The Constitution of the General Anthroposophical Society

GA 260a — 7 June 1924, Wrocław

Remarks on the Christmas Conference

Before the lecture

The extraordinarily kind words of your chairman touch my heart and soul deeply, and you may believe me when I say that I not only accept such a loving welcome with an extraordinarily grateful heart, but that it also fills me with the deepest satisfaction to be able to speak and work here again after many years among our friends living in the East. It was not so long ago that our Christmas conference in Dornach was a serious moment in the development of the Anthroposophical Society. And because this place, where I now have the opportunity to speak to you over several days, is, so to speak, still one of the first places where I have been able to work since our memorable Christmas conference at the Goetheanum, the satisfaction I am referring to here is all the greater.

During the difficult years we have gone through since 1919, we had to endure such an unreasonable attack on the anthroposophical movement, on the Anthroposophical Society. We had to hear again and again how, among our misdeeds, a Silesian misdeed, so to speak, was listed, which was taken as the starting point for vicious attacks! And so, wherever there were anthroposophical friends, we often had to think of our friends in Silesia. So it was often a truly moving thought — the thought of our Silesian friends. And there was always something that counterbalanced this thought, something that filled us with a certain strong confidence, especially when we thought not only of the work here in the East, but of the work in the anthroposophical movement in general. And that was the thought of your dear and esteemed chairman, Mr. Bartsch, who addressed such beautiful, loving words to me, who pointed out in such an earnest manner the serious moment also within the anthroposophical movement. The way in which our dear friend Bartsch has worked for the anthroposophical movement for many years in such an understanding and devoted manner is truly exemplary, and he is indeed, I can say with the deepest satisfaction, one of the strong pillars we have within the anthroposophical movement. This always makes the thought of our Silesian friends one that is also confident. That is why such loving, heartfelt words as those just spoken by Mr. Bartsch are all the more deeply satisfying.

It may be said that our friend's characterization of the various concerns about the anthroposophical movement is not entirely unfounded. However, he seems to have felt that one must already feel paternal within the anthroposophical movement if one wants to accept everything that has come up with a certain equanimity. Nevertheless, it is true that the whole essence of the anthroposophical movement, as it has lived itself out in recent years, has led to two things that do not exactly agree with this old-fashionedness that I carry within me. One is that the Christmas Conference at the Goetheanum in Dornach actually intends to introduce a completely new element into the entire anthroposophical movement, to reestablish it from its foundations. And this was made quite emphatically clear at this Christmas Conference. So if, as in my case, one is starting afresh, so to speak, then this does not sit well with the old-fashioned sentiments. On the other hand, something else has emerged in a pleasing way, which also does not sit well with these sentiments. That is: from the minds of our youngest friends, those friends who regard “being young” as their special characteristic, as expressed in the newsletter of the Goetheanum magazine, a completely new spirit has really entered our Anthroposophical Society through this anthroposophical youth movement. And some of you will already have realized that the basis of this youth movement is not entirely suitable for approaching it in an old-fashioned way. One must develop the ability to turn back the clock a few decades. Well, I cannot say how I will succeed in this, but in any case I will strive, in the spirit of what our dear friend Bartsch has said, to combine the old-fashioned approach with the leadership of the Youth Section in an appropriate way. Let us see how the old father can succeed in developing a youthful spirit in both of these areas.

But on my first day here, I would like to say a few words about the meaning and spirit of our Christmas conference. It cannot be denied that in recent years, of all that has been strived for out of strong impulses — out of thoroughly justified impulses, out of impulses that thoroughly justify the statement that things had to happen, that they could not have been omitted — that thoroughly out of what has emerged from the best intentions, also from right intentions, has not been successful! I need not mention details; I can say in general that the threefold movement, which is so necessary for the world, cannot be described as a success. And it was so conceived that it should either have made a strong impression, which it did not, or that it could not have had any great significance at all. But this is connected with many things that still make our anthroposophical movement difficult today. And all these things led to the question arising before the Christmas Conference, which was intended to bring a new impetus into the anthroposophical movement in a very specific way, whether it would be possible for me to take over the chairmanship of the Anthroposophical Society myself.

There are many things to consider here that may not be fully appreciated today. Shortly before my departure, it actually came back to me with great clarity. We were sent the proof of an essay on the anthroposophical movement, which is to be published by one of our friends in a larger anthology. This essay, which was written before the Christmas Conference and of which we have now received the proof copy, states the following: “Dr. Steiner has not joined the Anthroposophical Society at all and is still not a member of the Anthroposophical Society.” — That was entirely correct until the Christmas Conference, because I had no functions in the Anthroposophical Society. I was only there as a teacher whose teachings people wanted to receive, and the administration was carried out quite independently of me in various ways. Now, I would say that the anachronism that had come about so quickly was particularly striking. Since the Christmas Conference, I have not only been a member of the Anthroposophical Society, but also its chairman. So since the Christmas Conference, many things have happened.

And with that, something else has come to pass. With my decision to become chairman of the Anthroposophical Society, something that I have always emphasized has, so to speak, been turned on its head. I have always emphasized: on the one hand, there is the anthroposophical movement. This anthroposophical movement was to be understood as the external expression of what emerged from the content of spiritual insight, which could come about in the way you know. That was the anthroposophical movement. Then there was an Anthroposophical Society. It was founded in order to realize, in its own way, what comes from anthroposophy. A distinction had to be made between the anthroposophical movement and the Anthroposophical Society. This has no longer been the case since the Christmas Conference. Since the Christmas Conference, the anthroposophical movement and the Anthroposophical Society have become one and the same, they have become completely identical. So that since the Christmas Conference it must be said: Previously there was the anthroposophical teaching, which was cultivated by the anthroposophical movement. Since the Christmas Conference, the Anthroposophical Society has simply become, through what it has become, an anthroposophical, even esoteric, entity. Since the Christmas Conference, we must understand the Anthroposophical Society in such a way that not only is anthroposophy taught in it, but that everything that is done is anthroposophy. Since the Christmas Conference, anthroposophical activity is that which can no longer be separated from the Anthroposophical Society.

This is the task of the esoteric executive council of the Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum, which you are familiar with and which is represented here today by a number of friends. It is called upon to translate what is anthroposophical teaching into anthroposophical activity in every detail. This anthroposophical-esoteric executive committee does not want to be an administrative committee; it wants to be an initiative committee that provides inspiration for what should flow through the Anthroposophical Society as its essence. Of course, this can only happen slowly and gradually. But a good deal has already been achieved through the newsletter accompanying our magazine, with its guiding principles and reflections, and through attempts to provide positive initiatives such as those that should emanate from the esoteric executive committee. Of course, very little has been done so far. But here, too, we must not try to take the fifth step before the third; we must be clear that everything can only happen slowly and gradually. In order to provide more and more of the necessary inspiration, it is necessary above all to understand how our administration must differ from any other administration in the world. It must be as far removed as possible from any form of bureaucracy and must be based purely on the human aspect. The human relationships that should intertwine soul to soul within the Anthroposophical Society should be what actually moves the Anthroposophical Society, what sustains it as a human entity. This human aspect can be expressed in small and large ways. I would like to mention just one tiny detail so that you can see exactly what I mean. In order to mark the distinctive features that were to be considered for the anthroposophical conference during the Christmas season, we had to renew all membership certificates. We had twelve thousand such certificates to sign. I never had to sign a single one before. Now, some people advised me to use a stamp for these twelve thousand signatures. I could not accept this suggestion for the simple reason that, from the point of view of a realistic worldview, it makes a difference whether each membership certificate with the name of each member has been in front of me, whether I have seen the name, rested my eyes on it, and signed my name with my own pen. It is the tiniest personal relationship, but it is a personal relationship. And these personal relationships must be cultivated more and more from soul to soul. It is important to understand that what matters to us is not sending this or that message out into the world and reaching this or that member, but rather emphasizing what is most human. Of course, this will take some time. This new trend that has entered the Anthroposophical Society at the Christmas Conference must be thoroughly understood. But it should already be noted that a spirit that is gradually becoming more and more esoteric will also pass through the spiritual life that is to flow through the Anthroposophical Society. And perhaps, during this conference, at which I am privileged to be among you, I will succeed in convincing you a little that this new trend is here.

I say these introductory words because the success of what is now to be achieved really depends on awakening an understanding among the widest possible circle of our anthroposophists for what was intended by the Christmas Conference. Everything depends on what conception of what is intended is in the hearts of our friends. I am also convinced that, thanks to the excellent leadership that exists here in Silesia, as I have already mentioned, this spirit will very soon live in the right way among our friends here.

After these words of welcome, let me begin with a kind of introduction, an introduction that will set the tone for what will form the content of our general meetings.