The Christmas Conference
GA 260
Part II. The Proceedings of the Conference
On Behalf of the Members
My dear friends!
HERR WERBECK: Dear and greatly respected Dr Steiner! Dear friends! There is no other way for this Conference, so immensely meaningful for our Society and our Movement, to end except in an outpouring of deeply moved gratitude to the one whose work of love on the earth has brought us all together here. But my dear friends, what can words express! Was not perhaps all that a word can do shown at the beginning of this Conference by our respected friend Albert Steffen when, indicating that gratitude cannot be expressed in words, he said: Our gratitude is inexpressible. And yet on the wings of these words he did express everything our human hearts can give. Dear friends! Words, addresses, resolutions and all the rest are, measured against our Conference, nothing but outdated, cheap requisites of the cultural life that is collapsing all around us. And no one knows the background to these cheap requisites better than the one who has spoken to us this evening, moving us in the depths of our being. What is or rather can become honest gratitude, this virtue of great profundity, we shall still have to practise with the help of the one who spoke to us today. He alone has shown us through his spiritual work what gratitude really is. If we understand him aright, then we know that for us anthroposophists the hour has come when we must set the deed of gratitude in the place of the word of gratitude. We must requite his great, his immeasurably great deed of love with whatever deed of gratitude our puny strength can muster. For to him who spoke to us this evening we owe nothing less than our own spiritual felicity. And we know that the worth it bears will be eternal. It pertains not only to the few years we may still have to breathe on this physical earth; the felicity he has bestowed on us will stretch ahead to our future incarnations too. We know that this has been a turning point for our further destiny. What we are permitted to experience through his deed of love is incalculably significant. But we know that the felicity brought by this love cannot be measured with the yard-stick known to us from times preceding Anthroposophy, for it will be paired with severe pain, with fateful destinies. But we also know that it is nevertheless a felicity that will lead us to salvation. And when our knowledge is truly tempered with feeling, then we know that words of gratitude are meaningless in face of this fact and that our only answer to what we have received from here can be in deeds of gratitude. And we know, however weak our forces, that our deeds of gratitude can flow into his great deeds. And therefore we also know that they can flow into the plan for salvation that is given to mankind today. For just as the great deeds are devoted to human beings, so may also the small deeds be devoted to human beings. Over this mighty life's work stands the heading: Let everything be for the good of human beings. O my dear friends, we know that something superhuman, something divine is working in him! But when we answer with deeds directed towards human beings we know that our deeds of gratitude will be felt at a human level. Yesterday he expressed it with the mighty fire of his great heart: Faithfulness and yet more faithfulness. This is something human directed towards something human. And so my dear friends, please stand once more and let us say in our heart as we depart from this holy place: You great and pure brother of mankind, out of our forces that are so very weak we want to thank you; we want to thank you through our deeds, through overcoming what has to be overcome in the service of your holy mission for mankind. We beg you: Be with us with the heavenly strength of your fatherly blessing!
DR STEINER: My dear friends! I could not have said many of the things I have had to say during this Conference in the form in which I said them, and similarly I could not accept the kind words of our dear friend Werbeck, if I were to relate all this to a single weak individual. For actually in our circles these things should not be related to a mere individual. Yet, my dear friends, I know that I have been permitted to say what has here been said, for it was said in full responsibility looking up to the Spirit who is there and who should be and will be the Spirit of the Goetheanum. In that Spirit's name I have permitted myself over the last few days to say a great many things which ought not to have been put so forcefully had they not been expressed while looking up to the Spirit of the Goetheanum, to the good Spirit of the Goetheanum. So allow me, please, to accept these thanks in the name of the Spirit of the Goetheanum for whom we want to work and strive and labour in the world.
All that remains is to ask that the practising doctors come to the Glass House tomorrow morning not at half past eight but at ten o'clock.
I also have a message to read to you: ‘Out of our strong sharing in the experience of the Christmas Foundation Conference in Dornach we greet the President of the Anthroposophical Society. We thank him and his colleagues in the Vorstand for taking on the leadership and we also thank him for the Statutes. From the members of the Anthroposophical Society in Cologne who are meeting together at the close of the year.’
This is all I have to say. Tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock there will be a eurythmy performance for those friends who are still here.
Dankesworte aus dem Mitgliederkreise und Abschliessende Worte Rudolf Steiners
Herr Werbeck: Lieber, sehr geehrter Herr Doktor! Liebe Freunde! Es kann nicht anders sein, als daß auch der Ausklang dieser Tagung, die für unsere Gesellschaft und für unsere Bewegung so Ungeheures bedeutet, ausströme in einen erschütterten Dank, in einen Dank an den, in dessen irdischem Liebeswirken wir alle heute hier versammelt sind. Aber, meine lieben Freunde, was vermögen denn Worte! Und ist nicht eigentlich alles, was ein Wort vermag, wirklich im Beginne dieser Tagung ausgedrückt worden durch den von uns so verehrten Freund Albert Steffen, indem er ein Wort aussprach, das eigentlich andeuten sollte, wie Danken eben nicht aussprechbar ist, indem er sagte: Unser Dank ist unaussprechbar. - Und indem er auf den Flügeln dieses Wortes doch alles dasjenige aussprach, was unsere Menschenherzen geben können. Liebe Freunde! Worte, Adressen, Resolutionen und dergleichen, sie sind im Zusammenhange mit dieser Tagung eigentlich überwundene, billige Requisiten dieses Geisteslebens, das um uns zusammenbricht. Und was hinter solchen Requisiten steckt, das weiß kein anderer besser als derjenige, der heute abend, unser Tiefstes erschütternd, zu uns sprach. Was aber wahrhafte Dankbarkeit ist oder vielmehr werden kann, diese tiefe Tugend werden wir erst üben können durch den, der heute zu uns sprach: Er erst hat uns gezeigt durch sein Geisteswerk, was eigentlich Dankarbeit ist. Und wenn wir ihn verstehen, dann wissen wir, daß für uns Anthroposophen die Stunde gekommen ist, in der wir an Stelle des Dankeswortes zu setzten haben die Dankestat; daß wir zu beantworten haben seine große, seine unfaßbar große Liebestat mit der Dankestat, mit dem, was unsere schwachen Kräfte tun können. Denn wir verdanken dem, der heute abend zu uns sprach, nichts Geringeres als unser geistiges Lebensglück. Und wir wissen, daß dieses einen Ewigkeitswert in sich trägt, daß es sich nicht bezieht auf die wenigen Jahre, die wir vielleicht noch atmen auf dieser physischen Erde, sondern daß dasjenige, was er uns an Glück beschert hat, hinreichen wird auch in die kommenden Inkarnationen. Und wir wissen, daß dieses eine Wende bedeutet auch für unser ferneres Schicksal. Von unabsehbarer Bedeutung ist dieses, was wir durch seine Liebestat erleben dürfen. Wir wissen aber auch, daß dieses Liebesglück nicht auszumessen ist mit dem Maße, das uns geläufig geworden ist in der voranthroposophischen Zeit, sondern gepaart sein wird mit strengem Schmerz, Schicksalen vielfacher Art; daß aber dennoch das, was unser Glück sein will, uns zum Heile gedeihen wird. Wenn wir das wirklich empfindend wissen, dann wissen wir auch, daß Dankesworte dieser Tatsache gegenüber keinen Sinn mehr haben, dann wissen wir, daß wir nur durch Dankestun antworten können auf dasjenige, was wir von dieser Stelle empfangen. Und wir wissen, daß dieses Dankestun einfließen kann in sein großes Tun, so schwach auch unsere Kräfte sind. Und wir wissen damit auch, daß es einfließen darf in dasjenige, was als Heilsplan heute der Menschheit gegeben wird. Denn, wie gesagt, indem dieses Große gewidmet ist den Menschen, so darf auch dieses Kleine gewidmet sein den Menschen. Alles den Menschen -, das steht über diesem gewaltigen Lebenswerke. Oh, meine lieben Freunde, wir wissen in ihm wirksam den Übermenschen, das Göttliche! Aber gerade wenn wir durch unser zu den Menschen hingerichtetes Tun antworten, dann wissen wir, daß er dieses unser Dankestun auch menschlich empfinden wird. Gestern sprach er es aus mit dem gewaltigen Feuer seines großen Herzens: Treue um Treue. — Das ist aber ein Menschliches gegen ein Menschliches. Und so bitte ich Sie, meine lieben Freunde, erheben Sie sich noch einmal von Ihren Sitzen und lassen Sie uns im Herzen sagen, indem wir von dieser heiligen Stätte scheiden: Wir wollen Dir, Du großer, reiner Menschenbruder, aus unseren ach so schwachen Kräften danken, danken durch die Tat, durch Überwindung im Dienste Deiner heiligen Menschheitssache. Und wir bitten Dich: Sei bei uns mit der Himmelskraft Deines väterlichen Segens!
Dr. Steiner: Meine lieben Freunde! Ich hätte manches Wort, das ich aussprechen mußte in dieser Tagung, wohl nicht aussprechen können in der Form, wie es geschehen ist, und ich dürfte auch die schönen Worte des lieben Freundes Werbeck nicht ohne weiteres entgegennehmen, wenn sich das alles beziehen würde auf eine schwache Persönlichkeit. Denn diese Dinge dürfen sich eigentlich innerhalb unserer Kreise nicht auf eine bloße Persönlichkeit beziehen. Aber, meine lieben Freunde, was hier geschehen ist, ich weiß es, ich durfte es sagen, denn es ist gesagt worden unter voller Verantwortung im Aufblicke zu dem Geist, der da ist und sein soll und sein wird der Geist des Goetheanums. In seinem Namen habe ich mir in diesen Tagen manches Wort zu sprechen erlaubt, das nicht so stark hätte ausfallen dürfen, wenn es nicht im Hinaufblick zu dem Geiste des Goetheanums, zu dem guten Geiste des Goetheanums gesprochen worden wäre. Und so lassen Sie mich auch denn diesen Dank entgegennehmen im Namen des Geistes des Goetheanums, für den wiir wirken, streben, arbeiten wollen in der Welt.
Ich habe nur noch die praktizierenden Ärzte zu bitten, morgen nicht um halb neun Uhr nach dem Glashaus zu kommen, sondern erst um zehn Uhr.
Dann habe ich noch zu verlesen: «Aus einem starken Miterleben der Weihnachtstagung in Dornach grüßen wir den Vorsitzenden der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft. Wir danken ihm und seinen Mitarbeitern im Vorstand für die Übernahme der Leitung, und wir danken für die Statuten. - Die zum Jahresschluß versammelten Mitglieder der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft in Köln.»
Das ist dasjenige, was ich noch zu sagen habe. Morgen um 7 Uhr abends wird eine Eurythmievorstellung stattfinden für diejenigen Freunde, die noch da sein werden.
Words of thanks from the members and closing remarks by Rudolf Steiner
Mr. Werbeck: Dear, esteemed Doctor! Dear friends! It cannot be otherwise than that the conclusion of this conference, which means so much to our society and our movement, should flow into heartfelt thanks, thanks to the one in whose earthly work of love we are all gathered here today. But, my dear friends, what can words achieve? And has not everything that words can achieve already been expressed at the beginning of this conference by our dear friend Albert Steffen, when he said something that was meant to indicate how gratitude is actually inexpressible, when he said: Our gratitude is inexpressible. And yet, on the wings of these words, he expressed everything that our human hearts can give. Dear friends! Words, addresses, resolutions, and the like are, in connection with this conference, actually outdated, cheap props of this spiritual life that is collapsing around us. And no one knows better what lies behind such props than the one who spoke to us this evening, shaking us to our core. But what true gratitude is, or rather can become, this profound virtue we will only be able to practice through the one who spoke to us today: he alone has shown us through his spiritual work what gratitude actually is. And when we understand him, we know that for us anthroposophists the hour has come when we must replace words of gratitude with acts of gratitude; that we must respond to his great, his incomprehensibly great act of love with acts of gratitude, with what our weak powers can do. For we owe nothing less than our spiritual happiness in life to the one who spoke to us this evening. And we know that this has eternal value, that it does not refer to the few years that we may still breathe on this physical earth, but that what he has given us in happiness will suffice for future incarnations as well. And we know that this also means a turning point for our future destiny. What we are allowed to experience through his act of love is of incalculable significance. But we also know that this happiness of love cannot be measured by the standards that became familiar to us in the pre-anthroposophical era, but will be accompanied by severe pain and many kinds of fate; yet nevertheless, what is to be our happiness will flourish for our salvation. If we truly feel this, then we also know that words of thanks for this fact no longer make sense; then we know that we can only respond with gratitude to what we receive from this place. And we know that this gratitude can flow into his great work, however weak our powers may be. And we also know that it may flow into what is given to humanity today as a plan of salvation. For, as I said, since this great thing is dedicated to human beings, this small thing may also be dedicated to human beings. Everything for human beings — that is what stands above this mighty life's work. Oh, my dear friends, we know that the superhuman, the divine, is at work in him! But precisely when we respond through our actions directed toward humanity, we know that he will also feel our gratitude in a human way. Yesterday he expressed it with the powerful fire of his great heart: loyalty for loyalty. — But that is something human in return for something human. And so I ask you, my dear friends, to rise once more from your seats and let us say in our hearts as we leave this sacred place: We want to thank you, you great, pure brother of humanity, with our oh so weak powers, thank you through action, through overcoming in the service of your sacred cause of humanity. And we ask you: Be with us with the heavenly power of your fatherly blessing!
Dr. Steiner: My dear friends! I would not have been able to say some of the words I had to say at this conference in the form in which they were said, and I would not be able to accept the beautiful words of my dear friend Werbeck without reservation if all this were to refer to a weak personality. For these things should not really refer to a mere personality within our circles. But, my dear friends, what has happened here, I know, I was allowed to say it, because it was said with full responsibility in view of the spirit that is there and should be and will be the spirit of the Goetheanum. In its name, I have allowed myself to say many words in recent days that should not have been so strong if they had not been spoken with regard to the spirit of the Goetheanum, to the good spirit of the Goetheanum. And so let me also accept this thanks on behalf of the spirit of the Goetheanum, for which we want to work, strive, and labor in the world.
I only have to ask the practicing doctors not to come to the glass house at half past eight tomorrow, but at ten o'clock instead.
Then I have to read out: "From a strong shared experience of the Christmas Conference in Dornach, we send our greetings to the chairman of the Anthroposophical Society. We thank him and his colleagues on the Executive Council for taking on the leadership, and we thank them for the statutes. — The members of the Anthroposophical Society gathered in Cologne at the end of the year."
That is all I have to say. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. there will be a eurythmy performance for those friends who will still be here.