The Fateful Year of 1923
GA 259 — 4 July 1923, Stuttgart
Meeting with the Circle of Thirty
Since1 Steiner took part in the meeting for the first time again.2
First of all, Dr. Rittelmeyer's appeal for a collection for the Goetheanum was discussed. Dr. Steiner advised against it because it would mean money flowing abroad, which is prohibited by current laws. He suggested, on the other hand, that the impulse be allowed to take effect by setting up a “Goetheanum Foundation Fund”, for example (see S. 167).
Once the matter had been settled in this way, Adolf Arenson noted with great satisfaction that he had proposed exactly the same thing as Dr. Steiner in the meeting two days ago, using almost the same words. He said that he had been ignored, but that Dr. Steiner's advice was now readily accepted. He would like to present this as a symptom, after all. Rittelmeyer replied that it was also something else to simply want to let a matter fall by the wayside or to make something better out of it by thinking and guessing, as Dr. Steiner had just done. Arenson's remarks were only perceived as paralyzing.
He defended himself against this, and the discussion went back and forth, referring to the penultimate session with Dr. Unger, who, together with Benkendörfer, had already raised objections to Rittelmeyer's first call for this sacrifice, which had to be a spiritual act and in which he would give his wedding ring.