Steiner's Letter on Anthroposophy's Public Defense

GA 259 — 15 March 1923, Dornach

To Marie Steiner in Berlin
Thursday, 15 March 1923, from Dornach

My dear Mouse!

I hope the birthday telegram reached you. I am sending it with my warmest birthday wishes. I am adding these thoughts to the summary of the content of my lecture on Sunday¹ here:

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I am glad to hear that things are going well in Berlin. Your letter only arrived this morning. I immediately set about eurythmizing the four poems. I think they turned out well. I am sending them with this letter. I will keep the originals and send the copies made by Bauer.

I have been very busy here. The book expert was here for another half day. And it is hard to cope with the other one. There are many dissatisfied people who criticize everything. Knauer² continues to work at the Clinical Institute. This is particularly unpleasant now, when things are supposed to be getting back on track.

The recent fire at the Goetheanum was the subject of a long debate in the Solothurn cantonal council because of the insurance. Anthroposophy was sharply attacked by the clerical side; but there were also defenders on the other side who even spoke up quite bravely for the Goetheanum. But there is one part of the report that I would like to share with you verbatim: Councillor Affolter: “A different building could only have been enforced by a building regulation from Dornach.” Recently there was a rumor that the Anthroposophists want to build again and there were already rumors that they were awarding all the work abroad. None of this is true. But all sorts of rumors are spread about people. In the Johannesbau³ there were no backdrops, no curtains and no stage construction. They don't need any of that for their eurythmic movements (amusement because Affolter tries to demonstrate these movements with his arms).” So what more could you want: eurythmy in the Solothurn cantonal council! And Walliser said: “Three quarters of the population of Dornach and the Schwarzbubenland⁴ Are on the side of the anthroposophists.” And Eckinger said: “Steiner and the other anthroposophists behaved nobly and correctly. We no longer live in the age of witch burning and have freedom of thought.” The report notes: (bravos). — On the whole, the debate was heated.

Now, warm greetings from Rudolf Steiner

Dornach, March 15, 1923.