Our Dead

GA 261 — 18 January 1914, Berlin

Eulogies Given at the 1914 General Meeting

Before I attempt to continue my dear friends' train of thought with a few words, I would like to dedicate the word to those friends who have left the physical plane since we last gathered here and who, as members of our movement that is so close to our hearts, are now looking down on our activities from the spiritual worlds. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize once again that those who have passed away from the physical plane will continue to be considered our members in the most beautiful sense of the word, and that we feel as united with them as we did when we were still able to greet them on this or that occasion on the physical plane.

First of all, we would like to remember an old theosophical personality, old in the sense that she was connected with what we call true, genuine theosophical life for the longest time of most of our ranks, Baroness E. von Hoffmann. She belongs to those who have imbued their entire being and active will with what we call the theosophical attitude. Many have come to appreciate the deeply loving heart of this woman, if only because they have felt infinite strength flowing from this heart in times of suffering and adversity. Although little of this became known to the outside world, Mrs. von Hoffmann was a loyal and devoted helper to many. And we may consider it a particularly valuable thing that she, who had been involved in theosophical development for a long time, was finally in our midst. And with her dear daughter, who is in our midst, we will keep the memory of this dear, loyal, helpful woman, which we want to be united with her in the spiritual world.

I also have to remember some old members who left us for the physical plane just this year. I have to remember our dear old friend Edmund Eggert in Düsseldorf. If some of us perhaps know the great inner difficulties that our friend had to struggle with, the heroic strength with which he became involved in what we call our spiritual current, then those who knew the good, dear man will certainly join me in making unceasing efforts to continue to be loyal friends of our dear Eggert in the spiritual worlds. And those of the dear friends who hear this, which I speak from a troubled heart, will faithfully send their thoughts to the one who has passed from the physical plane.

I also have to mention a dear, loyal member, a member who always gave us heartfelt, sincere joy when we were able to see her in our midst time and again, our dear Mrs. van Dam-Nieuwenhuisen from Nymwegen, who left the physical plane during the last period and who certainly was one of the most beloved personalities among those who were her close friends, who worked faithfully for our cause since we knew her, who especially worked hard for an appropriate representation of our cause among our Dutch dear friends.

I would also like to mention a loyal, if perhaps quieter member who always gave me great joy when I was able to see her in the circle of our dear Nuremberg friends: Fräulein Sophie Ifftner. She was highly esteemed by our Nuremberg friends, who will ensure that the way is paved for us to always find her when we seek her in spiritual worlds.

I must also mention another faithful friend, Miss Frieda Kurze, who has been active within the circle of our worldview for many years. She has been tragically recalled from the physical plane to the spiritual worlds. We are among those to whom she has become dear and precious, and who are and want to remain with her in thought.

I would like to remember our Julius Bittmann, who was torn from the physical plane by his dear family and by us, until his last difficult days he had the firm point of reference of his inner life, despite difficult external circumstances, in what we call Theosophy. It was a deep joy for me that I could once more be at his side on the evening before the death of our dear Bittmann, and I am sure that those of our friends who were closer to this man will not fail to form the path here as well, on which the theosophical thoughts unite us with the friend in the spiritual world.

I must also mention Jakob Knott in Munich, who was a man who, after many different struggles in life, finally found his firm support and his definite point of reference in 'Theosophy', so that his friends will be his mediators in the same way.

I must also mention another friend who left the physical plane during this time, who found his way from Holland to us, Mr. Eduard Zalbin, whom we, sadly mourned by his wife and children, saw depart from the physical plane through a swift death. Shortly before this occurred, Zalbin was still at our last general assembly, and his departure from the physical plane had to be pointed out there.

I must also mention an old friend of the Stuttgart Lodge, who had organized her innermost life in such a way that she associated everything she thought with Theosophy. She will now be surrounded by the loyal thoughts of all those who knew her.

I must also mention Miss Oda Waller, who we felt was connected to our cause with her whole soul, for a long time. She was one of those souls who was so devoted to this cause, as a human soul can be on earth; so devoted that we not only parted from this soul with deep sorrow for her departure from the physical plane – a sorrow that does not need to be particularly emphasized in this case, because all those who knew Miss Oda Waller felt it with the deepest sympathy – but we also looked up to her in the spiritual world with the brightest of hopes, with those hopes that are justified in the case of such a faithful soul who, like Oda Waller, has firmly established in her heart to remain connected to the theosophical cause for all time. There will be more than a few who, united with their dear sister Mieta Waller, will be in heartfelt connection with our dear Miss Oda Waller.

I have to mention our friend Georg Kollnberger from Munich. Those who knew him will be our intermediaries as we reflect on him with our feelings and emotions.

I have to commemorate a dear friend in Bonn who left the physical plane not so long ago, Miss Marie von Schmid. Those who knew her feel deeply how intimately Miss von Schmid's soul was connected with the spiritual life. Those who felt a close bond with Miss von Schmid have lost a great deal: a soul so open to spiritual life, and at the same time a nature that was shy and withdrawn from the outer world. It is such a pleasure to meet such a nature in life. Precisely because she came out of herself so rarely, one got to know her so little. Those who knew her know what I mean by these words.

We must remember a member who was unfortunately snatched from us all too soon in terms of his physical strength, a man who was happy to put his physical strength at the service of our cause, but who will remain an important member of our organization even in the form in which he is now connected to us, Mr. Oro Flamme in Hannover.

I have to commemorate the personality who found herself in the circle of our Nordic friends in our midst, and who, after a long, heroically endured illness, despite the most careful and loving care, ultimately had to leave the physical plane after all, Fräulein Manch. Perhaps those who were closest to her will understand what I would also like to express about this soul when we consider how she, I would say, clung to the theosophical cause with inner strength and thus passed through the gateway of death.

I would also like to mention a friend who is also known to our friends in Berlin, who recently left the physical plane after a long and difficult illness, Mrs. Augusta Berg from Kristiania. She was full of the longing to implement in practical life on the physical plane what shone so beautifully for her heart and soul. We are sure that she will now continue her work in other places, in a way that we also assume for our dear friend Flamme from Hanover.

All those who have passed away, as well as those who have become less well known in the circles of our members, we remember in this solemn hour: Mr. Brizio Aluigi from Milan, Mrs. Julie Neumann from Dresden, Mrs. Emmy Etwein from Cologne, Mrs. E. Harrold from Manchester, and we affirm that we want to be in touch with them in the sense described - with these dear deceased members, who have only changed the form of their way of life for us, that we want to surround them with the powers and thoughts with which we are accustomed to contacting those friends who have left the physical plane. We affirm this volition and remembrance by rising from our seats.