In the age of the consciousness soul

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1 General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 1-2/ Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting February 2013 No. 1/2 Anthroposophical Society 2013 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting /14 Theme for the Year 3 Invitation to the 2013 Annual Conference 4 Invitation to the 2013 Annual General Meeting 4 Letter from Sergei Prokofieff 5 Motions 1 and 2 5 Nomination of Joan Sleigh to the Executive Council 6 Reconfirmation for Seija Zimmermann 7 Gifts Enable Building Decisions 7 Fonds Kulturerbe Rudolf Steiner 8 Initiative for a Members Movement 12 Holland: Meeting of European General Secretaries 12 Goetheanum: Meeting of the Goetheanum Executive Council and the Siebenerkreis 15 Members Who Have Died 15 International Project on the Culture of Dying Goetheanum 9 Goetheanum Leadership Retreat 10 Location for the Representative of Humanity Sculpture Forum 12 Location of the Sculpture in the Goetheanum 14 The Anthroposophical Society s Relation to the Christian Comu Feature 16 Public Courses in Anthroposophical Meditation Theme for the Year: The I knows itself Dimensions of the Foundation Stone Laying Following on the question of The Identity of the Anthroposophical Society (the theme for 2012), we turn to the development of the human I in The individual I is both the eye of the needle and the focal point that serves to form our community and society--indeed, all of the circumstances around us. In the age of the consciousness soul human beings are at work on developing their I, and doing so under special conditions. Until now they seem to have lacked the capacity to penetrate to the true nature of their I. 1 But a process of spiritual self-knowledge is needed if they are to become conscious of it this process that must be created out of individual initiative. The age of the consciousness soul brings a new, unique, complete release from every constraint, from every divine or human authority and tradition. Increasingly reliant on themselves, human beings are in danger of forgetting the spiritual source of their being. The issue of the I presents itself at every level of human life. Are human beings merely the product of genetic makeup and their environment? Are they responsible for their own deeds and impulses of will, or are these caused by a brain beyond their control? Are human beings free to take charge of their own lives and deaths? Are they the lords of nature, and should nature be made to serve human needs alone? How do human relationships take shape, and should the other person be viewed as an object to serve one s own purposes? How do I find the bridge that leads to other people; can I really grasp some element of the I that lives in another person? How can a community be formed that provides space for the I to develop how can the I acquire the capability of living in community? These are burning issues for today. The I and the 1913 Foundation Stone In the Macrocosmic Lord s Prayer, the foundation stone verse for the First Goetheanum, Rudolf Steiner presents an impressive description of the danger that human beings will forget their spiritual source. He calls this Macrocosmic Lord s Prayer an exceedingly significant formula for meditation 2 in which the secret of human evolution and of embodiment in earthly incarnations 3 is revealed for the first time. Thus we might say that the foundation stone for the First Goetheanum reveals the central riddle of our age: the riddle of the human being s I. During 1913 the motif of the I appears at various levels throughout Rudolf Steiner s depictions. Recalling this period a century later does not simply mean a retrospect on history. At its heart it represents a trust that this temporal rhythm can help us imagine the motif in the sense of a will-driven continuation of what was introduced in an archetypal way in Continued on page 2

2 2 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 Editorial 2013 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting Dear T reader, he Goetheanum is finding new structural forms as evidenced in previous reports from the Goetheanum Leadership. Now responsibilities are also being redistributed. Justus Wittich will be joining Bodo von Plato an the communication area, and will serve as the publisher s representative. Paul Mackay (Bodo von Plato s predecessor) viewed the cosmopolitan side of Anthroposophy Worldwide as having an important role, while Bodo von Plato has cultivated reports from the Goetheanum itself and established contacts with authors from around the world. For Justus Wittich (one of the initators of Anthroposophy Worldwide) the inclusion of the international aspect of the Anthroposophical Society is an important focus. An invitation, agenda, and the motions are a part of the preparation for the Annual General Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society. The large volume of these and other necessary information led to the inclusion of fewer reports from around the world. Since the next edition of Anthroposophy Worldwide will be the Annual Report, we are not yet sure about how to handle the reports that could not be included. Or in other words more is happening than can be printed. And that may be a good sign! Sebastian Jüngel Anthroposophy Worldwide appears ten times a year, is distributed by the national Anthroposophical Societies, and appears as a supplement to the weekly Das Goetheanum. Publisher: General Anthroposophical Society, represented by Justus Wittich. Editorial staff: Sebastian Jüngel, Cornelia Friedrich, Wolfgang Held, Jonas von der Gathen, Philipp Tok. Translator for this English edition: Dr. Douglas Miller. We seek your active support and collaboration. To contact the editors: Wochenschrift Das Goetheanum, Postfach, CH 4143 Dornach, Switzerland; fax ; info@dasgoetheanum.ch. To receive Anthroposophy Worldwide, apply to the Anthroposophical Society in your country, or subscriptions are available for CHF 30. ( 25. ) a year from the address above. An version is available to members of the Anthroposophical Society only at: www. goetheanum.org/630.html?l= General Anthroposophical Society, Dornach, Switzerland. Continued from page 1 Ich erkennet sich Laying of the Foundation Stone The Fifth Gospel These archetypal motifs of I-formation live in the laying of the foundation stone and at the heart of the themes developed during 1913, beginning in February with the motif of human selfknowledge in the Berlin lecture on the Being of Anthroposophy. 4 In May, the London and Stuttgart lectures on the Michael impulse describe the formation of a new human identity through self-motivated participation in the spiritual world. Then in August the fourth Mystery Drama (The Soul s Awakening) bears a seal with the words Ich erkennet sich [The I knows itself] inscribed within the image of a serpent devouring itself. Here the recasting process in the formation of the I is represented in an artistic way. With their spirit knowledge developed to the point of envisioning, human beings can now recognize karmic tendencies so that individual steps light up, steps that might lead to effective work in the earthly realm. The central question of the fourth drama (how knowledge of the spirit can be married to sensory deeds ) is also the central Rosicrucian question. This question is directed at the content of the Macrocosmic Lord s Prayer, but from another standpoint. Depending on each soul s propensity, activity in the world brings the human being into a dramatic confrontation with the work of Ahriman and Lucifer. Then the lectures on the Fifth Gospel (October to December) place the Macrocosmic Lord s Prayer into the larger historical context of the Mysteries and their connection with the Christ Being. Here the twilight of the old Mysteries meets the dawn of the New Mysteries in the I. Two Conferences and a Celebration Two conferences organized by the Goetheanum Leadership connect with the theme for 2013/14. On July 22 28, 2013, all four Mystery Dramas will be performed during the The Renewal of Rosicrucianism through the Spirit of Michael conference. On September 20, the centenary of the foundation stone laying for the first Goetheanum will be marked at the Goetheanum with a celebration from 3:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (organized Literature Rudolf Steiner s address for the foundation stone laying at the First Goetheanum in Rudolf Grosse, The Christmas Foundation, Beginning of a New Cosmic Age (London, 1984), Chapter on Laying the Foundation Stone of the First Goetheanum. The Michael impulse Rudolf Steiner, Approaching the Mystery of Golgotha (CW 152), Lectures of May 18 and May 20, 1913 in Stuttgart. The age of the consciousness soul, its challenges and perils Rudolf Steiner, From Symptom to Reality in Modern History (CW 185), Lectures of October 20, October 25, and October 26, 1918 in Dornach. The Fifth Gospel Rudolf Steiner, The Fifth Gospel (CW 148), Lectures of December 17 and December 18, 1913 in Cologne. (Other lectures in this cycle may be helpful, as well.) Further reading Sergei Prokofieff, Rudolf Steiner and the Founding of the New Mysteries, 2nd ed., Forest Row, Sergei Prokofieff, Das Rätsel des menschlichen Ich [The riddle of the human I], 2nd ed., Dornach Peter Selg, Rudolf Steiner and the Fifth Gospel, Great Barrington, Wolf Ulrich Klünker, Anthroposophie als Ich- Berührung [Anthroposophy as contact with the I], 2nd ed., Dornach, by the Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland and the Executive Council). The international public Michaelmas conference (September 24 29, 2013) focuses on that centenary; its goal is to make the 1913 motifs current and fruitful for the Anthroposophical Society and the School now and in the future. We look forward to working with you on these themes this year and we hope to see you at the Goetheanum. For the Goetheanum Leadership: Christiane Haid 1. Rudolf Steiner, An Outline of Occult Science (GA 13), chapter on The Essential Nature of Mankind, (Spring Valley, 1972), p Rudolf Steiner, The Fifth Gospel (CW 148), Lecture of December , (London, 1968), p Ibid. 4. see Rudolf Steiner, The Being of Anthroposophy, Lecture of February 3, 1913 in The Effects of Esoteric Development (CW 145), (Great Barrington, 2007), pp Rudolf Steiner, Approaching the Mystery of Golgotha (CW 152), (Great Barrington, 2006).

3 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 3 General Anthroposophical Society The I Knows Itself Dimensions of the Foundation Stone Laying Invitation to the Annual Conference (including the Annual General Meeting) at the Goetheanum on March 22 24, 2013 Dear Wmembers, e warmly invite you to attend the 2013 Annual Conference of the General Anthroposophical Society to be held at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, on March 22 24, We will be reporting on some painful developments and also discussing a entire range of new ones, the significant 2013/14 building project, and other tasks that have been undertaken at the Goetheanum and in the General Anthroposophical Society. A group of engaged members with a strong interest in cultivating consultation during our general meetings has been working with the Executive Council since fall, This has resulted in more time for discussion and conversation, and an Initiative Forum during the meeting; it will present activities based in the Anthroposophical Society. All members who wish to be active are warmly invited to bring along their initiatives and/or ideas, and present them (please let Monica Clément know about these by March 11, 2012; monika.clement@ goetheanum.ch). The general theme for this year s Annual Conference is The I Knows Itself Dimensions of the Foundation Stone Laying which is also the 2013 theme for the year (see Christiane Haid s description of the theme on pages 1 2.). The theme for the year will be found to run like a red thread throughout conference and the Annual General Meeting which will be held during the conference. At the close of the Annual Conference we will spend some time together in reviewing whether this form for the Annual Conference meets the needs of our members. The program is as follows: Friday, March 22, :00 a.m. For all interested members prior to the conference: Plenum on the state of the Anthroposophical Society; preparation for the Annual Conference together with participants in the Responsibility Carriers meeting (with General Secretaries) Pink card required. 3:00 4:15 p.m. Welcome and artistic introduction to the Annual General Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society (agenda on p. 4) The current situation of the Anthroposophical Society The I knows itself and the Anthroposophical Society (Bodo von Plato) Changes in tasks for the Executive Council (Virginia Sease) Members motions and concerns 4:15 5:00 p.m. Coffee break (Initiative Forum in the foyer during all breaks) 5:00 6:30 p.m. What motivates us in the Anthroposophical Society? First discussion round on: Themes from the Executive Council Members motions and concerns 6:30 8:00 p.m. Evening break and Initiative Forum 8:00 p.m. Eurythmy: And the Building Becomes Man (Goetheanum Stage ensemble) Saturday, March 23, :00 10:30 a.m. Artistic introduction Annual General Meeting (continued) The working approach of the Goetheanum Leadership and the distribution of tasks (Seija Zimmermann) Executive Council plans and initiatives (Paul Mackay) Discussion 10:30 11:15 a.m. Coffee break 11:15 12:45 p.m. Annual General Meeting (continued) 12:45 3:00 p.m. Midday break 3:00 4:30 p.m. Annual General Meeting (continued) Treasurer s report (Justus Wittich) 4:30 5:00 p.m. Coffee break 5:00 6:30 p.m. Annual General Meeting concluded 6:30 8:00 p.m. Evening break 8:00 9:30 p.m. Memorial for those who have died Sunday, March 24, :00 10:30 p.m. Artistic introduction The presence of the past and memory of the future (Christiane Haid) Discussion and plenum on the 2013 theme Continued discussion of Executive Council concerns and members concerns. 10:30 11:15 p.m. Coffee break and Initiative Forum 11:15 12:30 p.m. A look back and forward Preview of initiatives in 2013 and 2014 Artistic close Afternoon Time for reflection, deepening and individual discussions on initiatives. Simultaneous translation into English and French will be available. We would like to remind you that the Annual Conference and the Annual General Meeting are open only to members of the General Anthroposophical Society; the pink membership card will be required for admission. We look forward to seeing you at this year s Annual Conference Goetheanum Leadership: Oliver Conradt, Jean-Michel Florin, Michaela Glöckler, Christiane Haid, Ueli Hurter, Constanza Kaliks, Johannes Kühl, Paul Mackay, Florian Osswald, Bodo von Plato, Claus-Peter Röh, Virginia Sease, Margrethe Solstad, Justus Wittich, and Seija Zimmermann

4 4 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/ Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting General Anthroposophical Society Invitation to the 2013 Annual General Meeting on March 22/23, 2013 at the Goetheanum Dear Y members, ou are cordially invited to attend the annual general meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum located in Dornach, Switzerland. This meeting is being held in accord with Article 7, Paragraph 1 of our bylaws, and will take place during the Annual Conference for members of the General Anthroposophical Society (see p. 3). This invitation is being extended to every member through publication in the Society s newsletter as required by Article 14 of the bylaws. The meeting will be held at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland from March 22, 2013 (3:00 p.m.) until March 23, 2013 (6:30 p.m.). We plan a midday break from p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on March 23. Unfortunately, Sergei Prokofieff will be unable to participate in the General Meeting. We would draw your attention to his letter to the members on this page. The agenda for the Annual General Meeting: Friday, March 22, 2013 and Saturday, March 23, Greeting and opening of the meeting 2. Report of the Executive Council (Part 1) Bodo von Plato: The I knows itself and the Anthroposophical Society Virginia Sease: Changes in tasks for the Executive Council 3. Short presentation of motions and concerns (1st reading) 4. Discussion: What are we working toward in the Anthroposophical Society? First discussion round on: Themes from the Executive Council Members motions and concerns 5. Report of the Executive Council (Part 2) Seija Zimmermann: The working approach of the Goetheanum Leadership and the distribution of tasks Paul Mackay: Executive Council plans and initiatives Discussion of the reports 6. Motions 1 and 2 (p. 5) (2nd reading) and decision 7. Treasurer s report for fiscal 2012 (Justus Wittich), discussion Auditors statement Report from the advisory circle of treasurers Approval of the treasurer s report for fiscal Motion to approve Executive Council actions 6. Extension of Seija Zimmermann s membership on the Executive Council 7. Agreement to add Joan Sleigh to the Executive Council 8. Adjournment of the Annual General Meeting (c. 6:30 p.m.) The pink membership card is required for attendance at this meeting.. A simultaneous translation into English and French will be available. We look forward to seeing you at this Annual General Meeting. The Goethe anum Executive Council: Virginia Sease, Paul Mackay, Bodo von Plato, Seija Zimmermann, Justus Wittich Dear Members of the Anthroposophical Society, Dear WFriends, ith this letter I am providing In light of my condition, I ask for your you with further information understanding. My address at about my health situation as I promised a year ago. Unfortunately serious used this means I must regretfully the Goetheanum should no longer be complications have recently arisen that cease the worldwide correspondence I will have a number of consequences for have tried to cultivate to a modest extent until recently. I will also be unable my work on the Executive Council and the Collegium of the School for Spiritual to answer letters and faxes. Science. In consultation with my Executive Council colleagues I have decided to personal conversations until further I will be unavailable for meetings and become an emeritus Executive Council notice. Unfortunately I cannot hold the member effective at the coming Annual three lectures at the Goetheanum announced for February, March, and April. General Meeting (2013). This will mean that I will not be active at the Goetheanum (as in the past two years), and I ing is especially painful; it is the finest The need to discontinue my lectur- will not participate in any sort of internal information or correspondence. ening anthroposophy together. In the way to create a spiritual space for deep- My name will also no longer appear on hope that this Michaelic activity will be Executive Council communications and restored to me in the future, I will concentrate solely on my writing for documents. now. Based on my recent publications you can see that I have been anthroposophically active during the past two years of my illness. This will continue. I have written two more books that will appear this year a book on the Michael Mystery (announced previously) and a continuation of my book on the School for Spiritual Science (this time with a more concrete discussion of the 19 Class lessons). Thus I will remain active in the service of anthroposophy. In coping with my illness, I have from the beginning felt supported and carried by many, many friends throughout the world. Here I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for that support. Yours, Sergei Prokofieff Goetheanum, January 14, 2013

5 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 5 Motion 1 Open steering group for dealing with securities, voting shares, capital investments and liquid assets within the Anthroposophical Society. Our age is marked by turbulence in currency systems and capital markets. The goals pursued by individual stockholders seem to lose sight of the social whole. The Anthroposophical Society must also work in this atmosphere. But what principles should guide us? How can we share responsibility? The General Meeting can make the decision to form an open steering group in response. Charge to an open steering group: The preparation of guidelines for dealing with securities, voting shares, capital investments and liquid assets within the Anthroposophical Society. The guidelines should be grounded anthroposophically and be applicable within today s framework of legal requirements. Alternative possibilities can be provided for specific points in the guidelines. The General Meeting will discuss suggestions made by the steering group and decide on their implementation. A possible time line: A look at the group s current work (including the incorporation of further aspects, suggestions, and wishes) at the 2014 Annual General Meeting. Presentation of a report at the 2015 Annual General Meeting. Way of working: A precondition for participation in the steering group is ongoing and constructive engagement. The formation of regional working groups is desirable. Results from these groups and suggestions from the membership will be discussed at joint meetings to be held about twice a year in Dornach. Individuals who have submitted ideas but cannot attend will receive personal responses. A consensus will be sought at the joint meetings, but there is no requirement for consensus. In the absence of a consensus it will be possible to identify alternative proposals. A survey of pertinent literature will be assembled for interested members. In view of the current financial situation at the Goetheanum travel costs, lodging, and meals will be organized by the participants themselves. Mortiz Christoph, Darmstadt (Germany). Motion 2 An amendment to the Bylaws of the General Anthroposophical Society to be proposed at the members meeting on March 23, 2013 Article 7 (current): [ ] Extraordinary General Meetings will be called by the Executive Council either on its own motion or at the request of a fifth of the members. [ ] Article 7 (proposed): [ ] Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Executive Council at any time or at the request of the auditors. If a relevant motion is passed at a members meeting, the Executive Council will call such a meeting within three months. This also applies when a tenth of the membership requests such a meeting in writing (with a description of the points to be discussed). [ ] Basis: A motion (submitted and published in accord with the bylaws) concerning the General Anthroposophical Society s responsibility toward Weleda AG was approved almost unanimously at the April 16, 2011, Annual General Meeting. It called for the Executive Council to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting on the question before June 30, To date, the Executive Council has not acted on this direct request; just prior to the vote, it stated briefly that the motion was merely consultative, and later clarified that approval by a fifth of the membership was needed. It quickly organized an informal meeting to provide more information; the meeting was held on May 28, This was not the intent of makers of the motion, nor of many members. They do not share the Executive Council s view, and they are understandably dissatisfied with the Executive Council s approach. To avoid similar situations in the future and to strengthen the trust relationship between the members and the Executive Council, this point must be made more precise in the bylaws. At the same time, the auditors should be included as an important control point, and the extraordinarily high quorum of one-fifth should be reduced to one-tenth. This should make it easier for the members (as the supreme organ of the Society) to exercise their responsibility. Herbert Holliger, Arlesheim (Switzerland) Nominee for the Goetheanum Executive Council: Joan Sleigh Goetheanum Executive Council Executive Council Nomination: Joan Sleigh The Goetheanum nominates Joan Sleigh as a new member of the Executive Council and requests agreement by the Annual General Meeting. Joan Sleigh was born in South Africa in She attended a rural Afrikaans school and the Waldorf School in Cape Town, South Africa. Partly through her upbringing she developed an early inner connection to the Christian Community and to Camphill. A mother with four children, she lived in Bochum (Germany) from 1982 until 1995 and completed her Waldorf training in Witten-Annen. She then taught English and crafts at the Widar School in Wattenscheid (Germany) for three years. From the Southern Hemisphere After her return to Cape Town she was asked to teach as a class teacher at the Michael Oak Waldorf School. She taught there until December, She has also been active in the Cape Town Waldorf training since We are very pleased that we can bring this suggestion to the members at the Annual General Meeting; it will let us add an individual whose mother tongue is English, but who is also at home in German. Moreover, it is the first time that the Executive Council could be strengthened by someone who is both a mother (of four grown children) and from the southern hemisphere. For the Executive Council: Virginia Sease Photo: Supplied

6 6 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/ Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting Goetheanum Executive Council Reconfirmation for Seija Zimmermann After Executive Council members have served for seven years their colleagues Executive Council, Goetheanum Leadership, and the circle of General Secretaries review their work. The Annual General Meeting also decides whether terms should be extended for another seven years. It is now time for Seija Zimmermann s review. During the final step before my reconfirmation is taken up at the next annual general meeting (March, 2013) René Becker, the general secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in France, asked a question at the General Secretaries meeting in November, 2012: What was the most difficult thing that happened during your years in the Executive Council, and what was the most beautiful? I quickly answered that the most difficult thing was the decision to put the Art Section on life support within the framework of the budget cuts made during autumn Experiencing the misunderstanding and the pain felt by that entire field of life brought me to the limit of what I could bear. This was not at all lessened by the fact that the entire budget process a total cut of around 24% was absolutely unavoidable in the context of the financial situation faced by the Anthroposophical Society and the School for Spiritual Science. The Gulf Between Wish and Reality A very central element in Rudolf Steiner s work was concentrated in the art Sections. He saw the threat of losing the human element. Every artist who tries to find a form of expression corresponding to the tension between spirit and matter serves at the same time as a doorway and mediator for some relationship between such forces. These forces are always in motion, dialogue, and mutual relationship; they are looking to find a balance. It is in the nature of artists to place themselves in the service of these forces of tension and release; they cannot do otherwise. In this way the artist makes a contribution toward saving the human element for all of us normal mortals. The effort made by the artist is a special element that should permeate and nourish anthroposophical life like a stream carrying light and warmth. The can be no doubt that we would all quickly agree on a wish that the School for Spiritual Science, the Goetheanum, and life in the General Anthroposophical Society might be enlivened by a continually renewing power flowing from this wellspring. But we all experience the gulf between wish and reality. When as an executive Council we see how this gulf (present in each of us) is mirrored by the members, we can ask: Does this mirroring merely reflect a juxtaposition or does it create the basis for a knowledge process that is existentially necessary for the further development of the Society and School? Diversity in Human Development The biography of every human being reveals a struggle for forces of renewal, but the seeds for this renewal are threatened by tradition, habit, elements that remain unchanged and fixed. In the School these processes find expression through a certain approach of inquiry. In the Society, the transformation of what has been unchanged until now can form the basis for a new social community. And in the work of the Executive Council we can get to know these processes as they are experienced in the various nations. Every culture brings great riches for anthroposophical life. Questions that arise within a culture are not absolutely current or relevant in another culture. Mutual recognition and valuing diversity in human development are two of the tasks within our anthroposophical work. Now the second part of the question (What was the most beautiful thing during these years on the Executive Council?) cannot be answered so quickly. There is so much that it is difficult to pick out just one element. During the General Secretaries meeting I answered: When you come here to the Goetheanum from around the world and we have these days of working together with the Section leaders twice a year. In that moment we can experience that only then are we whole. Behind every General Secretary or Country Representative stand people, members, who carry a love for Photo: Charlotte Fischer anthroposophy in their hearts. It is a great gift to be able to experience these working meetings. The Mystery Dramas are another beautiful thing that brought over 700 people to the Goetheanum at Christmas time. I began my work on the Executive Council during the period when planning for the new production was already underway, but the final decision because of financial concerns had not yet been made. Again and again this question appeared on the agenda, but without resolution. Fortunately there were enough engaged colleagues in the Collegium of the School, and especially the artists actors and eurythmists to make this project into what we could experience over the past years and still can experience until the summer of The simultaneous readings of the dramas offer a special element for members who come from non-german-speaking regions. This made it possible for people who had never been at the Goetheanum to take part. Knowing this is a special pleasure that lives on within me. The list of the most beautiful experiences could go on and on and perhaps it is best to leave this door open for the future. I ask myself the following questions and, in closing, offer answers which I hope will not surprise or shock: Is the Goetheanum what it could be? I don t think so. Is the School for Spiritual Science what it could be? I don t think so. Is the Society what it could be? I don t think so. And why do I say this? To answer that question would require yet another question: Are human being what they could be? I will leave the answer to the reader. Seija Zimmermann, Goetheanum

7 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 7 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 1 Goetheanum Building Renovation Gifts Enable Project Decisions W hen the small advisory circle of treasurers met at the Goetheanum for the whole day on January 7, Walter Laubi of the finance department was able to tell them that donations of 5.1 million Swiss francs had been assured for the building project. With a total project cost of 13.5 million francs, we had met ( and even surpassed) the self-imposed goal of having a third of the money (4.6 million francs) available by the time the first contracts were signed. Thanks to the reserve from 2011, a large individual gift from Switzerland, and a good 1.6 million francs in small and large donations (along with numerous building notes), it was possible to recommend to the Executive Council that the contracts for the stage construction and the Norwegian slate repairs be let. Safety Projects First After consultation with the Goetheanum Leadership and the European general secretaries, the Executive Council adopted this recommendation. Work will begin on all safety-related construction projects and take place from October 1, 2013 to Michaelmas, 2014 at a cost of about 10 million francs. This includes the upper and lower stage machinery (7.8 million francs), the roof and concrete renovation in the south and the west (1.9 million francs), and a coating for the similarly affected foundation. For architectural reasons, the roof and concrete repairs in the north will follow a year later, as will the renovation of the terrace. Funds for additional spaces, the remodeling of the room for the sculpture group, and the orchestra pit have not yet been released. There will be a separate appeal for orchestra pit funds by the fall; it will involve the creation of a special circle of friends. To this point there have been a number of suggestions and objections, and two petitions; they will be reviewed by the building administration and worked in where possible before more specific proposals are presented at the Annual General Meeting and in Anthroposophy Worldwide. Justus Wittich, Goetheanum Fonds Kulturerbe Rudolf Steiner Working Together to Provide Basic Support It began with a regular meeting that arose out of the need to respond to untruthful attacks on Rudolf Steiner s work. Representatives of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, the Anthroposophical Society in Germany, the Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen [Association of Independent Waldorf Schools], and the Goetheanum Executive Council gathered two or three times a year. The staff at the various archives in Dornach had also been prepared for years to work together in a very collegial way. Beginning in 2010 it became clearer that basic support for the Rudolf Steiner Archive, its treasures, and their access to the public would be insufficient; painful job cuts were needed and there were difficulties about the Archive s future course. In the working circle, however, there was a growing conviction (particularly on the part of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany) that Rudolf Steiner s cultural legacy and its preservation would have to be a task taken up by the Anthroposophical Society and its members. The Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland joined the project; it had long ago instituted a voluntary contribution by branches to support the Rudolf Steiner Archive, and in a number of ways it was a pioneer in this effort. At the end of 2012 the Nachlassverwaltung, the two national Societies, and the Goetheanum established the Fonds Kulturerbe Rudolf Steiner (Rudolf Steiner Cultural Legacy Fund). Beginning in 2013 they will provide basic support for the written material in the Rudolf Steiner Archive and the artistic works in the Goetheanum documentation department; they will need raise about 750,000 Swiss francs through donations and supporters. This new shared challenge has already been mentioned in the appeal from the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung and in the Goetheanum Christmas appeal. In February, after the Swiss delegate s meeting has made a decision about their level of commitment, the participants in the effort will approach the public, and at that point a new phase in our cooperative work will begin. Justus Wittich, Goetheanum Das Goetheanum The German-Language Weekly Wide Spectrum Timely Themes Anthroposophical Authors Goetheanum News I would like to subscribe to Das Goetheanum One year 98 Name Address (Including postal code) Country Date Signature Please send to: Wochenschrift Das Goetheanum Postfach, CH 4143 Dornach, Switzerland Fax

8 8 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/ Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting Documentation: Concerns from the Membership Initiative for a Members Movement At the end of November the Goetheanum Executive Council received an initiative for a members movement from Carina Vaca Zeller (Chili) ; based on a concern, it is intended to find a place in the Society s process (including the 2013 Annual General Meeting or longterm through a blog). About 20 members from other countries support it. I have selected central points from the very lengthy note about the initiative; they are intended to be part of our discussions at the Annual General Meeting. The full text (in German) is available from Carina Vaca Zeller: carinavacazeller@gmail.com. Justus Wittich, Goetheanum We a group of members from around the world are deeply concerned that central impulses of the General Anthroposophical society are not being pursued actively enough. We want to try working positively to encourage a dialogue among members so that we are at least on the way to the Society original intention. The General Anthroposophical Society needs active members so the Society can be a body for the being of anthroposophy. We members wish to become active, to awaken, to support a movement that creates the consciousness and knowledge of process required to make a contribution at the next Annual General Meeting (Eastertide, 2013) in full consciousness, one that can work positively and deeply in our Society. Questions We Have as Members As members we would like to ask a few questions so that everyone can work inwardly on them and an active dialogue can arise. Was sort of anthroposophy do we want to see living at the Goetheanum? What are the tasks of the Society for today? How should we conduct ourselves with opponents of anthroposophy? Must anthroposophy be modernized so that our age can accept it? And every member would have to ask himself honestly: How do we stand before Rudolf Steiner today? which also means What have we done for his work, for its understanding and spread, for its beneficial effect on civilization? as Peter Selg asks in The Identity of the Anthroposophical Society. 1 We want to be active as members in the consciousness that this cannot mean merely accusing others and pointing out their errors; it means rather to support a deep change within each of us and the institutions we are connected with. A holy enthusiasm and an unshakable search for the truth are virtues needed more and more if the Society is to progress. We hope for a journal to serve as a central information source for the General Anthroposophical Society, one with articles that encourage us to deepen a theme and explore it more thoroughly; that illuminates events in the modern-day world with anthroposophical depth; that keeps us up to date about anthroposophical developments in various countries and in the Anthroposophical Society in Dornach as well with true information, and with contributions, articles, and letters that are selected in relation to quality, but not subjected to a political censorship. We want a journal that makes a parallel publication unnecessary if we are to feel we informed as anthroposophists by Dornach. We hope that the Goetheanum becomes an organ of perception, a true heart, not only for what is happening in the world at large, but also for the worldwide Anthroposophical Society. The members are loyal in joining the Society because they trust the direction it takes in incarnating anthroposophy as a spiritual impulse. The Goetheanum would be able to find its task in the best sense if all the approaches that spring from individual initiative could converge there into an enhanced whole. At moments like that a Society would come into being as a worldwide, spiritually present reality! A Few Concrete Suggestions For the Goetheanum Executive Council 2 As the center for the anthroposophical movement, the Goetheanum should take up initiatives for future development. In this sense we see the following as tasks the Goetheanum might carry into the future and bring to bear on our culture, based on the enthusiasm of the membership. The relationship to the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung and the Rudolf Steiner Verlag should be re-defined with the goal of making the publication of Rudolf Steiner s works once again a task for the School for Spiritual Science and the Society. As things stand, there might at least be immediate interest at the Nachlass and the Verlag in forming a financial and legal partnership. In any case, the membership would enthusiastically applaud an attempt to put this conflict actively behind us! Rudolf Steiner s professional courses in medicine, education, curative education, agriculture, eurythmy, etc., should be provided with notes by the Section leaders to reflect research results from the past 90 years. A physician who goes to a bookstore today or finds the internet version will have the feeling of holding a historical document in his hands when he looks at one of Rudolf Steiner s medical courses. He will have no idea that this book forms the basis for the entire modern practice of anthroposophical medicine including the preparation of remedies simply because there are no indications about research results and their practical consequences. A further task for the future is a reshaping of the Executive Council so that only those who lead a Section may be a member. We need to take a serious look at the question of whether the Representative of Mankind sculpture can be placed on the stage. That means that the work of the stage would be that of a Mystery theater. 3 We believe that this issue should be examined closely. Invitation We invite you, as a member, to help in building a constructive open dialogue that might again serve to express our ideas and our conscious participation in the anthroposophical movement in the world. We wish to work in the spirit of Willem Zeylmans van Emmichoven as we shape the future of our Society: No one can tear the General Anthroposophical Society from my heart! 4 Carina Vaca Zeller and 20 more members from various countries 1. Peter Selg: Die Identität der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft, Arlesheim Armin Husemann: modified from a May 9, 2012 letter to Virginia Sease as a member of the Executive Council. 3. Peter Selg, The Figure of Christ, Forest Row, Fritz Götte: In Memoriam Frederik Willem Zeymans van Emmichoven, based on footnote 1, p. 75.

9 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 9 Goetheanum Goetheanum Leadership Retreat Intrasectional Intersectional Transsectional The working approach taken by the newly instituted Goetheanum Leadership became clear during its December 10 12, 2012, retreat: mutual awareness, consultation, joint planning and decisions. One of the decisions was the assignment of responsibility for certain areas of work at the Goetheanum. Levels of experiencing reality: Thresholds to beings and worlds The twice-yearly retreats focus on a comprehensive and deepened perception of anthroposophy s evolution and current situation in to our time, developments in the Society and the movement, and also at the Goetheanum itself and there is a look forward at what the future holds for these three dimensions a year or more from now. A third element is represented by decisions that we have reached, are being announced, or are in process during the retreat; these decisions will be discussed by the entire Goetheanum leadership. This report is not exhaustive; it is meant only to provide a summary in regard to the three points mentioned above and give a picture of additional points of view, perspectives, and decisions. The School for Spiritual Science Today The School consists of the professional Sections and the General Anthroposophical Section with the First Class. Section leaders have described their Sections exoterically and esoterically at each of our meetings since the first in September, Exoterically means: What is our relationship to current events? How can we enter into them in a positive way? Where do we find our partners? And on the other hand: Where are our battles? Where are we also challenged to find new dimensions in our understanding and work if we are to be heard in our own professional and cultural areas in the future? In this context, esoterically means knowing the spiritual wellspring we draw on, and working further on it. This is different for each Section, and we often find a central point of reference in how Rudolf Steiner worked with the first Section leaders. These approaches also differ the current Section leadership influences the Section. Thus each Section leader strives to describe for his or her colleagues where the special esoteric source for the Section can currently be found in the course of the 19 Class lessons; of course, these lessons are general and not at all focused on a profession. The review of the Sections (including the General Anthroposophical Section) will not be finished until the spring. It can serve as a basis and inspiration for a strengthened collaboration in the federal sense intrasectional, intersectional, transsectional. A Will to Awaken At the Michaelmas, 2012, School for Spiritual Science conference there was a discussion in some depth of where we stand today with the School (in the sense of the First Class). Especially prominent during the conference was the question of what it means to be a representative Sketch: Sebastian Jüngel and how this representation is to be understood as a requirement. The configuration of the conversation that arose at the retreat will be indicated through the following questions. The motto: Esotericism is the will to awaken (Rudolf Steiner). 1. Levels and degrees of awakening: What does the unconscious crossing of the threshold mean in this context? 2. Can we experience ourselves as pupils? Whose pupil are we in the Michael School, and are we conscious of being a pupil. What attitude does being a pupil entail? That is another facet of form. 3. Taking the content of the Class lessons from nominalistic process to spiritually real execution a threshold problem. At the threshold it is all text how does the Word arise in the human being? 4. How can we attain a frame of mind that allows us to take distance from our usual everyday I? What ways of working are needed, helpful, obstructive in the course of doing this? (e.g., plena). 5. Learning to ask the right questions is a characteristic of our spiritual stream asking our questions of the spiritual world! (See Rudolf Steiner, Aus der Akashaforschung [From research in the Akasha], GA 148, p. 166.) 6. Levels of experiencing reality in relationship to the beings and worlds involved. How do we find the right relationship to that? 7. Working in consciousness of the Guardian. The mantras were given by Michael through Rudolf Steiner: How can I do justice to this fact? 8. Following the path in spirit: as brothers and sisters what does that mean concretely against the background of the Mystery Dramas? Can progress be made only in community? The network of destiny: How conscious are we in this dimension of cooperative work? The Direction of the Anthroposophical Society In spring, 2012, The Identity of the General Anthroposophical Society was announced as our theme for the year. Since then it has become clear that this identity is unclear; it is debated and has even led to conflict situations. What can we do in this situation, which might be described as a crisis? This is not the place to go into detail about the differ-

10 10 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 Goetheanum ing points of view, but an example from our conversations might show how different understandings, positions, and emphases can be. We could depict the whole history of anthroposophy as continuous and use it to understand the course of events up to and including today as a logical progression. The relationship between us and the original events in Rudolf Steiner s life and work is thus seen as historically continuous. On the other hand, it is possible to emphasize the discontinuities. From this other point of view, accepting discontinuity is the honest way; researching it leads to the spirit active in and through the people and events in the anthroposophical community. From this standpoint to the degree it asserts the need for individual representation it is questionable to view Rudolf Steiner as the creator of a fixed history and then require loyalty to it. Should it be possible for such divergent viewpoints to co-exist in the General Anthroposophical Society and how might they do so? Three points from a summary conversation toward the end of the retreat: In relation to the temporal issue: the phrase Enduring constant change and the kairos quality. For a positive approach to various points of view: the goal of a shared direction based on a creative approach to divergent views; a third goal is to absorb conflicts, i.e., to work proactively and actively with waves, constellations, and moments of conflict. Assignments During the retreat we were able to finish organizing the Goetheanum Leadership for the Goetheanum itself. The tasks for administering the Goetheanum were assigned to individual members of the Goetheanum Leadership. The need to remove these responsibilities from the entire circle of Section leaders and Executive Council members and give it to individuals was clearly shown during the review of the leadership situation at the Goetheanum that was conducted with Friedrich Glasl from fall, 2011 to spring, This is the only way to overcome the gradual and fruitless antagonism between the Executive Council and the Section leaders. The issue of how to make this very large group capable of decisions and action is being resolved by having decisions made by individuals rather than the entire Goetheanum Leadership: who is responsible for what? The process for assignment is clearly described in the Goetheanum Leadership procedures. These assignments were exhaustively and carefully prepared during the meetings held during the retreat. Goetheanum responsibilities were assigned to the following members of the Goetheanum Leadership: Stage, reception and events, staff secretariat, and data security: Seija Zimmermann Building administration, personnel, information technology, Executive Council secretariat, and security: Paul Mackay Documentation: Bodo von Plato Finance: Justus Wittich Communication: Bodo von Plato and Justus Wittich; in the future Justus Wittich will be responsible for Das Goethe anum and Anthroposophy Worldwide and serve as publisher s representative The exhibitions at the Goetheanum have been identified as a project to be represented in the Goetheanum Leadership by Christiane Haid Thus each of these carriers of initiative can understand his or her responsibility and activity as bearing the name and trust of the entire circle. The Year Ahead The 2013 budget was determined at the retreat. The theme for the year beginning with the 2013 Annual General Meeting was confirmed. A shared will for the building project was established. We heard about the future production of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe s Faust. It was decided that Goetheanum Leadership would jointly issue the invitation to the summer conference (with the Mystery Dramas) and the Michaelmas conference. The centenary celebration for the foundation stone laying of the first Goetheanum on September 20, 2013, will be organized jointly with the Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland. At the retreat we could confirm the on-going quality of initiative and trust that also prevails in the weekly meetings of the Goetheanum Leadership For the Goetheanum Leadership: Seija Zimmermann and Ueli Hurter Goetheanum Along with earlier works, there have been significant recent new writings about the meaning of The Representative of Humanity sculpture group: Peter Selg s The Figure of Christ; Sergei Prokofieff s Rudolf Steiner s Sculpture Group; The Representative of Humanity by Judith von Halle and John Wilkes. As far as I know, there is unanimity that the group with Christ between Lucifer and Ahriman was meant to be at the center of the first Goetheanum. There are many reasons it did not stand on the east side of the double cupola space when the building died because of arson. Not least was that the first Goetheanum was never dedicated (although nine events took place there) or, as Sergei Prokofieff has shown, it was not dedicated until December 31, 1922 when the building was already on fire. The group would have stood in a special position prepared architecturally and with painting; it would have been an effective presence for eurythmy and Mystery drama performances, possibly even for esoteric events and activities as a spiritual space. Despite the destruction, Rudolf Steiner continued to work on the sculpture while he had the physical strength. We might ask what he was working on even from his sick bed. On a effective center for the second building? On an exhibition piece? The Exhibit Room Uwe Werner provides a comprehensive history of the placement issue in Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 12/2012. On the one hand, preparations were made on the east side of the stage (analogous to the intended spot in the first Goetheanum); on the other, a space was created where the Christ statue has stood since summer, This placement in a bare concrete space but with natural oblique lighting from the three large windows in the south façade might still have been felt as provisional. This changed fundamentally in 1935 when a room was built to hold urns for Rudolf Steiner, Christian Morgenstern, and many other anthroposophists. There is a finished quality to this addition with its stairway and entrance to a space designed by Mieta Waller-Pyle and Oswald Dubach. To be sure, since then this space

11 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1-2/13 11 Location of the Representative of Humanity Sculpture A Space Worthy of the Representative of Humanity Sculpture Group? During the meeting of the Goetheanum building renovation advisory circle, Alfred Frischknecht posed the question of how The Representative of Humanity might be presented as an effective work of art: the exhibition space would be transformed into a space for events. Asked to work out this idea, he wrote the following. has given the impression of a hole, and the viewer stands much too near and actually too high. He looks down from above at the figure where he see his future as a human being, his future image. Before the urn room was built, the viewer stood at the same level as the sculpture. An Effective Space for the Group and the Work of the School for Spiritual Science If the room is now to be remodeled as part of the planned renovations, it As if in a hole: The Representative of Humanity sculpture would be important to gain space for the work of the School for Spiritual Science. In the very place meant by Rudolf Steiner to teach about the new Christian Mysteries, doesn t it reveal a lot about the current situation of the Goetheanum, Anthroposophical Society, and School they are often seen as being in crisis that there really is no place for them to accomplish their purpose except in the Great Hall? A room designed for the work of the School for Spiritual Science? And what space would be better suited for the Class lessons and conversations held at the level of the School during Section meetings? That is how the new space is being planned of course, with the provision of a continued opportunity for individuals and groups who wish to see the sculpture. But creating a working space for the work of the School is only one aspect. It seems to me at least as important that the dignity of the Christ group as a being in motion be restored, at least in some small way. A Class lesson or a conversation within the School for Spiritual Science held and conducted within sight of the group would be carried by its active aura and thus by the involved participation of the work. This would give Rudolf Steiner s central sculptural work a possibility to become active, which might go a small way toward bringing it closer to its original intention. Photo: Wolfgang Held Remodeling the Space The room would have to be remodeled for this purpose, and the urn room (no longer in use) would have to be reshaped. A room would then be created where about 80 people could gather for various kinds of Class work. Many viewers have found it painful that Oswald Dubach s frame for the entrance to the urn room would have to be removed. Here we should recall that this great artistic work has actually become a museum piece since the ashes were buried in the Memorial Grove during the 1990 s. That fact would remain even if the old urn room were set up for especially valuable works. The entryway is obviously made for an urn room. But because of its artistic quality it should be preserved even if its original task is no longer being served. The shaping of the new room raises questions and artistic architectural difficulties that are not easy to resolve. In the opinion of the Goetheanum building renovation advisory circle, the current wall should stay the same. To the west it can probably be extended downward after the stairway is removed. But the west wall has to be redone in an appropriate way. The room also needs to be made accessible from the exhibit room with a simpler stairway. (An approach directly from the south stairwell is not possible since this would lead right through the south stage.) It should be done so that there is an opportunity to view the group from various heights, as before; but it should also be so simple that the size of the room is reduced as little as possible. The planning should also consider whether the new shaping could improve the unsatisfactory lighting of the sculpture perhaps with an opening in the south wall. Who will take on the planning and execution of this work is still open. We will need to find architects with the capacities required for this task. I have thought of these new aspects of the remodeling as worthily provisional. Worthy: in keeping with the Christ group and the reason for the room. Provisional: in the continuing hope that the times and the Anthroposophical Society might someday become mature enough to put the sculpture in the spot that corresponds to its essence, on the east side of the stage, in the center of the Goetheanum. The remodeling should not leave an impression of being the final word as the current form does. Alfred Frischknecht, member of the Goetheanum building renovation advisory circle