Faculty Meetings with Rudolf Steiner
GA 300b
14 January 1922, Stuttgart
Twenty-Ninth Meeting
Dr. Steiner: I would like to briefly handle the questions that are burdening you. That is why I have called you together today. Are there any further questions?
A teacher: The school inspector has made an appointment for February. He would like to have a report on the teaching.
Dr. Steiner: You should keep the report as brief as possible. Certainly do not write a book, but something more like your lesson plans, containing only notes like, “binomial theorem” or “permutations.” Keep strictly to the subject.
You need to assume that such an official would view any diversion as incorrect, and that additional remarks would only make him angry. You need to assume that he has only a small amount of capacity within his soul. That is something officials cannot have due to their position. If you provide him with a long discourse that is different from the normal elementary school curriculum, you will be beating him over the head. We should never believe we could ever satisfy such people, really. Our position in regard to such people should be that we simply tell them that we do such and such. There is no reason to hope there will be any sort of insight from that side. There is more reason for hope in anyone other than a professional educator. It is better to tell how far you are, and what you have done, and leave out any other remarks.
A teacher: N.G. would like to attend school only for a half day and to use the remainder of the day to work on mechanical drawing.
Dr. Steiner: He is in the tenth grade. Of course, something of that sort could not be considered in the lower eight grades, but beginning only with the ninth grade. In such cases, we could look into the question of whether we accept part-time students who would only attend a few periods. That might be possible. He would, of course, not be a regular student, but only an auditor. We might even be able to see this as a solution to a more general problem. Those in a similar situation could attend the school as auditors.
A teacher: Should we put T.H. in the remedial class and have him attend the other subjects afterward?
Dr. Steiner: Put him in the remedial class, but then send him home after ten o’clock.
A teacher: The Independent Youth Group has asked about a pedagogical course in Jena over Easter.
Dr. Steiner: That depends upon what you want, and what you can do. Which of you in the faculty would and could do something? It would be good if we could propagate what we can refer to as “the Waldorf School Idea” and, in particular, if it would take root among younger people. It would be a good idea if the Waldorf School idea could become more widespread, so that people would see the Waldorf School as something special, something great.
A teacher: Wouldn’t it be better if we began something?
Dr. Steiner: That’s true, and if you can create something independent and win over youth for it, that would certainly be preferable. Without winning over youth, there is not much we can accomplish in the area of pedagogy. We need to win over youth, especially those in the youth movement. On the other hand, I have no doubt that if the youth movement in Jena approaches the Waldorf faculty, you would not be any less independent than if you were to begin it yourselves. What is important is what you do, and how you present yourselves. I think you could accomplish a great deal with such things.
I do not know if I can participate since, if this project really happens, it will be just at the time I am in England. Miss Cross wants to bring her school into our movement. If it is possible, it is certainly something quite important, but it seems to me to be something that would be difficult to do. If some of the people who participated in the Christmas Course in Dornach in 1921 were employed there as teachers, perhaps we could have an actual beginning.I think that in something like that movement, we should not be overly concerned about the direction. Perhaps you know the wellknown anecdote about Bismarck. We could also apply it, with some reservations, to the Waldorf School movement. Here I am referring to the story about how Bismarck was invited to certain royal festivities simply because of his official position. As a not very high-born country squire, he could not sit at the high table, [but as High Chancellor, he sat with the Crown Prince]. But, when Mrs. Bismarck [who was a commoner] went along, members of the royal court complained that the Bismarcks should not sit up front at the high table. They went so far as to send the ceremonial master to Bismarck, but nothing could be done. Bismarck’s official position was such that he was entitled to sit closer, but nothing could be done about Mrs. Bismarck. Bismarck then said, “Well, you know, my wife sits where I sit, and you can seat me wherever you want. Wherever I sit is always the highest position.” I think that is similar to our own case. What is important is what we do. Is there anything more to say about individual students or classes?
A teacher asks about L.R. in the fourth grade. He had expressed some suicidal thoughts.
Dr. Steiner: He would be ripe for the remedial class, but let’s leave him in your class until I have seen him.
A teacher: The health of one of the first grade classes is very poor.
Dr. Steiner: In this class are the first children born during the war. However, since the children were simply divided according to the alphabet and the other first grade class is healthier, external circumstances could not be the only cause of the poor health in the class. The problem is in the humidity in the classroom and the heating.
A teacher: There are bad family situations.
Dr. Steiner: Among the children there are the most unfortunate circumstances, and these are then transmitted on to the others. There is not much we can change. However, we could improve the heating. Central heating would be best. We should try to do that. That is something we must do as part of the new construction.
A teacher speaks about D.M. in seventh-grade Latin class.
Dr. Steiner: You certainly accomplished a great deal with those you had today in Latin. You went through the entire reading from the beginning. That is quite good. They learned a relatively large amount. Who is this D.M.?
A teacher says something about the student.
Dr. Steiner: That’s the boy on the left toward the back. Now I remember.
A teacher: He likes to write with Greek letters, but doesn’t know what they mean.
Dr. Steiner: You should try to bring him away from that through something artistic. For instance, you could have him draw a top in a number of colors, red, orange, yellow, green, all seven. Then have him try to blend red into this so that he would have to use his intellect in connection with art. It is difficult to spend so much time with one boy, but you could also try to have him divide things into, say, subject, verb and object, and so forth, that can be exchanged with one another. In other words, have him do something that brings the intellect and art together. That might help. You could occupy him with such things.
A teacher: I am trying it with Amos Comenius.
Dr. Steiner: That is a good idea. You need to make it quite visible, so that both his intelligence and perception unite in it.
A teacher: I have completed La Fontaine’s Tales in the seventh grade. Some of them are rather suspect morally.
Dr. Steiner: Make a joke about that. You need to treat them as stories.
A teacher: It appears to me that La Fontaine is lacking in humor.
Dr. Steiner: You must create the humor from yourself, but, in certain situations, you can just as easily create a great deal of misunderstandings. What is important is that you attempt to be one with him. When you are done with him, I would undertake one of the major prose works. You could certainly do Mignet with those children.
A teacher: Should we do The Tempest after A Christmas Carol? Another teacher: I did The Tempest with each child taking a role.
Dr. Steiner: That is a real pedagogical problem. It depends upon how you do it. The children have the material, but they experience nothing more. On the other hand, this may be the best way of bringing them into the spirit of the language.
A teacher: I wanted to read Jules Verne with my ninth grade.
Dr. Steiner: I have nothing against Jules Verne if you treat him in such a way that the children do not become silly about it. But, you can certainly do it.
A teacher: Do you recommend that we do some short stories?
Dr. Steiner: That’s good for thirteen- or fourteen-year-olds. It is also what I meant when I mentioned Mignet. In English and French, you need to find some characteristic pieces to read.
A teacher: For economic reasons, we may need to use the school editions.
Dr. Steiner: You can obtain the material wherever you want. The main thing is that each student has their own book. Often, the school texts are simply poison for children. What is in the lower grade school books is often just terrible.
A teacher: K. was here for two years, and now he is leaving with very little knowledge. What kind of report should I give him?
Dr. Steiner: Write the truth in his report. Give the exact reasons why he is lagging behind. You can write all of that in it. You cannot keep him here. One day, the light will go on for him.
A teacher: You gave Biblical stories as the story material for the third grade. I don’t know how I should do that.
Dr. Steiner: Look at one of the older Catholic editions of the Bible. You can see there how to tell the stories. They are very well done, but of course you will have to do it still better. Here you have the opportunity to improve upon the terrible material in Luther’s translation. The best would be to use the Catholic translation of the Bible. In addition, I would recommend that you work somewhat with the translations before Luther’s, so that you can get past all of those myths about Luther’s Bible translation. There is something really wrong about all the laurels Luther has earned regarding the formation of the German language. That lies deep in the feeling of middle European people. If you go back to the earlier Bible translations and look at longer passages, you will see how wonderful they are in comparison to Luther’s translation which, actually, in regard to the development of the German language, held it back.
There is an edition of the Bible for students, the Schuster Bible. You can get it anywhere there is a Catholic majority. Before the story of Creation, you should begin with the fall of the angel. The Catholic Bible begins with the fall of the angel and only afterward with the creation of the world. That is quite beautiful, simple, and plain storytelling.
A teacher asks about a boy in the seventh grade who has amyotrophia (muscular atrophy).
Dr. Steiner: Treat him with hypophysis cerebri.
There is a question about an assistant for music class.
Dr. Steiner: We have only a few good musicians, but nevertheless, we do have some. I will keep my eye open on my trip.
Dr. Steiner speaks with Dr. Schwebsch about the problem of music and refers him to Eduard Hanslick’s book, Vom Musikalisch-Schönen and also an article by Robert Zimmermann about the aesthetics of music.
A question is asked about a gymnastics teacher.
Dr. Steiner: I think we need to be very careful about who we choose to teach gymnastics. It is important that we place gymnastics upon a broader foundation, so that it can be done in a more reasonable way. We need to find someone who is interested in that.
In the Christmas course in Dornach I showed how the soul slowly takes over the entire organism. That is something we need to take into account. I want to have this course printed as soon as possible, for there is considerable information about such questions. I had not previously had an opportunity to discuss them so exactly and in so much detail, that is, the formation of the organism, so that gymnastics teachers could actually understand them. I will look into this question further.
Neunundzwanzigste Konferenz
Nach dem 16. November war Rudolf Steiner nur noch Mitte Dezember kurz in Stuttgart, am 16. Dezember zur Grundsteinlegung des neuen Schulhauses, das mithilfe des «Kommenden Tages» gebaut werden konnte. Erhielt eine Ansprache und verlas den Grundsteinspruch für das Schulhaus (in GA 298). Es dauerte aber bis nach Neujahr, bis Steiner die Schule wieder besuchte. Von Dornach kommend, bereitete er sich auf die erste von der Berliner Konzertdircktion Wolff und Sachs organisierte Vortragsreise durch zwölf deutsche Städte vor. Erst am 15. März 1922 war er wieder in der Schule.
Themen: Empfehlungen zum Besuch des Schulrats. Kann es Schüler geben, die in der Schule nur Teile des Unterrichts besuchen? Der besorgniserregende Gesundheitszustand der Erstklässler. Über Jules Verne. Die Schöpfungsgeschichte im dritten Schuljahr sollte mit dem Fall der Engel beginnen.
Bemerkungen: In England wollte Margaret Cross ihre Schule in eine Waldorfschule umwandeln. Steiner meinte auch hier, eine weitherzige Haltung sei hilfreich. Der Waldorfgedanke könne überall Anwendung finden. Die Freie anthroposophische Jugend in Jena hatte um einen pädagogischen Kurs zu Ostern angefragt. Steiner stellte es dem Kollegium anheim, dies zu wollen oder nicht.
RUDOLF STEINER: Ich wollte, dass wir ganz kurz die notwendigen Fragen, die Ihnen auf der Seele liegen, besprechen können, und deshalb habe ich Sie gebeten, hierherzukommen. Sind vielleicht doch laufende Fragen?
KARL STOcKMEYER: Der Schulrat Eisele hat sich für Februar angemeldet. Er hat mir angegeben, wie er sich die Prüfung denkt, was er für Angaben haben will.
RUDOLF STEINER: Sind nicht Notizen eingeschickt worden?
KARL STOCKMEYER: Er will einen Unterrichtsbericht haben.
RUDOLF STEINER: Diesen Bericht muss man möglichst lakonisch verfassen. Möglichst wenig Novellen schreiben. So wie Lehrpläne sind, wo auch steht: Binomischer Lehrsatz, Permutationsrechnung; nur in ganz tatsächlicher Weise.
Sie müssen von der Voraussetzung ausgehen, dass so jemand Amtlicher jede Abweichung für falsch halten muss, und dass man ihn mit jeder Abweichung ärgert. Man darf möglichst wenig Seelenfähigkeit zumuten. Das dürfen sie von Amts wegen nicht haben. Wenn man ihnen lange Auseinandersetzungen gibt [über das, womit man abweicht vom Volksschulplan], kommen sie einem auf die Kappe. Wir können niemals glauben, diese Leute wirklich befriedigen zu können. Wir müssen versuchen, uns mit den Leuten so zu stellen, dass wir ihnen sagen, das und das tun wir und so weiter. [Zu hoffen], dass von dieser Seite irgendetwas eingesehen würde, das hat ja gar keinen Zweck. Es hat bei jedem Menschen mehr Zweck als bei einem offiziellen Schulmann. Viel besser ist es, zu sagen, was man eben so weit durchgenommen hat. Das Abweichende möglichst zurücktreten lassen.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Toni Eyck ist wieder hier und will ihre Tochter anmelden. Soll man sie aufnehmen?
RUDOLF STEINER: Warum ist die aus der Schule weggekommen? Ehe man nicht weiß, ob sie ansässig ist, kann man nichts machen. Ich glaube nicht, dass sie ansässig ist. Sie wird eine Landplage sein.
KARL STOCKMEYER: H. L. möchte nur einen halben Tag Schule haben, den anderen halben Tag bei Dr. Unger [sich mit] Maschinenzeichnen [beschäftigen].
RUDOLF STEINER: Für solche Fälle - er ist in der 10. Klasse, natürlich kann so etwas für die unteren acht Klassen nicht in Betracht kommen. Da würde es nur in Betracht kommen für die Klassen von der 9. an -, da könnte man die Frage erörtern, ob man Hospitanten nimmt, die eventuell nur einige Stunden hören. Das könnte gehen. Er würde dann nicht regelrechter Schüler sein, sondern Hospitant. Dies könnte man überhaupt als allgemeine Lösung dieser Frage betrachten, dass man solche, die in einer ähnlichen Lage sind, als Hospitanten in der Schule hat.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Seine Mutter kann das Schulgeld nicht aufbringen.
RUDOLF STEINER: Es sind furchtbare Familienverhältnis:
KARL STOCKMEYER: Soll man den Schüler W. S. in die Hilfsklasse aufnehmen und [ihn] dann [nach dem Hauptunterricht] einer Klasse zuteilen?
RUDOLF STEINER: Man kann ihn hineinnehmen. Man nimmt ihn nur in die Hilfsklasse [auf] und schickt ihn dann [nach zehn Uhr] heim. Ebenso den H.R.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Herr Heidenreich [Freie anthroposophische Jugend] hat angefragt wegen eines [pädagogischen] Kurses in Jena zu Ostern.
RUDOLF STEINER: Es kommt darauf an, ob Sie wollen. Und können! Welche der Mitglieder des Kollegiums mögen und wollen? Es wäre gut, wenn [das, was] man den Waldorfschulgedanken [nennen kann], stark propagiert werden könnte, und namentlich unter den jüngeren Leuten da Wurzel fassen würde. Sodass die Idee des Waldorfschulgedankens nun wirklich Verbreitung findet, dass man die Waldorfschule als etwas Besonderes [und Großes] betrachten würde.
PAUL BAUMANN: Es wäre besser, wir würden von uns aus etwas unternehmen.
RUDOLF STEINER: Das ist schon richtig. Und wenn es gelingt, etwas Selbstständiges zu veranstalten und die Jugend dafür zu gewinnen, da ist das [natürlich] schon vorzuziehen. Aber ohne dass man die Jugend gewinnt, wird heute mit pädagogischen Dingen nichts anzufangen sein. Die Jugend muss gewonnen werden. Gerade diese Jugend, die in der Jugendbewegung darinnensteht, die muss gewonnen werden.
KARL STOCKMEYER bringt den Gedanken einer eigenen umfassenden Schultagung vor.
RUDOLF STEINER: Die Sache ist bis zu einem gewissen Grade richtig, wie Herr BAUMANN angeregt hat. Aber [auf der anderen Seite] zweifle ich gar nicht daran, wenn die Jenaische Jugend-Schulbewegung an die Waldorflehrerschaft herantritt, warum soll das nicht gerade so selbstständig wirken können, als wenn Sie selber etwas machen? Es kommt nur darauf an, wie man sich da betätigt, wie man auftritt.
EUGEN KOLISKO über den Erfolg in Jena.
RUDOLF STEINER: Kann man konstatieren, womit die Leute nicht zufrieden waren?
EUGEN KOLISKO: Mit der Eurythmie. Man verstand sie nicht. Sie fanden auch sonst nicht immer, wo das Neue steckt.
RUDOLF STEINER: Ich glaube, man könnte viel machen bei diesen Dingen.
Ich selbst weiß nicht, ob ich daran teilnehmen kann, weil ich, wenn sich dieses Projekt verwirklicht, gerade nach England fahren sollte. Dort will ja die Miss Cross ihre Schule in diese Bewegung herüberleiten in England. Nun ist das ja vielleicht ganz wichtig, wenn man so etwas hat, obwohl es mir schwer durchführbar erscheint. Wenn man die Möglichkeit hat, dass Einzelne von denen, die teilgenommen haben am Weihnachtskurs [in Dornach 1921], vielleicht [dort] als Lehrer angestellt werden könnten, so hätte man ja einen konkreten Anfang gemacht.
Ich meine, bei einer solchen Sache, wie diese Bewegung ist, sollte man nicht zu bedenklich nach der Richtung sein. Ich weiß nicht, ob Sie die bekannte Bismarck-Anekdote kennen. Die müsste mit aller Reserve für so etwas wie die Waldorfschul-Bewegung [auch] geltend gemacht werden. [Ich meine die Geschichte, wie] Bismarck vermöge seiner amtlichen Stellung bei gewissen Hoffestlichkeiten eingeladen war. Aber er war als [nicht so hochgeborener] Junker nicht berechtigt, hoch genug an der Tafel oben zu sitzen. Als die Fürstin [die Fran von Bismarck] mitgegangen ist, haben sich einzelne Höflichkeiten beklagt darüber, dass sie nicht vorne sitzen, weiter oben an der Tafel. Das ist so weit gekommen, dass man so einen großen Pudel, [den Zeremonienmeister], zu Bismarck geschickt hat: Es ginge also nicht; seine amtliche Stellung berechtige ihn wohl, weiter oben zu sitzen, das könnte aber nicht der Fürstin Bismarck zugestanden werden. Da hat er gesagt: Wissen Sie was? Meine Frau sitzt da, wo ich sitze. Mich können Sie hinsetzen, wo[hin] Sie wollen. Wo ich sitze, da ist immer oben. — So meine ich, könnte es da auch sein. Es handelt sich nur darum, was man macht.
[Nach einigen Zwischenbemerkungen:] Jetzt, [was] ist über einzelne Schüler oder Klassen noch vorzubringen?
JOHANNES GEYER fragt wegen L. in der 4. Klasse: Er hat Selbstmordgedanken geäußert.
RUDOLF STEINER: [Er wäre für die Hilfsklasse reif, aber] wir lassen ihn noch so lange in Ihrer Klasse, bis [ich] ihn gesehen habe.
In einer der beiden 1. Klassen sind die Gesundheitsverhältnisse schlecht.
RUDOLF STEINER: Wir haben in dieser Klasse die ersten Kriegskinder. Aber da die Kinder einfach nach dem Alphabet abgeteilt sind und die Parallelklasse von Düberg gesünder und besser ist, so ist es zweifellos, dass [für] einen Teil der schlimmen Zustände in dieser Klasse, natürlich nicht für alle, äußere [auslösende] Ursachen da sind. Es liegt in der Feuchtigkeit der Klasse und [in] den Heizungsverhältnissen.
Mit Ihrer Klasse können wir nichts tun. Herr Molt hat gemeint, man wird einen Ofen hinstellen lassen. Die Wärme- und Heizverhältnisse sind schlecht.
VIOLETTA PLINCKE: Es sind schlechte Familienverhältnisse.
RUDOLF STEINER: Es sind auch unter den Kindern [selbst] unglückselige Verhältnisse, [was] in einzelnen Kindern liegt, die die anderen anstecken. Vieles lässt sich [daran] nicht ändern. Aber dies lässt sich re Heizungsverhältnisse [bekäme]. Zentralheizung wäre das Beste. Man müsste es halt tun. Das wäre das Gescheiteste, es beim Bau zu machen.
MARIA RÖSCHL spricht über M. S. in der 7. Klasse im Lateinunterricht.
RUDOLF STEINER: Mit denen, die Sie heute [im Lateinischen] gehabt haben, haben Sie [schon] sehr viel erreicht. Sie haben gleich das ganze Lesestück von vornherein genommen. Das ist das Allerbeste. Die haben verhältnismäßig viel gelernt. Wer ist dieser M. S.?
HERMANN VON BARAVALLE über denselben Schüler: Er ist cholerisch.
RUDOLF STEINER: Das ist der Junge auf der linken Seite in einer der letzten Bänke. Ich weiß es jetzt.
MARIA RÖSCHL: Er schreibt gerne die griechischen Buchstaben, weiß aber nicht, was es ausdrückt.
RUDOLF STEINER: Man müsste bei ihm versuchen, auf dem Umweg durch Künstlerisch-Intellektives ihn weiterzubringen. Man müsste versuchen, sagen wir, man lässt ihn einen Kreisel zeichnen, eine Anzahl von Farben, rot, orange, gelb, grün, alle sieben, und dann den Versuch machen, das Rot [hier] herüberdrehen zu lassen, [so]dass er zunächst das Intellektuelle anwendet auf das Künstlerische. Ich will sagen, das könnte man auch - es ist schwer, so viel Zeit auf einen Jungen zu verwenden -, man könnte versuchen, sagen wir einmal, ihn eine Einteilung machen lassen, ob Substantiv, Verbum, Objekt [und so weiter], die dann vertauschbar sind; also Schemata, wo das Intellektive künstlerisch-anschaulich auftritt. Das könnte ihm sehr helfen. Mit so etwas könnte man ihn beschäftigen.
MARIA RÖSCHL: Ich mache [es] mit Amos Comenius.
RUDOLF STEINER: Das ist ein guter Wink. Man muss es recht anschaulich machen, aber so, dass zugleich [die] Intelligenz [im] Anschaulichen darinnen liegt.
HERMANN VON BARAVILLE: Ich bin [in der 7. Klasse] mit den Fabeln von La Fontaine fertig. Einige enthalten eine halbschiefe Moral.
RUDOLF STEINER: Man macht einen Witz darüber. [Man muss sie] als Fabeln nehmen.
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: [La Fontaine scheint mir ganz frei zu sein von Humor.]
RUDOLF STEINER: Man wird den Humor aus einem selber schöpfen können. Man kann ebenso gut aus einem anderen Milieu heraus viel Missverständnisse hervorrufen. Es wird sich darum handeln, das [man versucht], in ihn hineinzukommen. Wenn Sie mit ihm fertig sind, dann würde ich [größere] Prosastücke nehmen. Mignet, das kann [man] auch schon mit diesen Kindern nehmen.
HERMANN VON BARAVALLE: Nach «Christmas Carol» soll man «Tempest» lesen.
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: Ich habe den «Tempest» mit verteilten Rollen gelesen.
RUDOLF STEINER: Das ist gerade ein richtiges [pädagogisches] Problem. [Es kommt nur darauf an, wie man es macht.] Die Kinder haben den Stoff, erfahren stofflich nichts mehr, werden aber [gerade dadurch] dann vielleicht in den Geist der Sprache am allerbesten eingeführt.
ROBERT KILLIAN: Ich wollte in der 9. Klasse Jules Verne lesen.
RUDOLF STEINER: Ich habe nichts gegen Jules Verne, wenn Sie ihn so behandeln, dass die Kinder nicht phantastisch werden [durch ihn]; [aber man kann es schon machen].
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: Wäre es empfehlenswert, dass man kurze novellistische Stücke herausnimmt?
RUDOLF STEINER: Dies würde gut sein für dreizehn-, vierzehnjährige Kinder. Aber das meinte ich auch, wenn ich sagte Mignet. Man muss im Englischen und Französischen charakteristische Stücke heraus holen [und lesen].
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: Man wird doch wirtschaftlich genötigt sein, auf die Schulausgaben zurückzugreifen?
RUDOLF STEINER: Man kann seine Lektüre hernehmen, wo[her] man will. Es soll schon durchgeführt werden, dass jeder Schüler sein Buch hat. Die Schulbücher, die manchmal verwendet werden, sind eben [doch Gift] für die Kinder. Was in den Schulbüchern der niederen Klassen steht, das ist manchmal ein schreckliches Zeug.
ELISABETH VON GRUNELIUS: Der K. K. war zwei Jahre in der Schule, er geht weg mit ganz mangelhaften Kenntnissen. [Was soll ich ihm für ein Zeugnis geben?]
RUDOLF STEINER: Schreiben Sie [ins Zeugnis hinein], was wahr ist. Motivieren Sie [genau, warum] er zurück ist. Sie können das alles hineinschreiben. Sie werden ihn nicht aufhalten können. Ich glaube, sie wollen sie in Basel nicht in die Schule schicken und wollen dort eine Privatgruppe veranstalten. Ich sagte ihr, sie soll sich mit Frau Dr. G. zusammentun, denn der H. G. ist in demselben Fall. Es wird ihm eines Tages einmal der Knopf aufgehen.
ELISABETH VON GRUNELIUS: Als Erzählstoff ist biblische Geschichte angegeben [für die 3. Klasse]. Ich weiß nicht, wie ich das machen soll.
RUDOLF STEINER: Nehmen Sie sich einmal eine [ältere] katholische Bibelausgabe. Da werden Sie sehen, wie man nacherzählt. [Diese Geschichten] sind ganz gut gemacht, nur müssen Sie es [natürlich] noch besser machen. Sie kriegen die Möglichkeit, den biblischen Stoff aus dieser schrecklichen Luther’schen Übersetzung herauszuheben. Es wäre überhaupt gut, wenn man die katholische Übersetzung der Bibel nehmen würde. Außerdem empfehle ich Ihnen: Beschäftigen Sie sich [etwas] mit den vorlutherischen Bibelübersetzungen, damit Sie über das Märchen [von den Verdiensten] der Bibelübersetzung von Luther hinwegkommen. Das spukt furchtbar, dass Luther ein Verdienst hat in Bezug auf die Gestaltung der deutschen Sprache. Das ist etwas, was furchtbar spukt in den Gemütern der mitteleuropäi Menschen. Wenn Sie zurückgehen auf die früheren Bibelübersetzungen, aber größere Partien haben, so werden Sie sehen, was da [früher] glänzend gemacht worden ist, gegenüber dieser Luther’schen Bibelübersetzung, die eigentlich die Entwicklung der deutschen Sprache fürchterlich zurückgehalten hat.
[Es gibt so eine Bibelausgabe für] Schüler, [die] Schuster’sche [Bibel]. Man bekommt sie überall da, wo Katholiken sind in größerer Anzahl. Man soll anfangen [vor der Schöpfungsgeschichte] mit dem Fall der Engel. Die katholische Bibel fängt an mit dem Fall der Engel; [dann kommt erst die Weltschöpfung]. Das ist sehr schön. Einfache, schlichte Erzählung.
Caroline von Heydebrand fragt wegen eines Jungen in der 7a, der Muskelschwund hat.
RUDOLF STEINER: Mit Hypophysis cerebri behandeln, [das ist das Richtige dafür].
PAUL BAUMANN: Können wir wegen eines musikalischen Hilfslehrers inserieren?
RUDOLF STEINER: Wir haben wenig gute Musiker, aber einige doch. Ich werde jetzt bei dieser Reise mein Augenmerk darauf richten.
RUDOLF STEINER spricht mit Erich Schwebsch über das Problem des Musikalischen und empfiehlt ihm «Vom Musikalisch-Schönen» vor Eduard Hanslick und eine Besprechung von Robert Zimmermann über die Musikästhetik von Ambros.
Es wird gefragt wegen eines Turnlehrers Landauer.
RUDOLF STEINER: Ich glaube, mit Bezug auf das Turnen, [da wissen wir schon], dass man im Turnunterricht eine große Sorgfalt anwenden muss [in Bezug auf] die Persönlichkeit. Es handelt sich darum, dass man vielleicht den Turnunterricht auf eine breitere Basis wird stellen müssen, dass er in vernünftiger Weise gepflegt wird. Der junge Englert kommt nicht in Betracht für den Turnunterricht. Man müsste irgendjemanden finden, der sich dafür interessiert.
Ich habe [beim Kurs zu Weihnachten in Dornach für die Menschenkunde] gezeigt, wie nach und nach der ganze Organismus vom Seelischen in Anspruch genommen wird. Da müsste eingegriffen werden [gerade] beim Turnen. Ich möchte, dass dieser Kurs so schnell wie möglich gedruckt wird. Dieser ist es, der über solche Dinge Auskunft geben wird. So genau [und ausführlich] habe ich sonst nicht Gelegenheit gehabt, diese Dinge auseinanderzusetzen, dieses Durchbilden des Organismus, sodass der Turnlehrer auf die Sache eingehen könnte. — Ich werde mich mit dieser Frage beschäftigen.
Twenty-ninth Conference
After November 16, Rudolf Steiner only visited Stuttgart briefly in mid-December, on December 16, for the laying of the foundation stone of the new school building, which was built with the help of the “Kommender Tag” (The Coming Day). He gave a speech and read the foundation stone inscription for the school building (in GA 298). However, it was not until after New Year's that Steiner visited the school again. Coming from Dornach, he prepared for the first lecture tour through twelve German cities organized by the Berlin concert management Wolff and Sachs. It was not until March 15, 1922, that he returned to the school.
Topics: Recommendations for the school inspector's visit. Can there be pupils who only attend part of the lessons at school? The worrying state of health of the first graders. About Jules Verne. The story of creation in the third school year should begin with the fall of the angels.
Comments: In England, Margaret Cross wanted to convert her school into a Waldorf school. Steiner believed that a broad-minded attitude would be helpful here too. The Waldorf idea could be applied everywhere. The Free Anthroposophical Youth in Jena had asked for an educational course at Easter. Steiner left it up to the faculty to decide whether or not they wanted this.
RUDOLF STEINER: I wanted us to be able to briefly discuss the necessary questions that are on your minds, which is why I asked you to come here. Are there any ongoing questions?
KARL STOCKMEYER: School inspector Eisele has registered for February. He has told me how he envisages the examination and what information he wants.
RUDOLF STEINER: Haven't the notes been sent in?
KARL STOCKMEYER: He wants a teaching report.
RUDOLF STEINER: This report must be written as laconically as possible. Write as few novellas as possible. Just like curricula, where it also says: binomial theorem, permutation calculation; only in a very factual way.
You have to assume that someone like that, who is an official, will consider any deviation to be wrong, and that any deviation will annoy him. You should expect as little soulfulness as possible. They are not allowed to have that in their official capacity. If you give them long arguments [about how you deviate from the elementary school curriculum], they will come down hard on you. We can never believe that we can really satisfy these people. We must try to deal with them in such a way that we tell them, we are doing this and that, and so on. [To hope] that anything will be understood from this side is completely pointless. It is more useful with any person than with an official schoolmaster. It is much better to say what you have covered so far. Let the deviations recede as far as possible.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Toni Eyck is here again and wants to enroll her daughter. Should we accept her?
RUDOLF STEINER: Why did she leave school? Until we know whether she is a resident, we can't do anything. I don't think she is a resident. She will be a nuisance.
KARL STOCKMEYER: H. L. would like to attend school for only half a day and spend the other half of the day with Dr. Unger [learning] mechanical drawing.
RUDOLF STEINER: For such cases – he is in 10th grade, of course something like this cannot be considered for the lower eight grades. It would only be considered for grades 9 and above – one could discuss the question of whether to accept guest students who might only attend a few hours. That could work. He would then not be a regular student, but a guest student. This could be considered a general solution to this question, that those who are in a similar situation are accepted as guest students at the school.
KARL STOCKMEYER: His mother cannot afford the school fees.
RUDOLF STEINER: The family circumstances are terrible.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Should the student W. S. be admitted to the remedial class and then assigned to a class [after the main lesson]?
RUDOLF STEINER: He can be admitted. He is only admitted to the remedial class and then sent home [after ten o'clock]. The same applies to H.R.
KARL STOCKMEYER: Mr. Heidenreich [Free Anthroposophical Youth] has inquired about a [pedagogical] course in Jena at Easter.
RUDOLF STEINER: It depends on whether you want to. And whether you can! Which of the members of the faculty would like to and are able to? It would be good if [what] can be called the Waldorf school idea could be strongly promoted and take root, especially among younger people. So that the idea of the Waldorf school really spreads, that the Waldorf school would be seen as something special [and great].
PAUL BAUMANN: It would be better if we took the initiative ourselves.
RUDOLF STEINER: That is quite right. And if we succeed in organizing something independent and winning over the youth, then that is [of course] preferable. But without winning over young people, there will be no point in educational matters today. Young people must be won over. It is precisely these young people, who are involved in the youth movement, who must be won over.
KARL STOCKMEYER puts forward the idea of holding a comprehensive school conference of our own.
RUDOLF STEINER: To a certain extent, what Mr. BAUMANN suggested is correct. But [on the other hand], I have no doubt that if the Jena youth school movement approaches the Waldorf teachers, why shouldn't that have just as much of an independent effect as if you were doing something yourselves? It just depends on how you go about it, how you present yourselves.
EUGEN KOLISKO on the success in Jena.
RUDOLF STEINER: Can you say what people were dissatisfied with?
EUGEN KOLISKO: With eurythmy. They didn't understand it. Nor did they always recognize what was new about it.
RUDOLF STEINER: I think a lot could be done in this area.
I myself don't know if I can participate because, if this project comes to fruition, I am supposed to go to England. Miss Cross wants to bring her school into this movement in England. Now, that may be very important, if you have something like that, although it seems difficult to me to carry out. If there is a possibility that some of those who took part in the Christmas course [in Dornach in 1921] could perhaps be employed [there] as teachers, then a concrete start would have been made.
I think that with something like this movement, one should not be too cautious about the direction it takes. I don't know if you are familiar with the well-known Bismarck anecdote. It should be applied with all due reserve to something like the Waldorf school movement. [I mean the story of how] Bismarck was invited to certain court festivities by virtue of his official position. But as a [lesser-born] Junker, he was not entitled to sit high enough at the table. When the princess [Fran von Bismarck] accompanied him, some courtiers complained that they were not sitting at the front, further up the table. It got to the point where a big poodle [the master of ceremonies] was sent to Bismarck: it wouldn't do; his official position entitled him to sit further up, but that couldn't be granted to Princess Bismarck. So he said: You know what? My wife sits where I sit. You can seat me wherever you want. Where I sit is always at the top. — I think that could also be the case here. It's just a matter of what you do.
[After a few interjections:] Now, [what] else is there to say about individual students or classes?
JOHANNES GEYER asks about L. in the 4th grade: He has expressed suicidal thoughts.
RUDOLF STEINER: [He would be ready for the remedial class, but] we will leave him in your class until [I] have seen him.
In one of the two 1st grades, health conditions are poor.
RUDOLF STEINER: We have the first war children in this class. But since the children are simply divided according to the alphabet and Düberg's parallel class is healthier and better, there is no doubt that [for] some of the bad conditions in this class, though not for all, there are external [triggering] causes. It is due to the dampness in the classroom and the heating conditions.
We cannot do anything about your class. Mr. Molt said that a stove will be installed. The heating conditions are poor.
VIOLETTA PLINCKE: The family circumstances are poor.
RUDOLF STEINER: There are also unfortunate circumstances among the children themselves, which lie with individual children who infect the others. Much of this cannot be changed. But this can be remedied by heating conditions. Central heating would be best. It just has to be done. The smartest thing would be to do it during construction.
MARIA RÖSCHL talks about M. S. in 7th grade Latin class.
RUDOLF STEINER: You have already achieved a great deal with those you had today [in Latin]. You took the whole reading passage from the beginning. That is the very best thing to do. They have learned a relatively large amount. Who is this M. S.?
HERMANN VON BARAVALLE about the same student: He is choleric.
RUDOLF STEINER: That's the boy on the left in one of the back benches. I know that now.
MARIA RÖSCHL: He likes to write Greek letters, but doesn't know what they mean.
RUDOLF STEINER: One would have to try to help him progress by taking a detour through artistic-intellectual activities. One would have to try, say, to have him draw a spinning top, a number of colors, red, orange, yellow, green, all seven, and then try to have him turn the red [here], [so] that he first applies his intellect to the artistic. I mean, you could also—it's difficult to spend so much time on one boy—you could try, say, to have him make a classification, whether noun, verb, object [and so on], which are then interchangeable; in other words, schemata where the intellectual appears artistically and vividly. That could help him a lot. You could keep him busy with something like that.
MARIA RÖSCHL: I do [it] with Amos Comenius.
RUDOLF STEINER: That's a good tip. You have to make it quite vivid, but in such a way that [the] intelligence [in] the vividness is also present.
HERMANN VON BARAVILLE: I have finished [in 7th grade] with La Fontaine's fables. Some of them contain a somewhat skewed moral.
RUDOLF STEINER: You make a joke about it. [You have to] take them as fables.
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: [La Fontaine seems to me to be completely devoid of humor.]
RUDOLF STEINER: You will be able to draw the humor from yourself. You can just as easily cause a lot of misunderstandings from a different milieu. It will be a matter of [trying] to get into it. When you are finished with it, I would take [longer] pieces of prose. Mignet can also be used with these children.
HERMANN VON BARAVALLE: After “A Christmas Carol,” one should read “The Tempest.”
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: I read “The Tempest” with assigned roles.
RUDOLF STEINER: That is precisely a real [educational] problem. [It just depends on how you do it.] The children have the material, they don't learn anything new in terms of content, but [precisely because of this] they are perhaps introduced to the spirit of the language in the best possible way.
ROBERT KILLIAN: I wanted to read Jules Verne in 9th grade.
RUDOLF STEINER: I have nothing against Jules Verne, if you treat him in such a way that the children do not become fantastical [through him]; [but it can be done].
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: Would it be advisable to select short novellas?
RUDOLF STEINER: This would be good for thirteen- or fourteen-year-old children. But that is what I meant when I said Mignet. You have to select [and read] characteristic pieces in English and French.
ERICH SCHWEBSCH: Won't there be an economic necessity to resort to school editions?
RUDOLF STEINER: You can take your reading material from wherever you want. It should be ensured that every student has their own book. The textbooks that are sometimes used are [poison] for the children. What is written in the textbooks for the lower grades is sometimes terrible stuff.
ELISABETH VON GRUNELIUS: K. K. was in school for two years, but he is leaving with very poor knowledge. [What grade should I give him?]
RUDOLF STEINER: Write [in the report card] what is true. Explain [exactly why] he is behind. You can write all that in. You will not be able to stop him. I believe they do not want to send them to school in Basel and want to organize a private group there. I told her to get together with Dr. G., because H. G. is in the same situation. One day, he will understand.
ELISABETH VON GRUNELIUS: Biblical stories are specified as narrative material [for the 3rd grade]. I don't know how to do that.
RUDOLF STEINER: Take an [older] Catholic edition of the Bible. There you will see how to retell the stories. [These stories] are quite well done, but you must [of course] do it even better. You have the opportunity to lift the biblical material out of that terrible Luther translation. It would be good to use the Catholic translation of the Bible. I also recommend that you study the pre-Lutheran translations of the Bible [a little] so that you can get over the fairy tale [of the merits] of Luther's translation of the Bible. It is terribly haunting that Luther is credited with shaping the German language. This is something that haunts the minds of Central Europeans terribly. If you go back to the earlier Bible translations, but have larger sections, you will see what has been brilliantly done there, compared to Luther's Bible translation, which actually held back the development of the German language terribly.
[There is such a Bible edition for] schoolchildren, [the] Schuster Bible. You can get it anywhere where there are large numbers of Catholics. You should start [before the story of creation] with the fall of the angels. The Catholic Bible begins with the fall of the angels; [then comes the creation of the world]. That is very beautiful. A simple, straightforward narrative.
Caroline von Heydebrand asks about a boy in class 7a who has muscular dystrophy.
RUDOLF STEINER: Treat him with hypophysis cerebri, [that is the right thing to do].
PAUL BAUMANN: Can we advertise for an assistant music teacher?
RUDOLF STEINER: We have few good musicians, but we do have some. I will focus my attention on this during my trip.
RUDOLF STEINER talks to Erich Schwebsch about the problem of music and recommends Eduard Hanslick's “Vom Musikalisch-Schönen” (On Musical Beauty) and a review by Robert Zimmermann on Ambros's music aesthetics.
A question is asked about a gymnastics teacher named Landauer.
RUDOLF STEINER: I believe, with regard to gymnastics, [we already know] that great care must be taken [with regard to] the personality in gymnastics lessons. The point is that gymnastics lessons may have to be placed on a broader basis, that they are cultivated in a reasonable manner. The young Englert is not suitable for gymnastics lessons. We would have to find someone who is interested in it.
During the Christmas course in Dornach on human science, I showed how the whole organism is gradually taken over by the soul. Action would have to be taken [especially] in physical education. I would like this course to be printed as soon as possible. It is this course that will provide information about such things. I have not otherwise had the opportunity to explain these things in such detail, this shaping of the organism, so that the physical education teacher could address the issue. — I will look into this question.