General Anthroposophical Society 2009 / deutsch english español français italiano svenska. Goetheanum

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1 General Anthroposophical Society 2009 / 2010 deutsch english español français italiano svenska Goetheanum

2 Contents Editorial...3 General Anthroposophical Society USA...4 Highlights...6 Free School of Spiritual Science General Anthroposophical Section...7 Youth Section...9 Mathematical-Astronomical Section...10 Art Section...10 Medical Section...11 Natural Science Section...12 Pedagogical Section...13 Section for Agriculture...14 Section for the Art of Eurythmy, Speech, Drama and Music...15 Humanities Section...16 Section for the Social Sciences...17 Goetheanum Goetheanum-Stage...18 The Year at the Goetheanum...19 Finance Report...20 Addresses...24 Publisher: General Anthroposophical Society Editorial: Wolfgang Held, Bodo v. Plato Translation: Peggy Elliott Editorial assistance: Monika Clément Layout: Johannes Onneken Printing: Kooperative Dürnau (Germany)

3 Editorial World and Soul Awakening Dear Members, As if something is seriously amiss with the four elements earth, water, air and fire: major earthquakes, crushing tsunamis, and incessant flooding, devastating hurricanes, and brush, bush and forest fires in many parts of the world have reached epidemic proportions. This combines with man-made problems such as climate change, disease and epidemics, resource ownership and Big world issues affect our personal soul life. World awakening means an awakening in food, population shifts to major distribution such as water and individual souls. urban centres, migration and population increases, and security and armed conflict issues. Cornelius Pietzner These phenomena converge into tipping points for society on a scale not seen before. They also seem connected. The sense of being overwhelmed and unable to fully penetrate causes often leads to reactionary responses. Cornelius Pietzner has been a member of the Executive Council since 2002 and is responsible for Finance. Big world issues affect our personal soul life. World awakening means an awakening in individual souls. This fundamental theme for Goethe: Man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world, he becomes aware of himself only within the world and aware of the world only within himself was taken up and deepened by Steiner as a central theme of inner development. The essential question is to identify, develop and, above all, practise the connection between our individual soul life and developments in the world around us. To be able to do this in a relevant and meaningful way is to be a cosmopolitan citizen. Or in other words, it means to connect oneself to Michael, the guiding Regent of our Time. In the 3 rd Letter to Members (3 February 1924) Rudolf Steiner says: In Anthroposophy it is the Truths it can reveal which matter: in the Anthroposophical Society it is the Life that is cultivated. This places us into a sphere where the Truths can illuminate and provide understanding to life s complexities and circumstances, and the diversity of life can augment and contextualise these truths. Finding this balance is no easy task! Three approaches that may help to hold this balance are: 1) Steiner emphasised the spiritual scientific methodology of anthroposophy, not as a fixed world view, but as a systematic approach based on thinking and knowledge (England, 19 August 1923). 2) The openness and tolerance that the Anthroposophical Society seeks can be understood in the sense of To love ones action and live in understanding of the other s will, is the fundamental maxim of a free human being (Philosophy of Freedom). This is also an incentive to become a learning organisation that attempts to bridge the gap between the world and our own soul life. To embrace this approach, in a heterogenous global community, without losing specific spiritual identity, is a lofty aspiration for the Anthroposophical Society 3) In January Steiner offered the challenging statement that the Anthroposophical Society itself needs to cultivate these six virtues, referring to the Basic Exercises. These practices, transposed to the Society, help build a bridge between the individual soul and the world needs. After 100 years, social spiritual impulses require fundamental transformation. The General Anthroposophical Society is facing this task. The 2011 jubilee is a milestone providing an opportunity for thoughtful review, renewal and creation. Architecting and navigating the way forward, based on the accomplishments and foundation of the past, but with a clear perspective for the future, will necessarily be a significant focus for the Goetheanum and the Society in the next years. For the Executive Council at the Goetheanum Cornelius M. Pietzner 3

4 General Anthroposophical Society Three Reasons for Optimism Anthroposophical Society in the USA If there was such a thing as American Anthroposophy, it would be called Anthroposophy at work. Torin Finser Torin Finser is the director of the teacher seminary Antioch/New England and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in the United States. Is seems that the American Society is being challenged on many levels. Is it? Torin Finser: The United States are confronted with a lot of problems, and it is obvious that the old solutions are no longer sustainable. Much will depend on finding a new way of cooperation within the American Society. That is what is demanded of us today, and I hope that we will be able to deal with it. You have written about cooperation? In my book Organisational Integrity I don t outline today s problem. Everywhere we hear what doesn t work, what is lacking. I prefer to look at what does work. In this respect the human body is worth looking at. It is a riddle, a mystery of cooperation between different organs and multiple functions. All the diverse organs work together so successfully. This is a fascinating study for me; for example to understand the essence of the liver or the kidney. What do the organs tell us, how do they work? If I understand the organs collaboration, do I understand social processes better? For example: The liver is quite warm with 41 C. In a group of human beings this liver-energy can also be found. It means warming to a theme, moving forward. The lungs, in contrast, a cold, earthy organ, form a balance. The wisdom of the human body helps us to sharpen our diagnostic perception. For one, there are the apparent problems which are found on the surface, for example distrust within a teaching collegium or difficulties with parents. But we have to look deeper and find the underlying problems and work with them. Anthroposophical medicine has developed fantastic therapies for the human organism; they can be replicated onto the social organism. That is the area of my research Joan Almon, the former General Secretary, noticed that the present fear is uncharacteristic for the American soul. I agree with Joan. Fear is not a common feeling in the USA but rather courage or optimism; jumping in with both feet and asking questions later is what typifies the American soul. Worrying questions about the future are indeed new and the promises that the economic situation will improve have not been fulfilled. On the contrary: unemployment is alarmingly on the increase. The government has fed the economy with sugar, but that has hardly improved the situation. It is as if the problem has been passed from Peter to Paul. Everywhere credits are getting out of hand. Private households are in too much debt, the banks have incalculable liabilities and now the government, too. That begs the question: If the measures so far have not been successful what is the alternative? I hope very much that those who have studied Anthroposophy will have the courage to now discuss these economic questions. What Rudolf Steiner has developed in relation to dealing with money and interest rates might now be heard. How is Anthroposophy developing in the USA? Here I am more optimistic than in the past. For the first time in many years membership is on the increase. That is promising as is the fact that the Youth Section is extremely active. Many young people attended the Annual General Meeting last October in Spring Valley. 40 young people in my working group had come to the conference without being members. Then there was a meeting in Harlemville with 60 participants. There is a generation of 20 to 30 years olds who ask after Anthroposophy, but in a particular way. It is a social, communal and practical approach to Anthroposophy. Finally, there is a third aspect of my optimism. We had a considerable deficit in our annual accounts. Only a few months before his death, Ernst Catz and I started an initiative. We founded a group for supporters who already donate 1000 dollars annually for five years to the Anthroposophical Society. Our membership contribution is 120 Dollars, but we asked for this high amount as a signal of encouragement for the future of the Anthroposophical Society. We started this initiative in May 2009 when the economic crisis was at its peak. Despite this, we 4

5 General Anthroposophical Society carried this idea forward. Then Ernst Catz passed away but continued to assist the project. 54 people have now committed themselves to this. That is incredibly encouraging because it shows a deep connection and trust in the Anthroposophical Society. In some countries meditation courses are now on offer. Are they available in the USA? We would like to take the 2011 anniversary as an opportunity to deepen anthroposophical work. The meditation of the foundation stone will play an important part in this. I am convinced that if we don t take personal development and meditation seriously, if we do not deepen our understanding of Anthroposophy and permeate it further, our outer activities will not be productive. We have set up so-called visiting-speaker`s bureaus. We are sending experienced members into communities which have no seminaries or working groups. They then work on the foundation stone over a weekend or a different anthroposophical subject like esoteric Christianity or the seasonal celebrations. Because membership in the USA is far flung due to our vast distances, such seminaries are very important. Members from Montana, for example, are only rarely able to come to larger conferences. With this new programme we are reaching the periphery much better. We are going to the people rather than calling them to us. With 130 Waldorf institutions the USA come second after Germany with 219 institutions What is the special contribution of Anthroposophy in the USA, what can Europe learn from American Anthroposophy? I would like to ponder a bit longer over this question. However, I would say it is the practical application of Anthroposophy in daily life. Americans like to implement things. They live with the idea but they like to see it present in the world. Therefore bio-dynamic agriculture and also Waldorf pedagogy are strong in the USA. Many Americans believe in what stands the test of time. To link esotericism to vital questions is probably more a Western contribution to the development of Anthroposophy in the world. 5

6 General Anthroposophical Society Meditation and Encounter Highlights from 2009/2010 One of the most interesting anthroposophical meetings was the well organised conference Encircling Light Expectant Silence in Whitehorse, the capital city of Yukon/Canada. 200 people from 13 countries met in this solitary district in the east of Alaska in order to better understand the spirituality of the North. Debbie Allen of the Canadian Youth Section called it a festival of human encounter. February Days: Study days for younger people with the collegium of the School of Spiritual Science All knowledge that doesn t grasp feeling and willing to such an extend that it brings forth change, becomes a burden, even a danger, wrote Frode Barkved, Danish General Secretary, and Gudjon Arnason, Country Representative of Iceland, during a walking tour in Iceland in the summer of The term change certainly hits the nerve of anthroposophical life. Many people are looking for opportunities and the inner space for change beyond the sphere of knowledge. A longing for change and development keeps the Anthroposophical Society young, even if the membership s average age is rising. The key to a stronger force of change lies in the exceptional scope of the Anthroposophical Society. It relies on the individual, how he/she manages to develop his/her meditative life; also important is global networking. They encourage change of the inner and global soul life, and both are presently being promoted. In London, for example, a first cycle of all 19 Class Lessons was held in August In Brazil, Michael Mösch, the new General Secretary, wants to see more emphasis on meditation. His predecessor, Ingrid Böhringer, and members of the council of the Society, with the support of the Goetheanum Meditation Initiative, will visit individual regions of the country offering relevant courses. Hungary also hosted a conference during the summer. 300 participants met with Sergei Prokofieff and Thomas Meyer on the subject of the esoteric background of the Rosicrucian streams. The quantitative largest number of anthroposophical encounters is probably found in the one million signatures which the ELIANT initiative managed to collect for the political representation of anthroposophical initiatives. Besides excellent meetings, like a conference on the dignity of the child in Moscow, the Camphillconference at the Goetheanum or the Waldorf conference in the Philippines, eurythmy has emerged in new locations and has even taken a foothold in some. Here five examples: The Youth-Eurythmy Group of the San Francisco Waldorf School, led by Astrid Thiersch, travelled to India for a short tour. Formacion de Eurythmia de Santiago de Chile is the first eurythmy school in the Spanish speaking South America. 15 students finished their first year of training in The Eurythmy-Ensemble Aurora Australis from Australia toured China in spring. In Beijing 1100 people watched their Southern Light programme. Eurythmy can convert Chinese hearts, cited Birgit Lugosi from Melbourne based on an actress from Guangzshou. In one of the most beautiful spots in Europe a further Eurythmy-School has started: It is now available as part of the Waldorf Teachers Training on Grand Canary. In the autumn of 2009 Paul Mackay set three conditions for a culture of the heart: contemplation, new forms of celebration and fitting communication or encounter. The paths of meditation and the many forms of encounter point into this direction. 6

7 Free School of Spiritual Science Space for Supersensible Experience General Anthroposophical Society Robin Schmidt, since 2002 leader of the Research Centre for Cultural Impulse at the Goetheanum and co-worker of the Anthroposophical General Section. One of the most productive areas of work at the Goetheanum at present is the field of Study and Further Education. Over the past ten years a rich programme of courses and development opportunities has grown out of courses and colloquia by invitation, which brings the idea of an academy at the Goetheanum closer to home. But maybe we first take a look back. Robin Schmidt: Ten years ago, Heinz Zimmermann and I started to re-develop the foundation studies at the Goetheanum. Prior to this there existed the study year founded by Georg Gölzer, which wasn t called the Gölzer Year for nothing. It was strongly tailored on one person. Shortly afterwards Viginia Sease began with her English Studies. Added to this were individual weekend seminaries on inner culture and the transition from anthroposophical studies to a personal meditation culture. All this happened without much publicity and hence it was protected. Five years ago, a course programme was added, an outline for a future study guide. New was also the student pass which allowed students to participate in many of the Section events at a reduced rate. Then a new constellation arose with Edda Nehmiz and Oliver Conradt. Elizabeth Wirsching and Bodo v. Plato also became involved. We started to structure the courses and studies into foundation and postfoundation levels and introduction and advanced courses. A third step was the combination of free study forms. The students follow their studies in dialogue with co-workers in the Sections. What about vocational studies? Parallel to what has been said a vocational offer runs with a series of weekend courses called Foundations of Anthroposophy. This started in autumn with a good response. The course Inner Life and Meditation takes place for the second time this year. The demand is large. The latest additions to this panorama of educational How do we get from someone interpreting Rudolf Steiner for me to entering the process of which Rudolf Steiner speaks? Robin Schmidt offers are introductory events in Anthroposophy for co-workers of businesses with an interest in Anthroposophy. Many people who have not met Anthroposophy so far but would like to get an insight are drawn to these. Such events were on offer before, but they were dependent on the initiative of individuals. Together with BCL Bank we have developed a concept. Such courses have their own particular characteristic as some of the participants are only there because they have been sent by their company rather than attending out of their own interest. The courses have to allow personal freedom and yet lead to the essence of Anthroposophy that is a challenge. We are still gaining experience it will be published as a programme. That sets the scene. What are the next plans? We want to concentrate on the inner sincerity of the courses. This includes a widening the carrier circle. The pioneering phase, which demands familiarity, has now been surpassed. That makes the work between colleagues more demanding and includes spiritual scientific research to find out how transformations into what is alive, etheric, can be brought into the course work. A course then not only serves to convey context, but it becomes a process in itself. What does such transformation into what is alive look like, for example in a philosophical course or in an eurythmy lesson or in a course with a natural scientific theme? Obviously, many course leaders manage this intuitively, but if we want to objectify this, we need cooperation, share reviews and research. We believe that the reason behind coming to a course at the Goetheanum is ultimately to find access to one s own higher being. There we can act as intermediary. The focus, therefore, is always on context, and the course leaders also attend classes. It can be difficult to find a relationship to the spiritual for a spiritual scholar. This differs from person to 7

8 person, and therefore one cannot only convey context but one has to relate to each individual. That affects community building. Groups based on age are limited. Is the study of the foundations of Anthroposophy always at the centre? Yes, and they can be taken up before, during or after the tuition. Anthroposophical vocational training has become more professional over the past years. Demands in the professional fields have increased. That is one reason why training is more concentrated on the subject, and increasingly the Goetheanum is being asked whether we can add tuition of the foundations of Anthroposophy to the vocational training. That is a really interesting field which leads us to new relationships. Until now Study and Further Education has included other areas. Will this continue? We have to extend carefully. Study quality arises from people being there for people. One has to remain free for this task and be willing to lead personal conversations outside course work and to accompany study projects. Of course we also want to be economically more independent. At the same time the close relationship to the Sections makes it possible that Section co-workers understand their involvement here as part of their training. We are also developing a concept where lecturers combine personal study at the Goetheanum with a course they lead. further, we will soon have to look at other possibilities. I see the Goetheanum, also as a building, primarily as a place of initiation. And of course, there should be people who, together with others, create spaces through which they can enter into the sphere of the spirit. And this is, if I may be so immodest, our task. What have we not discussed yet? English Studies. This, by now two year English programme within the study guide, has also developed and has now become especially important because the work at Emerson College comes to a close this year. That is regrettable. Therefore, at the moment, there is no other place in the world, where a full time foundation course in Anthroposophy in English is being offered. Virginia Sease has developed this study programme and now here too the question arises for a group of effectively working lecturers. I think it is important to mention what has happened in the background: Over the past years we have established a secretariat which looks after the students. Yvonne Schmidt-Heyerhoff was responsible for much of the setting up. Mauro Fenu is now the manager. It is also part of the constellation, that there are co-workers who understand the organisation as part of the whole department and who contribute to an efficient and beautiful atmosphere. Again it is about a human constellation and what lies in the relationships. Everything depends on the human constellation. For two years now House Schuurman has been the home of the Study Department. Shouldn t spiritual scientific studies be housed at the Goetheanum? It is great that we have a physical home and if the area of Study and Development grows 8

9 Free School of Spiritual Science One Can Learn from Everyone Youth Section It is about awakening in the poetic nature of the other being, that means in that part of his personality that has not really become visible as yet but does so through my ability to see. This is how John Stubley from the Youth Section collegium describes the task or expectation of many young people who come into contact with the Youth Section. Probably all initiatives follow this theme of enabling oneself, with and through fellow human beings, for spirituality and the world. In spring 2009, the fourth Connect conference took place. Again, classes 12 from all over the world were invited for one When I came to the Goetheanum I said to myself that the that the invited classes arrived week. What was new was Youth Section should not grow with their own projects at the in Dornach but in the world. Goetheanum. It was possible to participate in a workshop Elizabeth Wirsching run by the students, says Katie Dobb, and one changed from being conference organiser to being a student. That was a symbol of the whole year. One can learn from everyone. It is an ongoing exchange. Elizabeth Wirsching made the Youth Section into an international network of young people during her ten years of leadership she wishes to pass this on to other hands. In the summer followed a meeting in Järna entitled 360Degrees. Here, too, mutual awareness stood at the centre, which can grow into shared concern. Elizabeth Wirsching describes it similarly: It is about discovering each other. I feel it is a gift that this generation brings to our society. In Katie s words: It is a special warmth. To discover what is unique in the other presupposes awareness of one s own uniqueness, one s own task. Martin Stenius: The summer conference showed that it is less about absorbing knowledge, and more about participation in cognitive processes. Young people ask what are the conditions to build a camp-fire? Interest, enthusiasm, sincerity and trust, replies John Stubley, and Martin Stenius adds: including everyone and: not the context but the space has to be prepared. Context is brought about by the people. with 40 people from all over the world on How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds. Per we regularly exchange experiences in order to meet again next year. This follow-up is one of the most important tasks of the Section. Elizabeth Wirsching: Young people travel and arrive at a station. Maybe there is time for a coffee, and then a small wonder happens. For many our house here becomes an important station on their journey. But, we don t want to grow too large. It should remain non-bureaucratic, alive. What is meant to grow, and of course it does, are the Youth Sections in the countries. What concerns do we have? The economic situation plays an important part in all event planning. But also the economics of live often pose questions, replies Elizabeth Wirsching, and Katie Dobb replies: How do I mirror my financial situation in my inner and outer work? Concerning the work of the Youth Section, it is not that it ends with encounter but starts with it. From the meetings anthroposophical or charitable initiatives arise which have to be nurtured. Martin Stenius: We had a working weekend 9

10 Strong and Harmonious Mathematical-Astronomical Section From Recognition to Dialogue Art Section Mathematics is like a large city. There are streets, intricate paths and bold bridges; some still undiscovered. The most beautiful building in the centre of the picturesque part of town, however, is the strong, harmoniously structured castle Projective Geometry. Alexander Stolzenburg Oliver Conradt, Physician and Pedagogue. Leader of the Mathematical- Astronomical Section since In hardly any scientific sphere except projective geometry can one experience so directly the need for courage and bravery in thinking in order to discover new frontiers; and sometimes one can feel on shaky ground. Whilst for the life of imagination the infinite appears as an abyss, the boundless becomes familiar in this geometric thought form. Occupation with projective geometry soon leads to a second revelation. Thinking is not a representation of reality which also exists without human involvement, but only through human thinking can the world become fully real. This thought is not academically abstract but touches the fundamental question of what is man. Therefore the coworkers of the Mathematical-Astronomical Section engage in the development and spread of this type of geometry. Fortunately there were three publications in 2009: Alexander Stolzenberg wrote an important text book giving a large amount of assignments in projective geometry for schools. In addition, Gerhard Kowol, a mathematician from Vienna, published an introductory volume on projective geometry as a result of a research residency in the Section. It was published by a university publisher and thus found its way into mathematics lecture rooms. And finally, Oliver Conradt published his studies on algebraic adaptation of projective geometry. Over the past two years the International Conference for math teachers has been looking at ways forward. The whole educational system has been considered. During the conference in 2010, exchange about the different teaching methods was at the centre. In particular the new research area of dyscalculia, a math disability, asks for penetration with anthroposophical knowledge of man. This year s annual conference of artists connected to the Section, held in the Netherlands, had the title Art as Schooling Path Schooling Path as Art. The 130 participants worked with the meditative dimension within the artistic process. Looking at art today was an important part of the conference, says Mechthild Theilmann from the Section. The key for the Section s increased dialogue with other artists probably lies in the engagement with today s artistic sphere. In the field of architecture this has been successful in many places. Following the Architectural Exhibition in Berlin (2006), the International Forum for Man and Architecture and the Karoly Kos Society held a conference on organic architecture in Budapest in At the same time an exhibition of organic architecture was hosted at the local Museum for Contemporary Art. Thanks to the initiative of the architect Imre Makovecz, an organic architecture has developed in Hungary throughout the seventies and eighties which is recognised far beyond national boundaries. His structures, from motorway service stations to city halls and churches, display a strong link to the locality and a special relationship to original natural forms. This shared conference enabled new dialogue despite contextual differences between the Hungarian group and some anthroposophical architects. It was also marvelous that Lucien Kroll, Peter Hübner and Gregory Burgess, internationally renowned architects, and Peter Blundell Jones, Professor of Architecture in Sheffield, as representatives of contemporary architecture, were able to attend. Ursula Gruber has been Leader of the Section since She is taking a sabbatical between February and Summer

11 Free School of Spiritual Science Health and Community Medical Section Since its founding Anthroposophical Medicine has been marked by a tense relationship between supply and demand. Hence it is a core responsibility of the Medical Section to ensure that the Anthroposophical Medical Movement worldwide grows into a healthy working community in order to face its tasks better. Michaela Glöckler Michaela Glöckler has been Leader of the Medical Section for 21 years This is how Michaela Glöckler views the most important task of her section leadership over the past 21 years. The annually 55 conferences, colloquia and meetings of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum also serve this goal, so that not only knowledge but also the opportunity for direct exchange on development perspectives is offered to the various professional streams, says Roland Tüscher, Section Conference Manager. The annual conference of the Medical Movement in September 2009 was a key event. For the first time the subject Oncology, a disease of our civilization and its anthroposophical therapy, was at the centre. The report by Mathias Girke, Havelhöhe Clinic, on individual stages of terminal care for cancer patients showed how Anthroposophy enables an insight into destiny and with it a way of responding to it responsibly. The contributions by participants brought about a moment of deep insight into the spiritual depth of Anthroposophical Medicine. Such shared experiences can never be replaced by a visionary work process. For a community to be effective it also requires a consciousness about its inner forms, the way it is managed and administered. This is even more important in an environment as complex as that of Anthroposophical Medicine which stretches from curative pedagogy to artistic therapies, from physiotherapy, nursing, curative eurythmy and the production of remedies to medical core tasks in hospitals and surgeries. Therefore the council of the Medical Section, IKAM (Internationale Koordination Anthroposophische Medizin), has informed itself on management styles and ideals of community building and development, where the individual remains free in his/her initiative, yet at the same time combined action and responsibility are made possible. How much this matters to those responsible can be seen in the fact that typical obstructions to successful leadership cultures, like pontifical attitudes, unacceptable, one-sided loyalty and collective idealisation, are also listed besides the indications aimed for, as given by Rudolf Steiner from his own experience: 1. Interpretation, i.e. recognition and acknowledgment of competence 2. Trust in the individual to whom tasks have been delegated 3. Democratic culture and a brotherly ethos within the team 4. Self-determination and accountable representation Two concerns and their answers: Many anthroposophical doctors are going to retire within the next few years. The problem of succession is taken onboard by the German and international network of those in training through a renewal and intensification of activities in the area of further education. The International Postgraduate Medical Training programme of the Medical Section, too, assists by an increasing number of worldwide further education weeks ( Although the referendum vote on 17 th May for a yes to complimentary medicine was a great success, and the current number of signatures for the Eliant Campaign with looks positive, free choice of therapy and remedy are still threatened. Here a lot more work has to be done on a professional and social level in order to safeguard the position of Anthroposophical Medicine in Europe. 11

12 Free School of Spiritual Science The Impulse of Perfection Natural Science Section Every living being posses the impulse of perfection right down to the level of its genes. Johannes Wirz Johannes Kühl has been Leader of the Natural Science Section for 14 years. Prior to this he taught Physics in Stuttgart. The Darwin Year 2009 represented a beginning and an end for the theory of evolution, summarises Johannes Wirz, Biologist in the Natural Science Section the conferences and publications commemorating the anniversary of Darwin s publication of his momentous work Origin of Species. Looking back at his deliberations about the evolution of life, beginning and end lie in the fact that today other mechanisms are recognised than the classical motivations of coincidental variation and selection. If one repeatedly continues to breed animals displaying a gentler characteristic from a litter of silver foxes, the animals not only become tame, but also develop smooth fur, a shorter snout and they begin to bark. Not only one characteristic changes, but the complete appearance, the identity. Especially the much talked about genome project has led to new insights on the plasticity of genes. Every organism works continuously with its genes. It is not a finished programme. From the results of modern research one re-approaches the totality of the organism. Ruth Richter and Johannes Wirz were able to demonstrate something similar with the genome project at the research institute of the Natural Science Section. The artificial implantation of the resistance gene into potatoes leads to a wideranging change of the plant. The result is important for critics of gene technology because it proves that it is impossible to change individual characteristics without also affecting the integrity of the whole organism. To observe ongoing discussions within the theory of evolution and to enlighten it from an anthroposophical viewpoint belongs to the Section s tasks. It is estimated that today 30% of genetic modifications are controlled by so called epigenetic processes. Obtained characteristics are genetically fixed and thus transmitted, concludes Johannes Wirz from his exchange with Eva Lablonka (University of Tel Aviv). Until now this type of transmission was considered impossible, although cultural evolution ensues this type of development. The evolution of human communities would be unthinkable without passing on acquired characteristics. Unfortunately, the two planned conferences on evolution had to be cancelled due to insufficient participants, or rather, had to be changed into a colloquium. The basic experiment with the multi-edge spectra; the complementary colours are visible on the wall A further area of research for the Section is light, where Matthias Rang works in cooperation with Johannes Kühl and the cultural scientist Tony Hildebrandt. An exhibition with works on Goethe s Theory of Colour links to this. The 200 th anniversary of his description of colour is in Summer A conference entitled Life of Colour Colour of Life and an interactive exhibition with the assistance of the Friends of the Goethean Theory of Colour and Goethe Experimental, Goethe s scientific achievements in this field are being exhibited. With Matthias Rang s research project, a split, multi-edge spectra, not only interesting for pedagogy, was developed which shows the complementarity relationship between prismatic colours found in Newton s classical experiments, hitherto not possible. The project has been registered as a dissertation within the Section. The Section co-workers are particularly happy that the summer university in cooperation with the Section for Agriculture is becoming increasingly popular, also on an academic level. The education of young scientists in a holistic, sustainable Science of Life is not only of relevance for the future within an anthroposophical sphere. 12

13 Free School of Spiritual Science Pedagogy Put to the Test Pedagogical Section Education is becoming increasingly important. Not a month passes by when questions about upbringing and education are not on the public s mind and the daily and weekly press carry articles or special editions about schools and the right educational system. How does Waldorf Pedagogy meet this development? Autonomous schools which are actively engaged in pedagogy are on the increase. At the same time there is a danger in Waldorf schools to rest on one s laurels. Habits have become rigid, outer forms, as for The Section can only function when one recognises example the nature table in the that it is a centre for research lower classes, seen as symbol which benefits the pedagogical of anthroposophical pedagogy, praxis. is overrated and hinders new developments. A fresh consciousness impulse is needed Christof Wiechert to gauge pedagogy along the lines of Knowledge of Man, or, as Rudolf Steiner called it, a consciousness of a new psychology. Waldorf pedagogy means a paradigm shift of all that has existed in pedagogy before. This feature of anthroposophical pedagogy begins to breath when, within it, renewal becomes the daily bread of the consciousness of the teacher and his/her actions. Christof Wiechert has been Leader of the Pedagogical Section for nine years and is planning to hand it over in The Section s programmes in further education stretch from weekend seminaries in meditation for teachers, to courses on child observation and study weekends on Rudolf Steiner s Knowledge of Man. A new initiative is inviting a whole teaching collegium of a school to come to the Goetheanum for study days and an exchange with Christof Wiechert and other coworkers of the School of Spiritual Science. Two Swiss and three German schools have already made use of this offer. If we wish to correct errors of Waldorf pedagogy, which we continue to lovingly nurture, we have to attend courses. This insight led to colloquia with pedagogically responsible seminary leaders and educators. International Conference of Waldorf Schools (Hague Circle) put together a characterisation of its most essential features on behalf of the Pedagogical Section in November Here some of its central points: Knowledge of man forms the basis for Waldorf pedagogy. A Waldorf school is a uniform and inclusive schooling model from pre-school to leaving school. It is based on a child s age related development needs and takes into account cultural diversity. Teachers require Waldorf specific training and feel responsible for appropriate self- and further education and collegial cooperation. Every teacher is personally responsible for his/ her lessons and is answerable for it within the community. The kindergarten establishes the basis for vitality and interest in the world. The upper class aims for critical and self-critical formation of judgment, an active relationship to the world, a sense of responsibility and independent learning. To gain a basis for judgment on the outer forms of Waldorf pedagogy, which take on a new face over time, and what the inner context is, the 13

14 Free School of Spiritual Science A Crucial Year Section for Agriculture I have always understood it as one of my tasks to build a bridge from the bio-dynamic movement to the Anthroposophical Society. Nikolai Fuchs Nikolai Fuchs, Agronomist, has been Leader of the Section for Agriculture for 9 years and relinquishes this position in the summer of Whilst the high agricultural prices in 2008 had dramatic consequences for poor countries, it eased the situation for ecologically working farmers. At last cereal prices had achieved a level which related to the human and mechanical investment. However, this price level was of short duration. The pendulum stroke back and income, for example, for dairy farmers, fell by a third. The spilt quantities of milk represented a shocking protest was a good year for harvests. But farmers were not able to bring their produce to market. In many shops milk is cheaper than mineral water. At the same, in many southern countries, staple food is exorbitant. Whilst in Europe farmers are underpaid and cannot sell their produce, the number of starving people has exceeded a billion world wide. It is a world catastrophe, summarises Nikolai Fuchs this terrible disparity and adds: There is sufficient food; only it is unobtainable for some. That gives this catastrophe such a cynical character the Agricultural Conference dealt with the agricultural course. Following Spirituality in Agriculture and Identity and Openness the essence of the bio-dynamic work was achieved with the annual theme of 2008/2009. The conference in February and the publishing of the annual review brought this subject to a close and led to some reflection. It was only possible to divide the agricultural course during the conference into its individual components because a study and many discussions within the Section s forum had taken place prior, says Nikolai Fuchs. The annual theme for 2009/2010 addresses Christian development motifs. Stefan Mahlich and Nikolai Fuchs managed to secure representatives of other beliefs as speakers for this annual conference. One highlight of the well attended conference was when Ha Vinh Tho described that Buddhism speaks of four levels of human nourishment;:physical nourishment, soul nourishment through the senses, spiritual nourishment through consciousness and finally destiny nourishment which arises out of deeds for the other. With this idea an association is made to Christianity. 2009/2010 sets a trend for agriculture because the ecologically orientated World Agriculture Report demands that governments and federations consider the future of agriculture. The hitherto only chair in bio-dynamic agriculture at the University in Kassel, which the Section actively supports, also faces this crossroad. The question is still open whether this chair so far backed by charitable funding will become a regular graduate programme. A sobering but painful experience for the Section co-workers is that even successful research projects scarcely reach the relevant scientific journals. With the exception of Andreas Wolfahrt s study on the individualisation in nature conservation, it has thus far not been possible to give research results the academic circulation their quality deserves. Most scientific publishers reject a Goetheanum Header, concludes Nikolai Fuchs. This fact too, tastes of cynicism because the natural science, to which these renowned publications subscribe, is exactly the one that has contributed to today s life threatening situation in nature. What else can be done? Nikolai Fuchs: Belief in our way of doing things is what is most important. 14

15 Free School of Spiritual Science The Dawn of Speech Section for the Art of Eurythmy, Speech, Drama and Music Whilst for some years now eurythmy has found a new artistic base after an intensive search at the beginning of the century, speech still remains within a phase of discovery. It was wonderful that in three conferences in 2009, anthroposophically working speech therapists and speakers met to exchange their experiences. In Witten-Annen 50 speech therapists, working with schools, met to discuss the pedagogical aspects of speech. Because most schools do not offer a full time position for drama and speech, most artists also teach other subjects Trust in the forces of speech which allows them to be more is a path for which we require integrated into the school. During the speech pedagogical a deep breath. Margrethe Solstad conference, Dietrich von Bonin introduced his research on the healthy effect of speech education on the interaction between heart- and breathing rhythm. The reciting of hexameters increases the variability of the heart beat, says Bonin from the University of Bern. Margrethe Solstad has been Leader of the Section for the Art of Eurythmy, Speech, Drama and Music. Prior to this she managed the Eurythmy School in Oslo. Another conference dealt with curative speech. 120 participants looked at the potential and boundaries of drama, performing and eurythmic gestures. This realm of boundary and meeting between language and eurythmy was also the subject of the summer conference. At the centre stood Fercher von Steinwand s poetry with choreographies by Rudolf Steiner. Maybe it is too soon to speak about a dawn in speech, but in 2009 new steps were taken in the area of training. After the end of the speech training at the Goetheanum in 2007, Agnes Zehnter, Kirstin Kaiser and Brigitte Kowarik founded a school for speech in Basel, called Am Wort and the work has begun with eight students. This year further courses are added, including a course in further education for therapists and in preparation for the art therapy exams. Public intensive study weeks in February and September offer an insight into the study concept. This fulfilling soul experience is not offered by speech eurythmy. Therefore the eurythmy-coaches have started to work with Rudolf Steiner s speech eurythmy course. Margrethe Solstad s travels to Sweden (Järna), USA, France and Germany facilitated eurythmic collaboration. The meetings are about discovering what is accessible through language. This is a mutual task. On one s own one quickly falls into a routine, explains Margrethe Solstad. The puppeteers formed a further committee during their January meeting which will be responsible for future initiatives and conferences. Then there was phantastic music during the Symphony conference of the Goetheanum stage. Groups that had studied symphonies presented their results. And there was little music : Michael Kurz, responsible for music within the Section, led a session on Lyre and Eurythmy, and, in cooperation with the Alanus College, a session on music s healing forces. Something new also happened at the meeting of the eurythmy training graduating class. For the first time, all lectures of the school stood on the stage and presented something of their eurythmy. That this is possible with mutual respect shows how sustainable the collegial collaboration has become between the teachers. What are current challenges? For example, convincing associations that 18 hours of lessons per week are more than enough for an eurythmist. In eurythmy, movement and life forces are constantly placed onto the soul level and that demands strength strength which the eurythmist has to find and which the pupils gain. In eurythmy too, speech moves to the centre, says Margrethe Solstad. Usually tone eurythmy is more accessible because the merging of music and movement directly takes hold of the soul. 15

16 Free School of Spiritual Science The Expression of Spirit in Culture Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities Martina Maria Sam has been looking after the Humanities Section at the Goetheanum for ten years. Last year, she also published Rudolf Steiner s notes on the so-called Rückschau. Speech today is predominantly used as a communications and information medium. It requires some inner strength, a change of attitude, to understand and nurture the word as a living entity instead of an information carrier. Every living essence exists in change, in development and this includes speech. At the beginning of human evolution divine spiritual forces were active in it and through it. The word was a creative force in the world. This is reflected in the prologue of the St. John s Gospel: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. However, mankind s evolution leads from direct spiritual guidance to emancipation from spiritual guidance; this general law also finds its mirror in its relationship to language. Its genesis in past, present and future is closely linked to human cultural and consciousness development. The loss of a connection to the spiritual is also the loss of the outwardly creative force of the word. The fading of the essence of language can first of all be seen in the development of a symbolic, metaphorical use of language, whereby, however, new creative opportunities are opened up for man and poetry is born. Yet, over the past centuries, the word has also lost this imagery. Today it is only experienced as a term, terminology which has no longer anything to do with the object it describes. Today it rests with mankind to return language into a direct relationship to the spirit by bringing to mind its spiritual essence, by using it perceptively and consciously nurturing it. The Humanities Section would like its work to be understood on this basis: Hence, on one hand, Rudolf Steiner s many and cherished inspirations for using language, speech development and lexicology are being taken up artistically and progressively, on the other hand, the above roughly outlined path of mankind, as it is mirrored in cultural and consciousness development, is being developed. This happens with different focal points in the Section groups worldwide; at the Goetheanum it is researched within a framework of small working groups and research meetings, the work within the School of Spiritual Science, colloquia on specific specialised subjects and public cultural events, seminaries and the annual Whitsun Conference. This year, for the first time, a colloquium on the Middle Ages takes place which will work on the question whether anthroposophically enhanced medieval studies can be fruitful for pedagogy and research ( pagans, Jews and Christians in German 12 th and 13 th century literature ). I have to and need to face it... Spiritual Experiences and Destiny Encounters in the Fairy Tale: The Gold Children is the theme of the public fairy tale conference prepared, over many years, by the Fairy Tale Research Group. Arabic influences on Middle European Christian development and the special task and location of Georgia with its rich early Christian heritage are the subjects of this year s public cultural conferences. With the title Julian Apostata Herzeloyde Tycho Brahe, an individual destiny and its effects in the Michaelic stream the Whitsun Conference is devoted to this exceptional individuality, an ideal example of the laws of re-incarnation and karma. An overview of all programmes and activities of the Section worldwide can be found in the event calendar The half-yearly newsletter offers an insight into the Section s work with articles in specialised fields, interviews and event reports. Martina Maria Sam 16

17 Free School of Spiritual Science Interdependency as Opportunity? Section for the Social Sciences of one s own needs, and asking oneself the question: How do I have to be for you to be free? Walter Kugler, Head of the Rudolf Steiner Archive, summarised four principles from the conversation: 1. Threefolding means to also notice the other. 2. Social life carries within the energy of the direction of one s thinking and acting. 3. Threefolding is not an idea or concept, but an observation. And finally 4. Threefolding should detect a passion for processes which appear to be far from reality and stand in no direct relationship. That leads the social element from pragmatism to art. Only visible from a bird s eye perspective: The Chartres labyrinth mowed into the Goetheanum lawn. Participants from the Economic Forum followed the path Paul Mackay was Head of Triodos Bank (NL), before becoming a member of the Goetheanum Executive Council in Supported by Ulrich Rösch he also leads the Section for the Social Sciences. Faust is a drama for the 20th century, and Wilhelm Meister is a novel for the 21st century. This characterisation by the biologist Wolfgang Schad marks the social mind of humanity today: It is less about a fight against the world and for the world but more about finding and becoming oneself through observation and conversation. This making myself into what I am, as Wilhelm Meister speaks of himself, is a deeply social event because it decides ones relationship to others. Paul Mackay sees this interdependency, this mutual dependency and mutual enabling, as a key term for today s social relationships. Knowing about each other and communication are central. With this in mind, 60 people met in November in the Youth Section and Section for Social Sciences in order to jointly look for visions for future Section activities. Cooperation with the members of the Youth Section proved very fruitful in gaining new perspectives in some stagnant areas of the Section s work. For example, Katie Dob, member of the Youth Section, presented 40 tips on behaviour for personal development. One should be aware Following the successful family culture conference Family as Place of Work in 2008, four colloquia were held in 2009 which looked at one specific theme each. It started with a course on the recognition of one s own and the child s temperament. Besides a seminary on the child s religiosity, the psychologist Rudy Vandercruysse addressed questions of inner development with regard to excessive demands, overtiredness and overload in his lecture entitled Anxiety and the Ego. Mutual interdependence and mutual enabling are key questions for a new social life. Paul Mackay 17

18 Goetheanum Persuaded by Beauty and Energy Goetheanum Stage Advertising Poster of the eurythmy performance in a Moscow tube station The production of The Guardian of the Threshold at Easter 2010 is the final part of the new production of the Mystery Dramas directed by Gioia Falk (overall artistic director) and Christian Peter (drama director). With more than 20 performances the Mystery Dramas take central stage at the Goethenaum in Two works of the German Classic were produced in 2009: Nathan the Wise by Ephraim Lessing and Amphitryon by Heinrich von Kleist. Eurythmy in Moscow The Symphony-Tour 2008 may well have been the last. Three tours had been agreed between the Goetheanum-Stage and the Eurythmeum Stuttgart, and this was the third. And let s not forget when the Russian Orchestra first arrived in Dornach; all the young musicians, and how delighted we were by their music. For six years they have accompanied us. Despite difficulties in communication, hardly any of us spoke Russian, and amongst the musicians hardly any spoke German or English, an ability to make music for eurythmy was present which carried and enlivened us. Particularly Barbara Mraz from the Goetheanum- Stage, who also has a private link to Russia, the feeling grew that after this lengthy co-operation we owed the Orchestra a return visit to their homeland. The idea seemed unrealistic. We decided on one last initiative before giving into destiny. And then the necessary help appeared. Ursula Piffaretti was convinced by the idea of a return visit to our musicians and was prepared to offer basic funding. Mikhail Khokhlov, the conductor of Gnessin- Virtuosos, was very happy and arranged contact with the Yauza Palace which was of suitable size. We were very impressed when we spotted the large posters for the Symphony-Eurythmy along Whilst after the Mendelssohn Symphony the audience still seemed a little apprehensive, by the end of the evening everyone in the theatre was persuaded by the beauty and energy of this art form. Eugenia Krivitzkaja, Culture Portal Moscow Moscow s large ring road on our drive from the airport. Luck was also in the planning. At the Goetheanum, a Russian student, Elena Toroptchina, had started work in the costume department. She knew the Moscow theatre scene well and used to organise conferences. Her contribution was vital. A few days after the summer holidays both groups met for rehearsals. The trip stood under a good star. The reunion with the orchestra touched us all; despite communication problems many tried to explain how happy they were about our visit. Many had purchased tickets for their families from their own money. This encounter emphasised that the not easy time spent on preparation had been worthwhile and that this visit had fulfilled a longing of the heart. A further encounter was with the director of the theater, Grigory Papish. Only in conversation it became clear to us that our performance was not only the first of the season, but also a First Night for the new directors of the Yauza Palace. This amazing trust in us by the Theatre Management was extraordinary. The two performances were well attended with an audience of ; an audience that became increasingly amiable and heartily applauded the Lamentate. This was a space where eurythmic movement was a joy. edited version from Reports from the Eurythmeum Stuttgart. Text by Ulrike Wendt 18

19 Goetheanum Impressive Finish and Modest Beginning The Year at the Goetheanum All that is new is unimposing. This fact is well known from nature, and yet it is hard to accept this within an organisation. The same is also valid in reverse for those things which form identity, and which are obvious. When they have reached their level The figure of Johannes in the new production of of maturity and their the Mystery Dramas pioneering spirit has come to a close, this too is difficult to accept. This was put into practice when during last year s eurythmy summer conference the great symphonic works were put onto the stage for a last time by the Goetheanum-Stage in cooperation with the Else-Klink-Ensemble Stuttgart. The third symphonic production culminated in Arvo Pärt s Lamentate. After much searching and doubts about the future of eurythmy at the turn of the century, the force of development proved itself in many promising smaller productions and now in a big way. It is notable that Carina Schmid, who, with Benedikt Zweifel, put her artistic mark on this symphonic cycle, is planning to become active in workshops and in the exchange on meditative praxis. And similarly Christof Wiechert, as leader of the Pedagogical Section, has integrated child study into the Waldorf school culture through numerous courses and school visits. Now he passes this work to younger hands but he will continue to be involved in key tasks at the Goetheanum. This area of study is part of the new and future orientated initiatives at the Goetheanum. Over a number of weekends, a group of 30 participants met during 2009/2010 with various lecturers like Arthur Zajonc (USA), Ron Dunselman (Netherlands), Bodo v. Plato (Goetheanum) in order to discuss central questions on the meditative life. Inquiries for these courses exceed our present staffing possibilities. These courses are a first result of the Goetheanum Meditation Initiative, a project by anthroposophists from Europe and the USA coordinated by Ron Dunselman, Arthur Zajonc and Bodo v. Plato. It promotes a stronger and more visible exercise and meditation practice. Since the premiere on 1 st January 2010 of The Soul s Awakening, the fourth Mystery Drama, it has become obvious that the new production of the Mystery Dramas has opened the door for an important step for a spiritually-contemporary presentation of the dramas. Let s hope that it is possible to put across into the already produced first two dramas what has been achieved with the fourth drama, Paul Mackay, responsible for the stage, told the artists during First Night celebrations. Until Easter 2010 the third drama is the last to be rehearsed. Then follow four cycles of the Mystery Dramas lasting until Christmas The financial situation at the Goetheanum does no longer permit the financing of a production out of the current household budget. Therefore it was very much appreciated to discover in autumn 2009 that gift aid had been so generous, that all production costs could be absorbed from it. Another impressive finale was the Agriculture Conference in February With more than 800 participants it was the best subscribed annual conference and the last one for Nikolai Fuchs as Section Leader. Under the header Christian Impulse for Agriculture a circle of annual themes, ranging from questions on identity to climate crisis, cosmology to working with the agricultural course is closed. Two weeks prior to the Agricultural Conference, 350 pedagogues from Swiss Waldorf schools met for their further education. Robert Thomas, Leader of the Swiss School Movement, was very pleased about the response and called the next step: Colleagues from the French speaking part of Switzerland were nearly all present, now we need to mobilise the schools in Ticino, the Italian speaking colleagues. 19