Ferdinand de Lesseps Vortrag von Dr. König, am 22. November 1956 The events of the recent months force us to think about them in a special way, not in the way of idiocy of the papers of today. These events go back many years, as far as the World War I., but we have to ask ourselves, why is just now a crisis coming to such a head, that even a World War III. may arise. Mankind is dancing on an immense volcano. One of the flames and points only is the Suez Canal crisis. And we have to ask: Can we throw from Spiritual Science any light on this? There shall be no statements, only suggestions, in order to know a bit better, to judge better, what is facing us. Rudolf Steiner wanted that Anthroposophists should try to think about world events so that they are the conscience of such moments. The Anthroposophical Societies have failed to gain the influence they should have. Therefore, chaos is ruling over the world. It is left to think, to hold up a mirror of conscience to see the events in an appropriate way. The history of the Suez Canal dates back to the year 1672 (24 years after the end of the 30-years War), when Louis XIV, King of France found an essay on his desk, written by Leibnitz, the greatest thinker of that time. It contained, that Louis XIV should contemplate in his own and in the interest of his state on making an expedition to conquer Egypt, because Egypt was the key point of world events. One could built a sort of Canal which would connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and get through this access to India and Asia so that France could become the leading nation of Europe. Leibnitz thought it as a great service to Louis XIV whom he regarded the greatest King, but Louis XIV did not react. The essay disappeared and was buried in the archives for 120 years. In 1796/97 Napoleon was fascinated by this document and accepted Leibnitz idea and conquered Egypt. For some time he settled down there and although he had to return it was through his entry that the Stone of Rosetta was found and the whole of ancient Egyptian culture was unveiled. But also of whole of the old Egyptian time rose up and stood in front Europe. Napoleon s scientists studied the possibilities of building the Canal. M. Lepère, an engineer found out the difference in the sea level of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and although doubtful, he found after some years that the Canal might be possible. This document was filed. In 1830 this last document was unearthed by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who then was 25 years of age. He was in Alexandria in quarantine and studied this project. He was fascinated by the idea and haunted by this project, so that he dedicated his life to execute it. The line of heredity of the Suez Canal project covers 150 years: from Leibnitz over Napoleon, Lepère to Lesseps.
Lesseps was no engineer. He was a state official. His family came from Scotland in the 14th century. He grew up as a boy under world wide conditions, his father being an Ambassador. He became consul as well and when 25 years of age he went to Egypt. At that time he not only found the document, but he developed a deep and real friendship with one of the sons of the Viceroy with whom he was together for 7 years. As this boy was rather unfortunately built, namely too fat, he was disliked by his father and Lesseps felt pity with him and helped him. In 1838 Lesseps went to Rotterdam, then to the Foreign Office in France and later to Spain. In 1849 when he was Ambassador in Rome on a special mission, he displeased his Government and had to quit the services. He was then 35 years of age and retired to on of his estates in the South of France. Now the idea of building the Suez Canal took hold of him. Meanwhile his Egyptian friend Said had become Viceroy of Egypt which encouraged Lesseps to go ahead with his idea. He was now 49 years old and he was very vital. He gathered a small group of engineers who tried to find a possibility for building the Suez Canal. But this idea lived in Europe at that time. There was a Society of engineers who contemplated this idea, too. In 1827 Goethe spoke about Alexander von Humboldt who came home from South America and had the idea of building a canal between South and North America to connect the Pacific with the Atlantic. He said (in Eckermann Gespräche): I should like to see that the Panama Canal will be built which is unavoidable for the U.S.A., further the Canal of Rhine and Danube. England should be in possession of the Suez Canal to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. To see all this, he realised he would like to live another fifty years. Goethe already foresaw in a kind of vision what was going to happen in the next 100 years all over the globe. To have these visions the idea must be there and then gradually they sink into human souls in order to come later into realisation. The threefold opening of the world, the idea of the East, West and Middle was given in an image. Lesseps lived under the spell of these ideas. His friend Said invited him to Egypt. He arrived in the beginning of November 1854 in Alexandria. He was born on 19 th November 1805; all important things in Lesseps life happened in November. With the help of his friend Said he founded a Society. He was given the permission to dig a canal in this territory. He now had this strip of land, nothing else. He then started to do whatever possible, although he was no engineer. He knew in which way the canal should be. He trumpeted the idea in the world and found support, mainly in France, but also in many other countries. Britain remained reserved and stayed in the background of all this. In the undertaking was one paragraph, which said, that the concession to build a canal could only be given if ratified by the Supreme Portal at Constantinople, because of Egypt s connection with the
ruler of all the Moslems. This gave to Lesseps great obstacles. Britain was the greatest opponent to the whole project of the Suez Canal. It was Palmerston P.M. who wanted to inhibit the building of the Canal and that was executed in a very ruthless way. British officials in Constantinople interfered and under no circumstances did they want that the Sultan gave permission to the building of the Canal. Britain stood continuously from behind against this whole project. Lesseps had great troubles before he could start, especially through Britain, which was afraid that through the ideas, sponsored by France, it could have the opportunity to settle in Egypt, become the principle power in Egypt and would interfere with the English aims. (Till now Britain s power is still there. A tragedy and comedy happens 100 years later to us). In 1855 the first College of Engineers composed of Egyptians, Danish, French, Australians, etc. met in order to study throughout several months the territory for the planned Canal. This international crowd supported Lesseps idea and place which he had worked out by vision, as they found that Lesseps plans were the only proper and workable ones, he just saw it that way. Against the advice of the financiers Lesseps went ahead with the plan. Baron Rothschild offered help but Lesseps did not accept it. The money came together through shares. 400,000 shares were given. Within two weeks 280,000 were signed and all by the small people, like bankers, doctors, priests etc. Not a single capitalist was in the share. Ordinary people stood behind the idea of Lesseps. The still needed share was taken over by his friend Said. (The British Government bought later 4,000,000 ponds shares from Egypt.) Lesseps started the work with 200 million francs. Lesseps returned and started work. A Canal was built of a length of 60 miles in order to supply the region of the canal with fresh water. Already 1400 B.C. under Rhamses II. a canal was built across Egypt. This was discovered again through the undertaking of Lesseps and the canal was unearthed within two years. This Canal was running into the Red Sea and it watered the land between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea with Nile water. Then the building of the canal proceeded. In 1863 came a great crisis for the execution of Lesseps idea. His friend Said had died in 1882. He was followed by his nephew Ismael. He wanted a lot of money and Britain gave it to him. So he withdrew the Egyptian workers. But Napoleon III. said: I will be the judge. This was accepted by Egypt and the Canal Company and through this the building could continue. On the 16 th November 1969 the building of the Canal was completed and the opening was celebrated with tremendous splendour. Millions were spent. Almost every nation was represented by their ruling monarch. The King of France and other Emperors even came to this event. Britain was represented, too. Emile Zola wrote: After Lesseps had bound the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in Holy Wedlock, he married himself. By this time he was 64 years old and married a 21 years old half-cast girl and got 12 daughters, (the last one when he was 80 years of age). Then he
returned to his home country. He was received in the Academie Francaise. He still was President of the Suez Company. He was invited by the English to London and became a Freeman of London. (Soap Bubbles). In 1870 he was given a banquet in the Chrystal Palace with 40,000 guests. He was given the Grand Cross of the Star of India by Queen Victoria. In 1879 when the Battle in Heaven came to an end Lesseps was resting on the laurels of his achievements. He then was approached by a Frenchman to build the Canal in Panama. Lesseps was warned by his son of his first marriage to accept this task. His son had helped him during the building of the Suez Canal. In spite of all Lesseps accepted this task. But it turned out to be a great tragedy. The undertaking of the Panama Canal was the opposite of the building of the Suez Canal. Great human tragedies were involved, when cutting the land between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. Ten thousands of people died during the time of building in the swamps and in the terrible climate. The whole idea had failed more or less entirely. What was right in the sunlight of Egypt did not work in the moonlight of Panama. Lesseps and Company had to join hands with bankers and politicians. In 1885 everything was ruined through corruption. Lesseps and his son were called before court and there convicted to 5 years imprisonment. But Lesseps could not enter the prison because of his old age. He then withdrew entirely from the world as an ill, broken and destroyed human being. He became unapproachable and only when he saw his daughters he seemed to live. He died on 7 th December 1894. Up to a certain time things are possible as for instance the building of the Suez Canal. So in one human being s life something was possible, which was beyond one human being s power until 1879. But some time later almost the same undertaking in another part of the world was doomed to utmost failure. Only obstacles were put against the execution of the building of the Panama Canal. What once was permitted, could not be repeated any more. This has to do with the year 1879, when Angelic beings who worked in the Spirit were thrown into the earthly realm and now enveloped the human being with illusions. Such an illusion was in the 19 th century the building of the Panama Canal. It could only be opened when the World War I. had started on the 15 th of August 1914. A repeated attempt to complete the Canal was stated in 1902. One can see all this in a picture: Europe and America opened the way to Asia from the West as well as from the East. Through this joining the globe had become one. When the last bit of land was broken through a spiritual link had to be established. But neither from Europe to Asia nor from America to Asia was it established. Both necessities were neglected. The states were just satisfied to exchange goods, but not Goodness. And this link of chains in Humanity is now the place of events. Cultural implements were exchanged, but no spiritual realities. So Lesseps deed was as one amongst many in that time. Railways, telegraph, telephone, etc. were invented to connect the globe. Mankind should become one. All these deeds were Michaelic seeds, in order to prepare the event of 1879. Let us all be
one. But in spite of all these attempts what came about? Nationalistic tendencies are alive. We are used to the messages of battle, horror, war, which are no messages, being prepared by Michael. We do not know the message of Michael, the unifier of the world, who wants us to learn to become brothers, to know from one another, to be able to develop one s own freedom. Equality, fraternity and liberty, all these failed to develop. The Suez Canal instead of its task to unite, became an obstacle. It is a sign and symbol that it is blocked. This symbol should be like a mirror to us. The spiritual exchange between East and West is blocked. The outer Canals cannot bring such exchange about. So also the Panama Canal may be blocked! At present we have outwardly to suffer petrol shortage, which to some means relief. Maybe it makes people stop racing and makes them start to think: O God, do I know where I stand in this year 1956? These things are meant to make us awake. In stopping and then in contemplating and then through thinking the following image will arise out of this recent event. Israelitish people went out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea. Maybe even we can step out of Egypt, which means out of the realm of the senses and walk over the threshold into the unknown of the spirit. World History is writing symbols in our existence. It is our task to learn to read them. This might build up the conscience wherein it is possible that events are mirroring themselves in spiritual light.