion über dieselben einlassen.>»
Dr. Steiner: Meine lieben Freunde! Damit habe ich versucht, etwas in Wirklichkeit umzusetzen, worüber ich eigentlich schon, ich darf sagen, wenn ich einen Zeitpunkt nennen soll, seit dem Jahre 1913 nachgedacht habe, bevor der Grundstein zum Goetheanum gelegt worden ist. Nicht wahr, wir müssen uns ja klar sein darüber, daß es ungemein nahe liegt, bei einer solchen Bewegung, wie sie die anthroposophische ist, eine Gesellschaft, die diese Bewegung tragen soll, in irgendeiner Form sektiererisch zu gestalten. Man kann das denjenigen, die sich an einer solchen Gesellschaft beteiligen, gar nicht übelnehmen, denn man kann ja wissen, wieviel Neigung zum Sektiererischen aus alten atavistischen Impulsen im Menschen noch steckt. Die Menschen wissen es oftmals gar nicht, aber sie tragen eben die sektiererischen Impulse in sich. Und so ist es schon gekommen, daß unter den, ich möchte sagen, etwas tumultuarischen Einrichtungen des Zyklendruckes eben in bezug auf diesen Zyklusdruck etwas in die Gesellschaft gekommen ist, was in der Handhabung eben dennoch einen sektiererischen Eindruck macht. Denn man kann es heute eben einfach nicht verstehen vor dem modernen Bewußtsein, daß man dasjenige, was gedruckt wird in einer größeren Anzahl von Exemplaren - in einer Anzahl von Exemplaren, die über 100 hinausgeht -,, irgendwie sekretieren könne innerhalb irgendeiner Gemeinschaft. Man kann es eben einfach nicht. Denn sehen Sie, es ergibt sich auf manchen Gebieten durchaus die Fruchtbarkeit eines solchen Sekretierens, man führt es aber dennoch nicht aus. Ich sprach zum Beispiel einmal - es war im Jahre 1888 [1889] - mit dem bekannten Philosophen des Unbewußten, Eduard von Hartmann, darüber, wie erkenntnistheoretische Schriften im allgemeinen von wenigen Leuten gelesen werden, und es werden doch immer, wenn sie erscheinen, 500, manchmal 1000 Exemplare gedruckt. Eduard von Hartmann sagte, man sollte überhaupt solche Schriften nicht drucken, sondern man sollte höchstens 60 bis 70 Exemplare. davon in der Welt verbreiten, denn wirklich verstehen könnten nur 60 bis 70 ‘Menschen die Erkenntnistheorie. — Ich meine eben diejenige, die Eduard von Hartmann gerade in Aussicht hatte. Ich glaube allerdings, in meinem eigenen erkenntnistheoretischen Büchelchen, das ja Jetzt in Neuauflage wiederum erschienen ist, «Erkenntnistheorie der Goetheschen Weltanschauung», gerade etwas gegeben zu haben auf erkenntnistheoretischem Gebiet, das alle lesen können. Aber ich meine, es ist nicht möglich, dieses Prinzip, etwas Gedrucktes zu sekretieren, durchzuführen. Daß es nicht möglich ist, das hat die Praxis gezeigt. Denn es ist eben der Zustand eingetreten, daß heute die Feinde viel rascher in der Öffentlichkeit von einer Neuerscheinung sprechen, als von seiten der Anthroposophen davon gesprochen wird. Solchen Tatsachen muß Rechnung getragen werden. Wir können nur dann mit unseren großen Zielen vorwärtskommen, wenn wir auf der anderen Seite diesem Geiste der Zeit voll Rechnung tragen. Dieser Geist der Zeit verträgt nicht das äußere Geheimnis, während er ganz gut verträgt das innere Geheimnis. Denn die eigentlich esoterischen anthroposophischen Schriften werden ja noch lange sehr, sehr großes Geheimnis sein für die Menschen. Und wir brauchen gar nicht die äußere physische Sekretierung, wenn wir in dieser Weise moralisch die Sekretierung vornehmen, indem wir einfach hinarbeiten zur Anerkennung des Urteils in der Welt, es gelte auch auf diesem Gebiete, was für die Anerkenntnis auf jedem Gebiete möglich ist: daß es Grenzen gibt zwischen Sachkennern und Laien. — Und mit dem Laien müssen wir immer so fertig werden können, daß wir sagen können: Sehet hin auf sein Urteil, es ist wie das Urteil des Bauern über die Differentialrechnung. -— Wenn wir auf dieser Grundlage arbeiten, dann wird es uns dennoch nach und nach wenn auch nicht gleich - gelingen, die Zyklenfrage in der entsprechenden Weise zu lösen. Sehen Sie, ich sagte Ihnen: Zehn Jahre habe ich eigentlich darüber nachgedacht; jetzt mußte eine Lösung gefunden werden. Ich kann keine andere als diese moralische finden. Ich möchte dann, daß noch eingefügt werde da, wo steht: «Alle Publikationen der Gesellschaft werden öffentlich in der Art wie diejenigen anderer öffentlicher Gesellschaften sein»: «Öffentlich sind auch die Bedingungen, unter denen man eine geistige Schulung erlangt, geschildert, und sie werden auch weiter öffentlich dargestellt werden.» Das soll als Anmerkung dazu kommen, damit nicht das Mißverständnis entsteht, auf das gestern hingewiesen worden ist. Natürlich muß ich mir vorbehalten, daß in bezug auf diesen Aufdruck unter Umständen noch eine kleine stilistische Verbesserung eintreten kann. Aber das wird dann die Sache der Stilisierung sein. Vielleicht muß man noch sagen: «Als Manuskript für die Angehörigen der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft ... gedruckt»: «aber der vollen Öffentlichkeit zugänglich» oder so irgend etwas. Das kann sich dann ergeben. Es wird ja die Frage sehr bald endgültig gelöst werden müssen, weil der Stempel für die schon gedruckten und noch zu druckenden Zyklen angefertigt werden muß und diese Usance schon in der allernächsten Zeit wird eintreten müssen, sobald wir durch unsere Tagung hier die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft geschaffen haben werden. - Ich darf nun bitten: Wer wünscht zu § 8 das Wort?
Dr. Büchenbacher: Statt «erkannte» im zweitletzten Satze soll es wohl heißen «anerkannte»?
Dr. Steiner: Selbstverständlich. Es ist das ein Druckfehler.
Dr. Büchenbacher: Ich erlaube mir zu fragen, ob auch die Zyklen, die schon seit Jahren im Besitz von Mitgliedern sind, als Veröffentlichungen der Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft zu behandeln sind.
Dr. Steiner: Alle Zyklen. Wir können eben gar nicht anders gegenüber dem Zeitbewußtsein, als diese Maßnahmen auf alle Zyklen auszudehnen. Die Frage wird dann auch für die Mitglieder natürlich eine solche werden, daß unter den Mitgliedern gerade ein bißchen Pietät wird walten müssen. Es soll nicht das eine Aufforderung sein, nun die Zyklen so schnell wie möglich antiquarisch zu verkaufen.
Fräulein Simon frägt: Gilt das auch für alle den Zyklen gleichen Schriften, daß sie diesen hineingestempelten oder hineingedruckten Vermerk tragen sollen?
Dr. Steiner: Es werden im wesentlichen nur die Zyklen sein und die Schriften, die den Zyklen gleichkommen.
Herr Werbeck: Wie ist es mit dem nationalökonomischen Kursus, der hier gehalten worden ist? Gilt der auch als Zyklus?
Dr. Steiner: Das ist nun eine solche Sache mit den paar Werken, welche ja nicht im Grunde genommen von mir selbst herausgegeben, oder nicht vom Anthroposophischen Verlag herausgegeben sind, sondern bei denen zugestanden worden ist einem bestimmten Kreise, sie drucken zu lassen. Bei diesen Dingen kommt etwas anderes in Betracht. Es ist mir ganz lieb auf der einen Seite, daß Sie mir Gelegenheit geben, diese unliebsame Sache noch zu besprechen. Bei diesen Dingen kommt in Betracht, daß sie selbstverständlich nur von denjenigen benützt werden dürfen, welche die Erlaubnis dazu erlangt haben. Dazu gehören dieser nationalökonomische Kursus, die medizinischen Kurse und so weiter. Während, wenn sie weiter irgendwie verbreitet werden sollen, das Autorrecht ja zunächst auf mich zurückfällt, und es ist so: Wenn daran gedacht werden müßte, diese Schriften in Zyklenform zu verwandeln mit diesem Vermerk, so müßten diese betreffenden Schriften an mich zurückkommen, und sie könnten nur vom Philosophisch-Anthroposophischen Verlag als Zyklen dann herauskommen mit diesem Vermerk. Da kommt eben selbstverständlich das andere, was sich aus den selbstverständlichen Autor-Usancen ergibt, in Betracht. - Wünscht sonst noch jemand das Wort zu diesem Paragraphen?
Dr. Kolisko: Ich möchte zu der von Herrn Dr. Steiner zuletzt angeschlagenen Frage das Folgende sagen: Zu den Fachkursen, den drei naturwissenschaftlichen Kursen, die Herr Dr. Steiner in Stuttgart gehalten hat, und zu den medizinischen Kursen möchte ich sagen, daß ich sehr gerne diese Kurse an den Philosophisch-Anthroposophischen Verlag zurückgeben würde, weil ich die Überzeugung habe, daß es das beste wäre, wenn es überhaupt geschehen würde, daß die Publikationen an der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft gemacht würden, sofern Herr Dr. Steiner dies beabsichtigt. Ich möchte in dieser in gewissem Sinne unliebsamen Sache dies hier aussprechen.
Dr. Steiner: Wünscht sonst noch jemand das Wort zu § 8?
Herr Leinhas: Es heißt hier, daß «die Verfasser der betreffenden Schriften sich in keine Diskussion über dieselben einlassen». Heißt das: Es ist die Absicht, daß die Angehörigen der Freien Hochschule der betreffenden Klasse sich in keine Diskussionen einlassen mit anderen?
Dr. Steiner: Selbstverständlich ja.
Herr Goyert: Ich möchte fragen, ob angestrebt wird, daß dieser Vermerk, der in die Zyklen kommen soll, auch in die jetzt schon in Besitz von Mitgliedern befindlichen Exemplare gemacht werde?
Dr. Steiner: Wir werden einen Aufruf an die Mitglieder, Besitzer von solchen Zyklen, in der Beilage des «Goetheanum» erlassen, daß sie selber diesen Vermerk in ihre Zyklen hineinschreiben möchten, und wir werden auf diejenigen Zyklen, die jetzt noch lagern, überall diesen Stempelaufdruck machen. Es soll eigentlich jeder Zyklus, gleichgültig, ob er in der Vergangenheit entstanden ist oder ob er in Zukunft entstehen wird, diesen entsprechenden Vermerk tragen.
Dr. Peipers: Wäre es nicht wünschenswert, um Mißverständnisse zu vermeiden, in einer Anmerkung auszudrücken, daf unter diesen Veröffentlichungen auch die spezialwissenschaftlichen Kurse zu verstehen seien?
Dr. Steiner: Was sollen da für Mißverständnisse entstehen? Nicht wahr, man kann eine ephemere Sache nicht in ein Statut setzen. Ich meine, es ist unmöglich, im Statut zu sagen: -— Damit nicht ein Mißverständnis entsteht — über eine selbstverständliche Sache, und daß dieses gilt, sagen wir zum Beispiel für den medizinischen Kursus. Es ist ja selbstverständlich, daß der medizinische Kurs unter Bedingungen, unter Klauseln gegeben worden ist. Und wenn er unter diesen Klauseln gegeben worden ist, so wird er, falls er veröffentlicht werden soll, mir zurückgegeben. Ich meine, das ist eine Selbstverständlichkeit. Wir würden da sehr viel in die Statuten hineinsetzen müssen, was nicht hineingehört, wenn allerlei Usancen darin erörtert werden sollten. Ich glaube, das gehört nicht in die Statuten. Mr. Kaufmann: Ist es in Zukunft neuen Mitgliedern anzuraten, Zyklen zu lesen, auch wenn sie noch nicht der betreffenden Klasse der Hochschule angehören?
Dr. Steiner: Das ist eine ganz individuelle und persönliche Sache. Man kann doch darüber keine Direktiven geben. Es werden Mitglieder herankommen, denen man ganz gut anraten kann, Zyklen zu lesen, da sie öffentlich sein werden, und es werden Mitlieder herankommen, denen man es nicht anraten kann, und die es dann entweder unterlassen, weil sie auf den Rat etwas geben, oder die sie trotzdem lesen. Ich meine, in dieser Richtung lassen sich außerordentlich schwer Direktiven geben. Ich habe in dieser Beziehung ganz merkwürdige Erfahrungen. Ich habe zum Beispiel einen Zweig kennengelernt, der hat die Ratschläge so weit ausgedehnt, daß er den Mitgliedern auch zu diesem oder jenem Buche geraten hat oder abgeraten hat. Gewisse Leute, die schon Mitglieder waren, durften selbst meine «Theosophie» nicht lesen, weil man sie nicht für geeignet fand. Wenn nun diese Mitglieder in dem betreffenden Gruppenleiter eine solche Autorität sahen, daß sie ihm mit ihren Seelen parierten, nun gut! Oder sie taten es nicht. Man kann keine Direktiven im allgemeinen geben.
Mademoiselle Sauerwein: Werden die Zyklen in der bisherigen Form erscheinen, oder werden sie dann auch durch den Buchhandel zu haben sein?
Dr. Steiner: Nicht wahr, die Zyklen werden im PhilosophischAnthroposophischen Verlag erscheinen, und der Weg, auf dem sie zu den Besitzern kommen, der wird ja von den Besitzern abhängen. Wenn die Besitzer sie auf irgendeinem Weg durch den Buchhandel haben wollen - wir werden sie natürlich nicht in Kondition geben, wie man sagt —, aber wenn jemand beim Buchhändler einen Zyklus bestellt, werden wir ruhig diese Bestellung ausführen. Das ist die Usance.
Frau Muntz: Wenn nun Außenstehende verlangen, daß man ihnen einen Zyklus gebe, sollen wir ihn geben?
Dr. Steiner: Es ist dies schon in so reichem Maße bis heute geschehen, daß ich gar nicht sagen kann, in welcher Weise man das verhindern könnte. Nur durch diese strenge Betonung der Öffentlichkeit kommen wir über das Sektiererische hinaus. — Ist noch jemand geneigt, über diesen § 8 der Statuten zu sprechen? - Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bringe ich diesen Paragraphen zur Abstimmung. Ich bitte diejenigen Freunde, die dafür sind, daß der § 8 in zweiter Lesung angenommen wird, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte diejenigen Freunde, die dagegen sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) § 8 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen.
Ich bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 9 zu verlesen.
§ 9 wird verlesen:
«9. Das Ziel der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft wird die Förderung der Forschung auf geistigem Gebiete, das der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft diese Forschung selbst sein. Eine Dogmatik auf irgendeinem Gebiete soll von der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft ausgeschlossen sein.»
Dr. Steiner: Nun, der Inhalt dieses Paragraphen ist ja, ich glaube, auf eine leichte Weise zu übersehen. Ich mache nur darauf aufmerksam, daß er keine Wiederholung etwa darstellt desjenigen, was in früheren Paragraphen enthalten ist, sondern daß er notwendig ist, weil damit das Ziel der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft angegeben wird, nämlich die Förderung der Forschung auf geistigem Gebiete, das heißt, insofern sie auf der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft in Dornach gepflegt wird. Und es muß schon einmal betont werden, daß alle Dogmatik irgendwie von der Verwaltung der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft ausgeschlossen ist.
Wünscht jemand zu diesem § 9 das Wort? - Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich diejenigen Freunde, die den § 9 in zweiter Lesung anzunehmen wünschen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte diejenigen Freunde, die dagegen sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) — § 9 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen.
Wir kommen zu § 10. Bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, § 10 zu verlesen.
§ 10 wird verlesen:
«10. Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft hält jedes Jahr um die Zeit des Jahresbeginns im Goetheanum eine ordentliche Jahresversammlung ab, in der von dem Vorstande ein vollständiger Rechenschaftsbericht gegeben wird. Die Tagesordnung zu dieser Versammlung wird mit der Einladung an alle Mitglieder drei Wochen vor der Tagung von dem Vorstande bekanntgegeben. Außerordentliche Versammlungen kann der Vorstand berufen und für sie die Tagesordnung festsetzen. Er soll drei Wochen vorher die Einladungen an die Mitglieder versenden. Anträge von einzelnen Mitgliedern oder Gruppen von solchen sind eine Woche vor der Tagung einzusenden.»
Dr. Steiner: Wünscht jemand zu diesem § 10 das Wort? Es ist eben der Versuch gemacht worden, soviel zu sagen, als nötig ist, in den Statuten.
Herr Hohlenberg: Ich möchte fragen, ob es notwendig ist, daß diese ordentliche Jahresversammlung unbedingt am Jahresbeginn stattfindet, oder ob nicht ein anderer Zeitpunkt gewählt werden kann?
Dr. Steiner: Ich kapriziere mich nicht auf den Jahresbeginn, wenn es Ihnen genügt, ohne Garantie dafür, daß Sie dann rechnen können auf eine bestimmte Zeit, sondern unter Umständen einmal im Januar, einmal im Dezember. Wenn Ihnen das genügt? Wir werden ja alle diese Dinge nicht so machen, daß wir sie aus der Abstraktion herausholen, sondern wir werden schon da oder dort die Fühler auszustrecken versuchen. Wenn Ihnen das genügt, können wir sagen: «Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft hält jedes Jahr im Goetheanum eine ordentliche Jahresversammlung ab.» Ich habe es nur eingefügt, weil ich geglaubt habe, daß dies gerade Widerspruch hervorriefe, wenn man nicht weiß, wann die Versammlung stattfinden soll.
Dr. Kolisko: Ich bin gerade dafür, daß das darinnen bleibt. Dr. Steiner: Warum?
Dr. Kolisko: Weil ich so — nach vielen Gesprächen, die ich geführt habe — wahrgenommen habe, daß sehr viele Freunde großen Wert darauf legen, daß sie zur Weihnachtszeit sein soll, wo jetzt selber die Weihnachtstagung ist.
Dr. Steiner: Sehen Sie, es würde sich vielleicht dann doch empfehlen, daß? man es im allgemeinen als Wunsch hinstellte, der nicht in den Statuten steht. Solche Dinge können in anderer Weise erledigt werden.
Ich werde am Schluß der Statutenberatung mitzuteilen haben, daß der Vorstand Ihnen zur geeigneten Zeit - ich hoffe, daß das noch möglich sein wird während dieser Tagung - eine Geschäftsordnung vorlegen wird. Diese wird dann mancherlei Unterpunkte enthalten, die nicht in die Statuten hineingehören, weil die Statuten so abgefaßt sein sollten, daß sie jeder Mensch lesen kann in ungefähr einer Viertelstunde, wobei ihm noch fünf Minuten außerdem bleiben zum Darüber-Nachdenken. Deshalb bin ich bestrebt, diese Statuten so kurz als möglich zu machen. Kurz müssen sie auch sein, so daß keine Spezialpunkte darin sind. Also das, glaube ich, kann ganz gut wegbleiben. - Wünscht sonst noch jemand das Wort?
Herr Donner: Es kommt wohl in Frage bei diesem Punkte, daß die Landesgesellschaften ihre Generalversammlungen zuerst abhalten sollten, und daß dann erst die Generalversammlung der Allgemeinen Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft stattfindet. Ob es praktisch ist, daß dies jedesmal so geschieht?
Dr. Steiner: Es dürfte ja vielleicht ganz praktisch sein, wenn sich der Usus herausbilden würde, daß die Ländergesellschaften zunächst eine Versammlung abhielten, in der sie die Delegierten für die hiesige Versammlung bestimmten, und sich dann in einer weiteren Versammlung referieren ließen über das, was hier geschehen ist. Das würde vielleicht als der beste Usus herauskommen.
Mrs. Merry: Ich finde, daß drei Wochen nicht genug sind für die Einladung.
Dr. Steiner: Bitte, dann sagen wir sechs Wochen. Ich habe schon gesagt im Vorstand, es können auch sechs sein. - Dann haben wir hier noch einen Satz einzufügen. Der Satz, den ich hier einfügen will, ist der: «Eine von Zeit zu Zeit geschäftsordnungsmäßig festzusetzende Anzahl von Mitgliedern ist berechtigt, jederzeit eine außerordentliche Generalversammlung zu verlangen.» Man muß diese Möglichkeit auch offen lassen.
Herr Leinhas: Ich möchte nur empfehlen, daß die Einberufungspflicht für die außerordentliche Versammlung für drei Wochen bestehen bleibt; also für die ordentliche sechs Wochen, für die außerordentliche eine kürzere Zeit.
Dr. Steiner: Gut, es kann ja geschehen, daß für die außerordentliche drei Wochen genügen. - Wünscht sonst noch jemand das Wort zu § 10? - Es ist nicht der Fall. Dann bitte ich diejenigen Freunde, die für Annahme des § 10 sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte diejenigen, die dagegen sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) - Der § 10 ist angenommen.
Bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 11 zu verlesen.
§ 11 wird verlesen:
«11. Die Mitglieder können sich auf jedem örtlichen oder sachlichen Felde zu kleineren oder größeren Gruppen zusammenschließen. Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft hat ihren Sitz am Goetheanum. Der Vorstand hat von da aus das an die Mitglieder oder Mitgliedergruppen zu bringen, was er als die Aufgabe der Gesellschaft ansieht. Er tritt in Verkehr mit den Funktionären, die von den einzelnen Gruppen gewählt oder ernannt werden. Die einzelnen Gruppen besorgen die Aufnahme der Mitglieder; doch sollen die Aufnahmebestätigungen dem Vorstande in Dornach vorgelegt und von diesem im Vertrauen zu den Gruppenfunktionären unterzeichnet werden. Im allgemeinen soll sich jedes Mitglied einer Gruppe anschließen; nur wem es ganz unmöglich ist, die Aufnahme bei einer Gruppe zu finden, sollte sich in Dornach selbst als Mitglied aufnehmen lassen.»
Dr. Steiner: Wünscht jemand zu diesem Punkte das Wort? - Es ist ja natürlich, daß gerade dieser Punkt in der Geschäftsordnung seine Erläuterung finden kann, daher glaube ich: Was hier enthalten ist, brauchen wir im allgemeinen nicht zu sagen. Man weiß aus diesem Paragraphen, wie die Aufnahme besorgt werden wird, alles übrige ist eigentlich Gebrauch, der sogar von Zeit zu Zeit ganz gut geändert werden kann.
Wünscht jemand das Wort zu diesem § 11? - Das scheint nicht der Fall zu sein. Dann bitte ich diejenigen Freunde, welche für Annahme des § 11 sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte die Freunde, welche für Ablehnung des § 11 sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) — § 11 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen.
Bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 12 zu verlesen.
§ 12 wird verlesen:
«12. Der Mitgliedsbeitrag wird durch die einzelnen Gruppen bestimmt; doch hat jede Gruppe für jedes ihrer Mitglieder ... an die zentrale Leitung am Goetheanum zu entrichten.»
Dr. Steiner: Ich würde nun bitten, daß über den Betrag, der hier eingefügt werden soll, nicht jetzt verhandelt wird, sondern nach Vorschlägen des Vorstandes zunächst in der morgen um 8 Uhr 30 stattfindenden Generalsekretäre-Versammlung. Es kann ja dann in der nächsten Mitgliederversammlung referiert werden, was die Generalsekretäre nach dieser Richtung für möglich und notwendig halten. Ich möchte nur bitten, daß Sie dem allgemeinen Sinne nach diesen Paragraphen annehmen. — Wünscht dazu jemand das Wort? Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich die Freunde, welche in diesem Sinne den § 12 annehmen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte die Freunde, welche den §12 ablehnen wollen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) - Der § 12 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen. Bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 13 zu verlesen.
§ 13 wird verlesen:
«13. Jede Arbeitsgruppe bildet ihre eigenen Statuten; nur sollen diese den Statuten der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft nicht widersprechen.»
Dr. Steiner: Wünscht jemand zu diesem § 13 das Wort? - Ich glaube, der ist so selbstverständlich wie nur irgend etwas. — Es scheint nicht der Fall zu sein. Ich bitte die Freunde, welche den § 13
annehmen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte die Freun de, welche den § 13 ablehnen wollen, die Hand zu erheben. (Es mel det sich niemand.) — Der § 13 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen. Ich bitte Herrn Dr. Wachsmuth, den § 14 zu verlesen.
§ 14 wird verlesen:
«14. Gesellschaftsorgan ist das «Goetheanum>, das zu diesem Ziele mit einer Beilage versehen wird, die die offiziellen Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft enthalten soll. Diese vergrößerte Ausgabe des «Goetheanum wird nur an die Mitglieder der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft abgegeben.»
Dr. Steiner: Ich habe schon über diesen § 14 gesprochen und bitte diejenigen verehrten Freunde, welche etwas sagen wollen zu diesem Paragraphen, sich zu melden. - Wünscht jemand zu § 14 zu sprechen?
Frage: Wird das «Goetheanum» nur von der Schweiz aus bezogen werden können?
Dr. Steiner: Den Usus, wie es verbreitet werden kann, bestimmt man nach den allerpraktischsten Bedingungen. Mit der deutschen Abteilung ist schon ein Abkommen getroffen. Da wird es von Stuttgart aus versandt werden. So wird man es überall so machen, wie es am allerpraktischsten ist. Das ist ja selbstverständlich.
Ein Redner: Der Ordnung halber sollte man schreiben: «Gesellschaftsorgan ist die Wochenschrift «Goetheanum»».
Dr. Steiner: Wochenschrift. Meinetwillen. - Wünscht noch jemand das Wort?
Herr Goyert: Wenn die Wochenschrift in eine andere Zeitschrift umgewandelt wird, stimmt das nicht mehr.
Dr. Steiner: Hoffen wir, daß das nicht der Fall ist. Es ist vielleicht ganz gut, wenn man dadurch ein Mittel hat, die Wochenschrift so zu lassen, wie sie ist, sie nicht umzuwandeln. - Wünscht noch jemand das Wort? - Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich die Freunde, welche für Annahme des § 14 sind, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Die Freunde, welche dagegen sind, bitte ich, die Hand zu erheben. (Es meldet sich niemand.) - Der § 14 ist in zweiter Lesung angenommen.
Es wird nun noch als ein 15. Paragraph einzufügen sein:
«Bei der Gründungsversammlung zu Weihnachten 1923 wird der Gründungsvorstand gebildet sein aus:
Rudolf Steiner als Vorsitzenden,
Albert Steffen als Vorsitzenden-Stellvertreter,
Frau Dr. Wegman als Schriftführer,
Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth als Sekretär und Schatzmeister,
Frau Dr. Steiner als Beisitzer
Fräulein Dr. Vreede als Beisitzer.»
Ich möchte jetzt nur noch das erwähnen, daß dieses der für die Gesellschaft verantwortliche Vorstand sein soll, daß aber bei all denjenigen Angelegenheiten, die zusammenhängen mit der Führung der Seele der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft, der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft, Goetheanum, immer zu den Sitzungen und Beratungen zugezogen werden auch diejenigen Leiter einzelner Sektionen des Goetheanums, die nicht im Vorstande sind. Es ist ja jetzt mit einer einzigen Ausnahme der ganze Vorstand auch mit der Leitung der Schule beschäftigt. Wünscht jemand zu diesem Punkte zu sprechen? — Es ist gesagt: der Gesamtvorstand wird «gebildet». Damit ist darauf hingewiesen, daß er weder gewählt noch ernannt worden ist, sondern als ein selbstverständlicher, durch die Gründe, die angeführt worden sind, designierter Vorstand, von der Sache designierter Vorstand also bei dieser Gründungsversammlung begründet worden ist.
Frage: Ist eine Akkumulierung der Ämter nicht möglich?
Dr. Steiner: Ich sagte gestern ausdrücklich: Es soll bestehen eine Inkompatibilität für die Mitglieder des Vorstandes in bezug auf andere Ämter der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft. Also es ist zum Beispiel nicht wünschenswert, daß eines der Vorstandsmitglieder Generalsekretär in irgendeiner Sektion ist, daß er, sagen wir, Zweigvorstand ist oder dergleichen, damit er sich seiner Aufgabe ausschließlich widmen kann. Aber zur Leitung der Schule müssen natürlich diejenigen gerufen werden, die die geeignetsten dafür sind. Und die Leitung der Schule wird ja im wesentlichen einen großen Teil der Agenzien des Vorstandes gerade bilden; daher auch die Kumulierung, daß die Leiter der Schule zu gleicher Zeit die Mitberatenden des Vorstandes sein werden. - Wünscht sonst noch jemand zu § 15 zu sprechen? Das ist nicht der Fall. Dann bitte ich Sie, jetzt nicht durch eine Abstimmung in dem Sinne wie die früheren Abstimmungen waren, sondern mit dem Gefühl: Sie geben diesem Grundcharakter der Führung einer wirklichen Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft recht, bitte ich Sie, Ihre Zustimmung dazu zu geben, daß dieser Vorstand hier für die Führung der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft gebildet werde. (Lange anhaltender Beifall.)
Dr. Steiner: Nun, meine lieben Freunde, ich glaube auch im Namen der mir zur Seite stehenden, nicht unmündigen, sondern übermündigen Vorstandsmitglieder für Ihre Zustimmung hier den allerherzlichsten Dank auszusprechen, und das Versprechen abzugeben, daß die Führung der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft in dem aus den geisteswissenschaftlichen Grundlagen und Bedingungen heraus gestellten Sinne wird geführt werden.
Wir kommen nun zum Schlusse. Nachdem wir die zweite Lesung absolviert haben, kommen wir nun zur Annahme der Gesamt-Statuten in dritter Lesung. Ich bitte, hat jemand, nachdem über die einzelnen Paragraphen in der Spezialdebatte gesprochen worden ist, den Wunsch, noch einmal über das Ganze zu sprechen? — Ich möchte nur bemerken, daß ich die folgende historische Bemerkung, die gestern gewünscht worden ist, hinzufügen möchte nach § 2:
«Die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft knüpft an die im Jahre 1912 gegründete Anthroposophische Gesellschaft an, möchte aber für die damals festgestellten Ziele einen selbständigen, dem wahren Geiste der Gegenwart entsprechenden Ausgangspunkt schaffen.»
Das ist die Bemerkung, durch die wir dasjenige hinzufügen können, was in bezug darauf gestern gesagt worden ist. - Ich bitte jetzt, wünscht jemand noch einmal über die Statuten gewissermaßen en bloc zu reden? Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, bitte ich die verehrten Freunde, welche dafür sind, daß die Statuten in dritter Lesung angenommen werden, die Hand zu erheben. (Es geschieht.) Ich bitte diejenigen, die dagegen sind, dies ebenfalls durch Erheben der Hände zu bezeugen. (Es meldet sich niemand.)
Damit sind, meine verehrten Freunde, die Statuten der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft angenommen, und wir werden die Mitgliederversammlung morgen nach dem Vortrag von Herrn Werbeck in derselben Weise fortsetzen, wie wir bisher diese Versammlungen fortgesetzt haben. Ich möchte noch verkündigen - bitte, ein paar Sekunden auf den Plätzen zu bleiben -: 1. Die Eurythmie-Vorstellung heute nachmittag um 4 Uhr 30 ist die nächste Veranstaltung, die wir haben werden; sie wird mit einem vollständig neuen Programm stattfinden. 2. Samstag, um 8 Uhr 30, werden die Generalsekretäre gebeten, so wie am letzten Dienstag um 2 Uhr 30, unten im Glashaus wieder zusammenzukommen. Dabei werde ich auch die Vertreter der einzelnen schweizerischen Zweige bitten, mit anwesend zu sein, da die berührte Frage über die schweizerische Anthroposophische Gesellschaft dann zunächst im engeren Kreise besprochen werden soll.
Ferner erlaube ich mir mitzuteilen, daß die für heute nachmittag anberaumte Zusammenkunft der Mitglieder der Schulvereine für freies Erziehungs- und Unterrichtswesen in der Schweiz leider - weil noch Eurythmieproben stattfinden müssen — nicht in diesem Saale gehalten werden kann. Daher wird kein Lokal da sein, in dem alle Mitglieder als Zuhörer dieser Versammlung werden anwesend sein können. Nach den gegebenen Verhältnissen muß daher gebeten werden, obwohl das natürlich recht unliebsam ist, daß eben bei dieser Versammlung, die wir im Glashaus unten heute nachmittag halten werden, nur erscheinen die Mitglieder des Schweizerischen Schulvereins als solche und noch diejenigen Freunde, die aus nichtdeutschen Ländern hier sind, also die Freunde aus Amerika, England, Frankreich, Spanien, Italien, Schweden, Norwegen, Holland und so weiter. Nur bitte ich diejenigen Persönlichkeiten, die eben aus ganz valutaschwachen Ländern sind - irgendwo muß man das Kind ja leider zerschneiden -, die bitte ich, zunächst bei der heutigen Versammlung wegzubleiben: also alle deutschen Mitglieder und, wenn sie nicht hineinkönnen, eventuell auch die österreichischen Mitglieder. Dann werde ich aufmerksam gemacht - solche Dinge scheinen ja immer aufzustoßen -, daß Vorsicht geübt werden soll in Gesprächen auf der Straße, im Tram und in den Quartieren. Nun ja, es ist schon ganz gut, wenn man nicht die Leute ärgert dadurch, daß man allerlei sonderbare Bemerkungen macht. — Damit ist alles mitgeteilt, was möglich war, mitzuteilen. Das Weitere wird noch mitgeteilt werden, wenn der Vorstand hier eine Art Geschäftsordnung vorlegen wird. Das kann in der Mitgliederversammlung morgen gesagt werden.
Nachmittags 4 Uhr 30 findet eine Eurythmie-Aufführung statt. Heute abend um 8 Uhr 30 wird mein Vortrag sein. Es wird notwendig sein, den Vortrag immer auf 8 Uhr 30 zu verschieben. Und morgen um 8 Uhr 30 morgens die Versammlung, die ich angekündigt habe, für die Generalsekretäre und schweizerischen Zweigvorstände, dann um 10 Uhr: Vortrag von Herrn Werbeck zur Gegnerschaft der Anthroposophie, und nach einer kurzen Pause nach diesem Vortrag: Fortsetzung dieser Versammlung.
Continuation of the founding meeting
Topic: Anthroposophy and art
Beforehand, Dr. Steiner announces a few things regarding the rules of the meeting:
My dear friends!
Before I open today's meeting, I would like to apologize for yesterday's disagreements regarding admission and waiting outside. It was, of course, a very unfortunate situation, but it was really based on a number of misunderstandings, and I ask you to forgive us. In the near future, we will ensure that our friends find the doors open half an hour before the start of any meeting here. I will also do my best to have two heating pipes installed tonight so that you will not be so cold out there tomorrow. It is really difficult to create satisfactory conditions in every respect with the primitive facilities we have here. Believe me, the conditions are least satisfactory for the board and for me. Hopefully we will be able to avoid such things in the coming days.
Now I would like to ask Mr. Stuten to take the floor. He will delight us with a lecture on music in spiritual life today.
Mr. Stuten gives his lecture on “Music and the Spiritual World.”
After a 15-minute break, the discussion of the statutes continues. Dr. Steiner opens it: My dear friends! Today I will again speak the words that are to give us the foundation for our present work here and for our further work outside.
Human soul!
You live in the limbs,
Which carry you through the spatial world
In the sea of spirit:
Practice spiritual remembrance
In the depths of the soul,
Where in the ruling
Being of the Creator of Worlds
Your own self
In the God-self
Exists;
And you will truly live
In the human-world-being.For the Father-Spirit of the heights reigns
In the depths of the world, creating being.Human soul!
For the will of Christ reigns in the sphere
You live in the beating of the heart and lungs,
Which, through the rhythm of time,
Into your own soul-being:
Practice spiritual reflection
In soul equilibrium,
Where the surging
World-becoming deeds
Your own self
With the world-self
Unite;
And you will truly feel
In the workings of the human soul.
In the rhythms of the worlds, blessing souls. Human soul!
You live in the resting head,
Which, from the depths of eternity,
Opens up the thoughts of the world to you:
Practice spiritual vision
In the tranquility of thought,
Where the eternal goals of the gods
The light of the world's essence
To your own self
For free will
Are given;
And you will truly think
In the foundations of the human spirit.For the world thoughts of the spirit reign
In the light-seeking being of the world.
And now, my dear friends, let us once again write the inner rhythm into our souls, which can bring us closer to how these very words resound from the rhythm of the world.
First saying:
[It is spoken and written on the board. See facsimile in Appendix 4, Plate III]
Practice spirit-remembering
This is the activity that can take place in one's own soul. Outside, in the great universe, it corresponds to what is expressed in the words:
For the Father Spirit of the heights reigns
In the depths of the world, creating being.
The second is this
Practice spiritual contemplation,
the process within, which is answered outside in the universe:
For the Christ will reigns in the surroundings
In the rhythms of the worlds, blessing souls.
The third is:
Practice spiritual contemplation,
it responds outside:
For the world thoughts of the spirit reign
In the world being, imploring light.
[Inscription on the tablet]
1
Practice spirit-remembrance/p>
For the Father-Spirit of the heights reigns In the depths of the world, creating being.
2/p>
Practice spirit reflection
For the Christ will reigns in the surroundings, blessing souls in the rhythms of the worlds.
3
Practice spirit vision
For the spirit's world thoughts reign, seeking light in the world's being.
Dr. Steiner: We now continue our meeting with a discussion of § 4 of the statutes.
I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 4.
§ 4 is read by Dr. Wachsmuth:
"4. The Anthroposophical Society is not a secret society, but a thoroughly public one. Anyone can become a member, regardless of nationality, social status, religion, or scientific or artistic convictions, who sees something justified in the existence of an institution such as the Goetheanum in Dornach as a Free University of Spiritual Science. The Society rejects any sectarian tendencies. It does not consider politics to be part of its remit."
Dr. Steiner: Mr. Collison was the first to speak.
Mr. Collison: As a very long-standing member, please forgive me for saying a few words about these statutes. We are only at point 4. I don't think it can be our intention to amend the statutes. Dr. Steiner has put so much effort into them, and they are really quite comprehensive. It seems to me that the debate on the individual points should only serve the purpose of asking any questions about the meaning and scope of these points.
(Applause, long and sustained.)/p>
Dr. Steiner: Who would like to speak on § 4?
It is proposed that the statutes be adopted by acclamation.
Dr. Steiner: Yes, I must nevertheless ask: Who wishes to speak on § 4? - This § 4 will essentially deal with the fact that in the near future we will present the Anthroposophical Society to the world as a public society in the full sense of the word. And everything that may contain esoteric elements in the Anthroposophical Society despite this publicity will be safeguarded by § 5 and the following paragraphs.
May I ask again: Who wishes to speak on § 4 of the statutes? — It seems that no one does. Then I ask those friends who are in favor of accepting § 4 to raise their hands. (This is done.) Who is in favor of rejecting § 4? (No one responds.) — § 4 is accepted on second reading. I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read out § 5 of the statutes.
§ 5 is read out:
"5. The Anthroposophical Society sees the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach as the center of its work. This will consist of three classes. Members of the Society will be admitted to these classes upon application, after they have been members for a period of time to be determined by the Goetheanum leadership. They will thereby enter the first class of the School of Spiritual Science. Admission to the second or third class will take place when the Goetheanum leadership deems the applicants suitable."
Dr. Steiner: Well, my dear friends, this paragraph is about ensuring that the Anthroposophical Society is actually given the natural soul that can be given to it in the Goetheanum in Dornach in the near future. This paragraph of the statutes is intended to create a very concrete awareness among the members, or those who wish to become members, that the soul of the anthroposophical movement is given in the Goetheanum. In this way, what is necessary in terms of esoteric impulses for the Anthroposophical Society can once again be given. And we will then make progress if you strive to penetrate the spirit of this § 5 of the statutes.
I would just like to say a few words about how I envisage the constitution of the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach, Goetheanum, in the future. It will increasingly be a matter — as those who have spent a long time within the Anthroposophical Society and worked there will have recognized quite well — that in what can in any way be regarded as an ascent in training, it is not merely intellectual qualities that are taken into account, at least not the intellectual and empirical training that is customary in the outer world, except insofar as they are absolutely necessary for some special field. And it will be a matter of the emotional, the immediate powers of comprehension of the esoteric and occult, of moral qualities, and so on, having to play a major role. And the basic feature of what will be effective in relation to the three classes that form the foundation of the Anthroposophical Society, which is completely public, the basic feature in the work of these three classes will be precisely that which is self-evidently spiritual science. But we will need to present the School of Spiritual Science in its effectiveness to the world in such a way to present it to the world in such a way that it shows how it can enrich the individual areas of civilization, knowledge, the arts, and so on. Here, too, there must be no schematic thinking from the outset. What is meant by schematic thinking? Schematic thinking is the kind of thinking that one has when one says: The School of Spiritual Science must be divided according to the concept, according to the idea: first section, second section, third, fourth, fifth section, and so on, as is the case with such a logical structure; one can think this out very nicely. [See Supplement 4, Plate IX.] What usually results? Well, then one has a structure that exists in cloud cuckoo land. And now this structure must also be administered! Now you look for people, you look around here and there and look for people; they then have to go into the first and second and third, and then you slot them in by some kind of selection or the like. What usually happens then is that they pupate in the corresponding departments of the scheme; they pupate, but the butterfly does not crawl out. — Here, one should not proceed in an abstract manner, but rather take the existing activities and then, from the already existing spheres of fact, first compile the sections: that which is already there. For, my dear friends, in order to manage precisely that which is to be done administratively, and also in the highest spiritual sense, administratively in the individual areas, someone who is not permanently active here cannot be called upon to do this management. For it is true that if we are not merely to talk about the work, but are to work with full responsibility, then, first of all, everyone who works there must always be available; secondly, the entire management must always be available to those who are responsible. Therefore, purely out of spiritual empiricism, I initially thought that the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach should be led by me in all esoteric matters, and that I should be assisted in this leadership by those personalities who, in certain spheres, have contributed spiritually to the development of the anthroposophical movement here in Dornach. And so, initially, the following would result purely from the natural, self-evident circumstances in Dornach. Initially, this leadership would fall to me as an overview of the whole, as leadership of the whole with the special leadership of anthroposophy and education.
And I would exercise further leadership by placing at the head of the individual sections those personalities who are in a position to lead a certain branch of the anthroposophical movement on the basis of what has happened so far.
And this would include, first of all, what I have already mentioned, what in France is perhaps still called “belles-lettres.” I don't know if the term is still used. Not anymore? What a pity! In Germany, until the 19th century — then it fell out of use — people spoke of the “beautiful sciences”: beautiful sciences that brought beauty, aesthetics, and artistry into human knowledge. It is very characteristic that even in France the expression “belles-lettres” is no longer used!
Interjection: “Académie des lettres!”
Yes, but the ‘belles’ has been omitted! And that is precisely what matters. We have enough sciences, but “beautiful sciences”! I don't know what those gathered here, especially the younger scholars, have to say about this, but here in Dornach we are not only connecting with the recent past, but even with the most ancient past. And that is why we can and must, even if we still have to find a more convenient title for it – I haven't found one yet — for the field that in France has been called “belles-lettres” and in Germany is called “Schöne Wissenschaften” (beautiful sciences), we must create a section for this field here. And again, I may say: it is self-evident, because the personality is there who is as called to lead this field as anyone can be: that is our dear friend Albert Steffen, who will certainly do nothing else in this field than what is happening in the most eminent sense in the spirit of the spiritual scientific movement, as intended here in Dornach. (Lively applause)
I must then mention another field, that of the speaking and musical arts, together with eurythmy. And here, too, the personality is of course already in place. I need not say much about this. I will lead this field through the director, Dr. Steiner. (Lively applause)
The aim will then be to create a department here, a section for pure natural science. As you know, our position on natural science is that we are seeking something extraordinarily profound in it, but that we must transform the way natural science is currently treated into something completely different. Now you will see from a literary work that is almost ready for printing that our dear friend, Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth, has devoted himself with great zeal to this metamorphosis of natural science. And we will therefore be able to entrust the purely scientific department to Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth in the most fruitful way. (Applause)
In connection with this, there will be a department that must be given special attention for the reason that its field has always been, in times when people strove for true spiritual knowledge, not so much a chapter of spiritual science as something organically connected with spiritual science. In earlier times, it was unthinkable that what was introduced into humanity as spiritual insight, as spiritual knowledge, could be separated from medicine. And we will see, precisely from the work that Dr. Wegman is now doing with me and which will soon be presented to the public, how naturally this not only synthesis but organic development results in a true anthroposophical view of the world. Therefore, it is again quite natural that I should lead the medical department, the medical section, with the help of its director, Dr. Wegman. (Applause)
Now, my dear friends, if you remember the old Goetheanum, if you remember the beautiful words spoken about it today in his excellent lecture by our friend Mr. Stuten, then you will see that the fine arts also played a major role here. They will also have to do so in the future, and we will need a section for the fine arts. Now, you know that for years Miss Maryon has been at my side, especially in the practice of the fine arts for the Goetheanum. Unfortunately, she is unable to attend this meeting because she has been suffering from a very long illness and does not even have the opportunity to come here. But I hope that when she recovers after some time, she will be able to devote herself to the work I am talking about here. I will carry out what is to be done here in the plastic arts and in the plastic arts in general through the head of this section, Miss Maryon. (Applause)
Now we have another personality who has staked out her territory in the world in a very forceful way, so that advice and help come from her everywhere when one needs to know something in the field of mathematics and astronomy. You can, especially those in Dornach, can see from the content of my last lectures, including those that precede the last cycle, how necessary it is to trace astronomy back to the older conceptions. And if you look at a little note in my memoirs — which are now being published in the Goetheanum — right at the beginning of the article appearing this evening, you will see how deeply grounded it is that above the Platonic school stood: God geometrizes. And one can penetrate into the innermost depths of Platonic teaching — I am speaking, of course, of Platonic teaching, not of spiritual-scientific teaching — only through mathematics. Everything that needs to be put right in this field must be put right. And I believe that you will agree with just as much enthusiasm as in the previous cases when I say that I will have this area led by Dr. Vreede in the future. (Applause)
My dear friends! If I had shared my ideas, there would certainly still be some things left, but there would be a lack of personalities who can take care of the matter here on the spot, based on all the basic conditions. You may believe that this is not only based on four weeks of reflection, as in the case of the statutes, but that the announcements I have just made are based on years of experience. And so we will have to leave it at that in this matter.
Later, when the integration of the Executive Council into the statutes has been completed, I will have to discuss, as the last point of the statutes, how I envision the relationship between the collegium that runs the school and the Executive Council that leads the Anthroposophical Society.
Now I ask those who wish to speak on § 5 of the statutes to do so. (No one responds.) Mr. Collison's words seem to have a strangely dampening effect!
Mr. Ingerö: Dear friends! Just a quick question: The statement in § 5: “a time to be determined by the leadership of the Goetheanum” – is that individual or general?
Dr. Steiner: Entirely individual, entirely individual. Isn't that so, if you imagine how things will come about: one becomes a member of the Anthroposophical Society through one's own will, or one already is a member, or one has already been a member; so for most of those sitting here, the antecedents are already present. Now it says here “upon application,” which means that one expresses one's will to become a member of the school. And now the leadership of the Goetheanum decides whether this can happen at the present time or only in the future. That will be the concrete handling of the matter.
Does anyone else wish to speak on § 5? – If that is not the case, I ask those who intend to accept § 5 to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those who wish to reject it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) § 5 is therefore also accepted on second reading.
I ask that § 6 be read aloud:
Dr. Wachsmuth reads aloud § 6 of the statutes:
“6. Every member of the Anthroposophical Society has the right to participate in all lectures, other presentations, and meetings organized by the Society under the conditions to be announced by the Executive Council.”
Dr. Steiner: My dear friends! You may take issue with the subordinate clause: “under the conditions to be announced by the Executive Council.” I have also thought long and hard about this sentence. I said to myself: The most natural version of this sentence would be: " Every member of the Anthroposophical Society has the right to participate in all lectures, other presentations, and meetings organized by it." Certainly, that could have been the wording of the paragraph; but then, in principle, we would not have been able to do what unfortunately has to be done now: we would not have been able to set admission fees for the presentations, for example. And such secondary conditions are what is meant. I had to think first and foremost about the admission fees. It is unfortunate that this is necessary, but it must be done; for just as little as man can live on air alone, so little is it possible to exist with the anthroposophical movement if idealism does not sometimes also affect the purse. Of course, other such conditions may arise, but I cannot help but find it necessary that what concerns the public nature of the society, its conditions of admission, be laid down in this paragraph. — Does anyone wish to speak on § 6? (No one responds.) Mr. Collison is truly a magician! Does anyone wish to speak on § 6? — If that is not the case, I ask those dear friends who are inclined to accept § 6 again in the second reading to raise their hands. (They do so.)
I ask those friends who are opposed to raise their hands. (No one responds.) - § 6 is accepted in the second reading. (Applause)
I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 7.
§ 7 is read:
“7. The establishment of the School of Spiritual Science is initially the responsibility of Rudolf Steiner, who is to appoint his colleagues and his eventual successor.”
Dr. Steiner: I have just explained to you how I envisage the management. And I have nothing further to say about this paragraph. — I ask those esteemed friends who wish to speak on this paragraph to come forward. Does anyone wish to speak on § 7? — That does not seem to be the case. Then I ask those friends who wish to accept § 7 in the second reading to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those who wish to reject it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) § 7 is accepted in the second reading.
I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 8.
§ 8 is read:
"8. All publications of the Society shall be public in the same way as those of other public societies. The publications of the School of Spiritual Science shall be no exception to this public nature; however, the management of the School reserves the right to dispute any judgment of these writings that is not based on the training from which they originated. In this sense, it will not recognize the validity of any judgment that is not based on corresponding preliminary studies, as is customary in the recognized scientific world. For this reason, the writings of the School of Spiritual Science will bear the following note: "Printed as a manuscript for the members of the School of Spiritual Science, Goetheanum, Class ... No one who has not acquired the preliminary knowledge claimed by this school through it or in a manner recognized by it as equivalent will be granted a competent judgment on these writings. Other assessments will be rejected insofar as the authors of the corresponding writings will not engage in any discussion about them."
Dr. Steiner: My dear friends! With this, I have attempted to put into practice something that I have actually been thinking about, if I may say so, since 1913, before the foundation stone for the Goetheanum was laid. We must be clear that it is extremely tempting, in a movement such as anthroposophy, to organize the society that supports this movement in a sectarian manner. One cannot blame those who participate in such a society, for we know how much of a tendency toward sectarianism still exists in human beings as a result of old atavistic impulses. People are often unaware of this, but they do carry sectarian impulses within them. And so it has come to pass that, under the somewhat tumultuous circumstances surrounding the printing of the cycles, something has entered the society that nevertheless gives a sectarian impression in its handling. For today, with modern consciousness, it is simply impossible to understand that something that is printed in a large number of copies — in a number of copies exceeding 100 — can somehow be kept secret within any community. It is simply not possible. For you see, in some areas such secrecy is certainly fruitful, but nevertheless it is not carried out. For example, I once spoke—it was in 1888 [1889]—with the well-known philosopher of the unconscious, Eduard von Hartmann, about how epistemological writings are generally read by few people, and yet 500, sometimes 1,000 copies are always printed when they appear. Eduard von Hartmann said that such writings should not be printed at all, but that at most 60 to 70 copies should be distributed throughout the world, because only 60 to 70 people could really understand epistemology. — I mean the one that Eduard von Hartmann had in mind. However, I believe that in my own little book on epistemology, which has now been republished in a new edition, “Erkenntnistheorie der Goetheschen Weltanschauung” (Epistemology of Goethe's Worldview), I have contributed something to the field of epistemology that everyone can read. But I don't think it's possible to keep this principle, something printed, secret. Practice has shown that it's not possible. Because we've reached a point where today's enemies talk about a new publication much more quickly in public than anthroposophists do. We have to take these facts into account. We can only advance with our great goals if we take full account of the spirit of the times. This spirit of the times does not tolerate external secrecy, while it tolerates internal secrecy very well. For the truly esoteric anthroposophical writings will remain a very, very great secret for people for a long time to come. And we do not need external physical secrecy if we carry out secrecy in this moral way, by simply working toward recognition of the judgment in the world, that what is possible for recognition in every field also applies in this field: that there are boundaries between experts and laypeople. — And we must always be able to deal with laypeople in such a way that we can say: Look at his judgment, it is like the farmer's judgment on differential calculus. — If we work on this basis, then we will nevertheless gradually, if not immediately, succeed in solving the cycle question in the appropriate manner. You see, I told you: I have actually been thinking about this for ten years; now a solution had to be found. I can find no other than this moral one. I would then like to add, where it says: “All publications of the Society will be public in the same way as those of other public societies”: “The conditions under which intellectual training is obtained are also publicly described and will continue to be publicly presented.” This should be added as a note so that the misunderstanding pointed out yesterday does not arise. Of course, I must reserve the right to make a small stylistic improvement to this imprint if necessary. But that will then be a matter of stylization. Perhaps it should also be stated: “Printed as a manuscript for the members of the School of Spiritual Science ...” “but accessible to the general public” or something to that effect. That may then be the case. The question will have to be resolved very soon, because the stamp for the cycles that have already been printed and those that are still to be printed must be made, and this practice will have to be introduced in the very near future, as soon as we have created the Anthroposophical Society through our conference here. - I would now like to ask: Who would like to speak on § 8?
Dr. Büchenbacher: Instead of “recognized” in the penultimate sentence, shouldn't it say “acknowledged”?
Dr. Steiner: Of course. That is a misprint.
Dr. Büchenbacher: I would like to ask whether the cycles that have been in the possession of members for years should also be treated as publications of the School of Spiritual Science.
Dr. Steiner: All cycles. We have no choice but to extend these measures to all cycles in view of the current situation. The question will then naturally arise for the members as well, that a little reverence will have to prevail among the members. This should not be taken as a call to sell the cycles as quickly as possible to antiquarian booksellers.
Miss Simon asks: Does this also apply to all writings similar to the cycles, that they should bear this stamped or printed note?
Dr. Steiner: Essentially, it will only be the cycles and the writings that are similar to the cycles.
Mr. Werbeck: What about the course on national economics that was held here? Does that also count as a cycle?
Dr. Steiner: That is a matter concerning a few works which, strictly speaking, were not published by myself or by the Anthroposophical Publishing House, but which were granted to a certain circle to be printed. In these cases, something else comes into consideration. On the one hand, I am very grateful that you are giving me the opportunity to discuss this unpleasant matter. In these cases, it must be taken into account that they may of course only be used by those who have obtained permission to do so. These include this course on national economy, the medical courses, and so on. However, if they are to be distributed in any way, the copyright initially falls back on me, and it is the case that if it were to be considered to transform these writings into a series with this note, the writings in question would have to be returned to me, and they could only be published as a series by the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag with this note. Of course, the other aspect that arises from the usual author's rights also comes into consideration. Does anyone else wish to speak on this paragraph?
Dr. Kolisko: I would like to say the following about the question last raised by Dr. Steiner: Regarding the specialist courses, the three natural science courses that Dr. Steiner held in Stuttgart, and the medical courses, I would like to say that I would very much like to return these courses to the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House, because I am convinced that it would be best, if it were to happen at all, for the publications to be made at the School of Spiritual Science, if that is what Dr. Steiner intends. I would like to express this here in this somewhat unpleasant matter.
Dr. Steiner: Would anyone else like to speak on § 8?
Mr. Leinhas: It says here that “the authors of the relevant writings shall not engage in any discussion about them.” Does that mean that it is the intention that the members of the School of Spiritual Science of the relevant class should not engage in any discussions with others?
Dr. Steiner: Of course, yes.
Mr. Goyert: I would like to ask whether the intention is that this note, which is to be included in the cycles, should also be included in the copies already in the possession of members?
Dr. Steiner: We will issue an appeal to members owners of such cycles, in the supplement to the “Goetheanum,” asking them to write this note in their cycles themselves, and we will stamp all the cycles that are still in storage with this stamp. Every cycle, regardless of whether it was created in the past or will be created in the future, should actually bear this note.
Dr. Peipers: Would it not be desirable, in order to avoid misunderstandings, to express in a note that these publications also include specialized scientific courses?
Dr. Steiner: What misunderstandings could arise? It is not possible to include something ephemeral in a statute. I mean, it is impossible to say in the statutes—so that no misunderstanding arises—about something that is self-evident, and that this applies, for example, to the medical course. It goes without saying that the medical course was given under certain conditions, under certain clauses. And if it was given under these clauses, then it will be returned to me if it is to be published. I think that goes without saying. We would have to put a lot of things into the statutes that do not belong there if all kinds of customs were to be discussed in them. I don't think that belongs in the statutes. Mr. Kaufmann: Will it be advisable in the future for new members to read cycles, even if they do not yet belong to the relevant class at the university?
Dr. Steiner: That is a very individual and personal matter. You can't give any directives about it. There will be members who can be advised to read the cycles, as they will be public, and there will be members who cannot be advised to do so, and who will either refrain from doing so because they value the advice, or who will read them anyway. I think it is extremely difficult to give directives in this regard. I have had some very strange experiences in this connection. For example, I got to know a branch that extended its advice so far as to recommend or advise against this or that book to its members. Certain people who were already members were not allowed to read even my “Theosophy” because it was not considered suitable for them. If these members saw such authority in the group leader in question that they obeyed him with their souls, well and good! Or they did not. One cannot give directives in general.
Mademoiselle Sauerwein: Will the cycles appear in their current form, or will they also be available through bookstores?
Dr. Steiner: No, the cycles will be published by Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag, and the way in which they come to their owners will depend on the owners themselves. If the owners want to obtain them through bookshops in any way – we will of course not give them on condition, as they say – but if someone orders a cycle from a bookseller, we will quietly carry out this order. That is the custom.
Mrs. Muntz: If outsiders now demand that they be given a cycle, should we give it to them?
Dr. Steiner: This has already happened to such an extent that I cannot say how it could be prevented. Only by strictly emphasizing publicity can we overcome sectarianism. — Is anyone else inclined to speak about § 8 of the statutes? — If not, I will put this paragraph to the vote. I ask those friends who are in favor of § 8 being adopted in the second reading to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who are against it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) § 8 is adopted in the second reading.
I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 9.
§ 9 is read out:
“9. The aim of the Anthroposophical Society shall be to promote research in the spiritual realm, and the aim of the School of Spiritual Science shall be to conduct this research itself. Dogmatism in any field shall be excluded from the Anthroposophical Society.”
Dr. Steiner: Well, I think the content of this paragraph is easy to overlook. I would just like to point out that it is not a repetition of what is contained in earlier paragraphs, but that it is necessary because it states the aim of the Anthroposophical Society, namely the promotion of research in the spiritual realm, that is, as it is cultivated at the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach. And it must be emphasized that all dogmatism is somehow excluded from the administration of the Anthroposophical Society.Does anyone wish to speak on § 9? — If not, I ask those friends who wish to accept § 9 on second reading to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who are against it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) — § 9 is accepted on second reading.
We now come to § 10. I would ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read out § 10.
§ 10 is read out:
"10. The Anthroposophical Society holds an ordinary annual meeting at the Goetheanum at the beginning of each year, at which the Executive Council presents a full report. The agenda for this meeting shall be announced by the Executive Council in the invitation sent to all members three weeks before the meeting. The Executive Council may convene extraordinary meetings and set the agenda for them. It shall send the invitations to the members three weeks in advance. Motions from individual members or groups of members must be submitted one week before the meeting."
Dr. Steiner: Does anyone wish to speak on this § 10? An attempt has just been made to say as much as is necessary in the statutes.
Mr. Hohlenberg: I would like to ask whether it is necessary for this regular annual meeting to take place at the beginning of the year, or whether another time can be chosen?
Dr. Steiner: I am not insisting on the beginning of the year if it is sufficient for you, without any guarantee that you can then count on a specific time, but under certain circumstances once in January, once in December. If that is sufficient for you? We will not do all these things in such a way that we take them out of the abstract, but we will try to put out feelers here and there. If that is sufficient for you, we can say: “The Anthroposophical Society holds a regular annual meeting at the Goetheanum every year.” I only added it because I believed that it would cause controversy if people did not know when the meeting was to take place.
Dr. Kolisko: I am in favor of keeping it in. Dr. Steiner: Why?
Dr. Kolisko: Because, after many conversations I have had, I have noticed that a great many friends attach great importance to it being at Christmas time, when the Christmas Conference itself is held.
Dr. Steiner: You see, it might be advisable to present it as a general wish that is not included in the statutes. Such things can be dealt with in other ways.
At the end of the discussion of the statutes, I will have to inform you that the Executive Board will present you with rules of procedure at the appropriate time — I hope that this will still be possible during this conference — will present rules of procedure. These will then contain various sub-items that do not belong in the statutes, because the statutes should be written in such a way that anyone can read them in about a quarter of an hour, leaving them five minutes to think about them. That is why I am striving to make these statutes as short as possible. They must also be short, so that there are no special points in them. So I think that can be left out. Does anyone else wish to speak?
Mr. Donner: It is worth considering whether the national societies should hold their general meetings first, and only then should the general meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society take place. Would it be practical to do this every time?
Dr. Steiner: It might be quite practical if a custom were to develop whereby the national societies first held a meeting at which they appointed delegates for the meeting here, and then held another meeting at which they were briefed on what had happened here. That might turn out to be the best practice.
Mrs. Merry: I don't think three weeks is enough time for the invitation.
Dr. Steiner: Please, then let's say six weeks. I have already said in the board meeting that it can also be six. – Then we have to insert another sentence here. The sentence I want to insert here is: “A number of members to be determined from time to time in accordance with the rules of procedure shall be entitled to request an extraordinary general meeting at any time.” This possibility must also be left open.
Mr. Leinhas: I would just like to recommend that the obligation to give three weeks' notice for extraordinary meetings remain in place; in other words, six weeks for ordinary meetings and a shorter period for extraordinary meetings.
Dr. Steiner: Fine, it may well be that three weeks are sufficient for extraordinary meetings. - Does anyone else wish to speak on § 10? - That is not the case. Then I ask those friends who are in favor of adopting § 10 to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those who are against it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) - § 10 is adopted.
I would ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read out § 11.
§ 11 is read out:
"11. Members may form smaller or larger groups in any local or subject-related field. The Anthroposophical Society has its headquarters at the Goetheanum. From there, the Executive Council shall communicate to the members or groups of members what it considers to be the task of the Society. It shall communicate with the functionaries elected or appointed by the individual groups. The individual groups shall be responsible for the admission of members; however, the confirmation of admission shall be submitted to the Executive Council in Dornach and signed by the latter in confidence to the group functionaries. In general, every member shall join a group; only those for whom it is completely impossible to find admission to a group should be admitted as members in Dornach itself.
Dr. Steiner: Does anyone wish to speak on this point? – It is natural that this point in particular can be explained in the rules of procedure, so I believe that we do not need to say anything more about what is contained here. This paragraph explains how admission will be handled; everything else is actually a matter of practice, which can even be changed quite easily from time to time.
Does anyone wish to speak on § 11? — That does not seem to be the case. Then I ask those friends who are in favor of accepting § 11 to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who are in favor of rejecting § 11 to raise their hands. (No one responds.) — § 11 is adopted on second reading.
I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 12.
§ 12 is read:
“12. The membership fee is determined by the individual groups; however, each group must pay ... to the central administration at the Goetheanum for each of its members.”
Dr. Steiner: I would now ask that the amount to be inserted here not be negotiated now, but rather, following proposals from the Executive Council, first at the General Secretaries' Meeting to be held tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. The General Secretaries can then report at the next General Meeting on what they consider possible and necessary in this regard. I would only ask that you accept these paragraphs in their general sense. — Does anyone wish to speak on this? If that is not the case, I ask those friends who accept § 12 in this sense to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who wish to reject § 12 to raise their hands. (No one responds.) - § 12 is accepted in the second reading. I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 13.
§ 13 is read:
“13. Each working group shall draw up its own statutes; however, these shall not contradict the statutes of the Anthroposophical Society.”
Dr. Steiner: Does anyone wish to speak on § 13? — I believe it is as self-evident as anything could be. — That does not seem to be the case. I ask those friends who wish to reject § 13 to raise their hands. (No one raises their hand.) I ask those friends who wish to accept § 13 to raise their hands. (They do so.) I ask those friends who wish to reject § 13 to raise their hands. (No one raises their hand.) — § 13 is accepted.
to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who wish to reject § 13 to raise their hands. (No one responds.) — § 13 is adopted on second reading. I ask Dr. Wachsmuth to read § 14.
§ 14 is read aloud:
“14. The society's organ is the Goetheanum, which for this purpose will be supplemented with an insert containing the society's official communications. This enlarged edition of the Goetheanum will only be distributed to members of the Anthroposophical Society.”
Dr. Steiner: I have already spoken about § 14 and would ask those esteemed friends who wish to say something about this paragraph to come forward. Does anyone wish to speak about § 14?
Question: Will the “Goetheanum” only be available from Switzerland?
Dr. Steiner: The manner in which it can be distributed will be determined according to the most practical conditions. An agreement has already been reached with the German department. It will be sent out from Stuttgart. So it will be done wherever it is most practical. That goes without saying.
A speaker: For the sake of order, it should be written: “The society's organ is the weekly magazine Goetheanum.”
Dr. Steiner: Weekly magazine. Fine by me. – Would anyone else like to speak?
Mr. Goyert: If the weekly magazine is converted into another magazine, that will no longer be true.
Dr. Steiner: Let us hope that this will not be the case. It may be quite good to have a means of leaving the weekly journal as it is, without transforming it. – Does anyone else wish to speak? – If that is not the case, I ask those friends who are in favor of accepting § 14 to raise their hands. (This is done.) I ask those friends who are against it to raise their hands. (No one responds.) § 14 is accepted on second reading.
A 15th paragraph will now have to be added:
"At the founding meeting on Christmas Day 1923, the founding board will be composed of:
Rudolf Steiner as chairman,
Albert Steffen as deputy chairman,
Dr. Wegman as secretary,
Dr. Guenther Wachsmuth as Secretary and Treasurer,
Dr. Steiner as Assessor,
Dr. Vreede as Assessor."
I would just like to mention that this is to be the executive committee responsible for the Society, but that in all matters relating to the leadership of the Anthroposophical Society, the School of Spiritual Science, Goetheanum, the leaders of the individual sections of the Goetheanum who are not on the executive committee will always be consulted in meetings and deliberations. With one exception, the entire Executive Council is now also involved in the management of the school. Would anyone like to speak on this point? — It has been said that the entire Executive Council is “formed.” This indicates that it has neither been elected nor appointed, but has been established as a matter of course, designated by the reasons that have been given, as the Executive Council designated by the matter at hand at this founding meeting.
Question: Is it not possible to accumulate offices?
Dr. Steiner: I said explicitly yesterday that there should be an incompatibility for the members of the executive committee with regard to other offices in the Anthroposophical Society. For example, it is not desirable for one of the members of the Executive Council to be the General Secretary of any section, or to be, say, the chair of a branch or the like, so that he or she can devote themselves exclusively to their task. But, of course, those who are most suitable for the job must be called upon to run the school. And the management of the school will essentially constitute a large part of the Executive Council's agenda; hence the accumulation that the heads of the school will at the same time be the advisors to the Executive Council. Does anyone else wish to speak on § 15? That is not the case. Then I ask you now, not to vote in the same way as in previous votes, but with the feeling that you agree with this fundamental character of the leadership of a true Anthroposophical Society, to give your approval for this Executive Council to be formed here for the leadership of the Anthroposophical Society. (Long applause.)
Dr. Steiner: Well, my dear friends, I believe I speak on behalf of the members of the Executive Council standing beside me, who are not underage but rather overage, in expressing my heartfelt thanks for your approval and in promising that the Anthroposophical Society will be led in accordance with the principles and conditions set forth in spiritual science.
We now come to the conclusion. Having completed the second reading, we now come to the adoption of the entire statutes in the third reading. I would like to ask whether, after the individual paragraphs have been discussed in the special debate, anyone wishes to speak again about the whole? — I would just like to add the following historical remark, which was requested yesterday, after § 2:
“The Anthroposophical Society is linked to the Anthroposophical Society founded in 1912, but wishes to create an independent starting point for the goals set at that time, in keeping with the true spirit of the present.”
This is the remark that allows us to add what was said yesterday in this regard. — I now ask, does anyone wish to speak again about the statutes as a whole, so to speak? If that is not the case, I ask the esteemed friends who are in favor of the statutes being adopted in the third reading to raise their hands. (This is done.) I would ask those who are against it to indicate this by raising their hands. (No one responds.)
My dear friends, the statutes of the Anthroposophical Society have thus been adopted, and we will continue the general meeting tomorrow after Mr. Werbeck's lecture in the same manner as we have continued these meetings so far. I would like to announce – please remain in your seats for a few seconds –: 1. The eurythmy performance this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. is the next event we will have; it will take place with a completely new program. 2. On Saturday at 8:30 a.m., the general secretaries are asked to meet again downstairs in the glass house, as they did last Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. I will also ask the representatives of the individual Swiss branches to be present, as the issue concerning the Swiss Anthroposophical Society will then be discussed in a smaller circle.
I would also like to inform you that the meeting of the members of the school associations for free education and teaching in Switzerland scheduled for this afternoon cannot, unfortunately, be held in this hall because eurythmy rehearsals still have to take place. Therefore, there will be no venue where all members can be present as listeners to this meeting. Given the circumstances, we must therefore ask, although this is of course quite unpleasant, that only the members of the Swiss School Association as such and those friends who are here from non-German-speaking countries, i.e., friends from America, England, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Holland, and so on. I would only ask those individuals who are from countries with very weak currencies—unfortunately, we have to make some sacrifices somewhere—to please refrain from attending today's meeting: that is, all German members and, if they cannot attend, possibly also the Austrian members. Then it is brought to my attention – such things always seem to come up – that caution should be exercised in conversations on the street, on the tram, and in the neighborhoods. Well, it is quite good not to annoy people by making all kinds of strange remarks. — That is all that could be communicated. Further information will be provided when the Executive Council presents a set of rules of procedure. This can be announced at tomorrow's general meeting.
There will be a eurythmy performance at 4:30 p.m. My lecture will be at 8:30 p.m. tonight. It will be necessary to always postpone the lecture to 8:30 p.m. And tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., the meeting I announced for the general secretaries and Swiss branch executives, then at 10 a.m.: lecture by Mr. Werbeck on the opposition to anthroposophy, and after a short break following this lecture: continuation of this meeting.
