The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume Two

GA 265

Contract between Theodor Reuß and Rudolf Steiner

Wording according to the original handwritten by Reuß, dated Berlin, January 3, 1906.

GREAT ORIENT OF THE SCOTTISH A. & A. 33° RITE

SOVEREIGN SANCTUARY
OF THE ORDER OF ANCIENT FREEMASONS
OF THE MEMPHIS-MISRAIM RITE

Bureau of the Grand Master General

Berlin, S.W. 47, den .......190...

Contract and fraternal agreement

Between Theodor Reuß, Sovereign General Grand Master ad vitam, 33° 90° 96° and sole head of the Order of the Ancient Templar Freemasons of the Scottish, Memphis and Misraim Rite for the German Reich, and Br.Dr.Rudolf Steiner, General Secretary of the Theosophical Society and President of the Mystical Temple and Chapter “Mystica aeterna” 30° 67° 89° in Berlin, the following treaty and fraternal agreement has been concluded and signed.

Dr. Steiner hereby receives from Theodor Reuß, subject to the conditions set out in this contract, the authorization, at his discretion and without having to obtain the prior approval of Dr. Steiner, to initiate an unlimited number of members of the Theosophical Society or of persons who do not belong to the Theosophical Society into his chapter and mystical temple “Mystica aeterna” in Berlin, in the Order of the Ancient Templar Freemasons of the Scottish, Memphis and Misraim Rites for the German Reich, and to perfect it to the 30th degree A. & A.

In return, Dr. Steiner undertakes to pay Dr. Steiner a fee of forty marks (40 marks) for each candidate he admits to or perfects in the degrees of the aforementioned order, Theodor Reuß a fee of forty marks (40 marks) for each candidate whom he admits to the order or perfects in the degrees,¹ For this, the candidate in question, if he has been elevated to the 18th degree, will receive a diploma of this degree issued by Theodor Reuß.² This fee is due and payable to Theodor Reuß on the day of a candidate's admission. This fee can be deferred by Theodor Reuß in special cases. However, a candidate only becomes a full member of the order and is only entitled to a degree or membership diploma if the above fee has actually been paid to Br. Theodor Reuß. If a member wishes to receive other diplomas for other degrees in addition to the diploma for the 18th degree, the cost for each additional diploma is 10 marks (ten marks), which are to be paid to Br. Theodor Reuß before the diploma is issued. Neither Dr. Steiner nor the members accepted by him or belonging to his organization have any control over the use of the fees or funds paid to Theodor Reuss by Dr. Steiner for himself or for his candidates and members, i.e. they have no right to demand an accounting of how the money is used. Brother Dr. Steiner has no right to independently issue diplomas for the order or for Theodor Reuss. For the period of his absence from Berlin, Brother Theodor Reuss appoints Brother Dr. Steiner as Deputy General Grand Master and General Grand Secretary in the Sovereign Sanctuary. This appointment comes into force on the day on which Dr. Steiner has presented four candidates to the said order and has founded his chapter. However, as Deputy General Grand Master, Dr. Steiner has provisionally only jurisdiction over the members he himself has presented to the said order. But he exercises exclusive jurisdiction over them until the 30th degree A&A, and only when they rise above the 30th degree A&A do they come under the jurisdiction of Br. Th. Reuß. When Br.Dr. Steiner has paid Br. Theodor Reuß the fee of forty marks (40 M) stipulated in this contract for the hundredth (100th) candidate, Theodor Reuß appoints Dr. Rudolf Steiner as the incumbent General Grand Master 33rd, 90th, 96th for the German Reich, with jurisdiction over all existing organizations of the rite and order in the German Reich. When adding up the stated number of hundred candidates, the women introduced to the order by Sister v. Sivers and Brother Dr. Steiner are also to be counted. All printed rituals, catechisms, books, and lodge objects must be paid for separately by Brother Dr. Steiner.

Br.Dr. Steiner undertakes to obtain all masonic clothing for his members exclusively from Fräulein Marta Gierloff, at a fixed price. Br.Dr.Steiner undertakes not to accept or admit any persons who have been excluded, resigned or suspended by the symbolic grand lodge in Leipzig or by Br. Theodor Reuß (S.S.). Furthermore, Dr. Steiner is obliged not to recognize or contact any lodge or other Masonic organization or authority in Germany that has been dissolved or suspended by the SS Sanctuary or by Br. Theodor Reuß, or that has broken away from the SS or Br. Theodor Reuß.

Dr. Steiner immediately loses all rights and degrees in the S. Sanctuary and in the aforementioned order if he acts contrary to these last two provisions. Of course, Dr. Steiner is entitled to use an official seal and letterhead with the name of the order, as used by Br. As official seal, Dr. Steiner carries the seal attached to this contract.

Done, read, approved and signed on January 3, 1906, E.V. d.i. on the third of January nineteen hundred and six E.V. in Berlin

Groß-Lichterfelde

Theodor Reuß
33.° 90.° 96.°

(stamp) (stamp)

Postscript by the Editor: Of all the conditions of this contract, the only ones that mattered to Rudolf Steiner were that he was legally entitled to admit members of his choice, for whom the regular dues were to be paid, and that after the hundredth member was admitted, the Misraim Rite would be represented by him alone. Cf. his letter to A.W. Sellin dated August 15, 1906, page 67 in the present volume.