Esoteric Lessons 1913–1923

GA 266III

History of the Youth Circle I

The first call for the formation of an anthroposophical youth movement, dated March 17, 1920, was sent to Rudolf Steiner with the following accompanying letter by Robert Wolfgang Wallach:

Stuttgart, March 18, 1920

Dear Dr. Steiner!

After further revision, we have now completed the enclosed call and sent it to the young brothers and sisters of our movement. We very much hope that we have acted entirely in accordance with your wishes. We have further discussed the form and work of the “Youth Branch” and have come to a number of points that I would like to submit to you. We choose “patrons” from among the older recognized members of the Society who guide us spiritually, to whom we submit our actions and undertakings, and who vouch for us to the Society. There is no “executive committee” or anything similar. Wherever a working group is formed, we elect someone from among ourselves to act as a kind of working secretary. Requests for working groups to be held are submitted to him, and he selects a teacher from among the older members who is particularly suited to the subject area and asks him to take on the teaching role. This secretariat is then responsible for directing the work in the youth movements and universities in a free manner appropriate to the high goal. We are also considering circulars and, later, newsletters to be developed into a magazine for the individual working groups, and hope that we are acting in accordance with your wishes. As I have been called upon, dear Dr. Steiner, to inform you of our young aspirations, I feel compelled to tell you how infinitely indebted I am to you for my entire life, which I owe to you in the still short time that I have found myself with you, and which I will continue to owe you. and what prompts me to ask you to accept my wholehearted gratitude and deepest devotion. Yours, Robert Wolfgang Wallach.

Stuttgart, March 17, 1920.

To the youth of the anthroposophical movement!

For a long time now, and with increasing intensity, we have felt the need, especially in view of the intellectual aspirations of the present day, which are particularly evident among the younger generation, especially in the younger generation, we have felt the need to work out, express, and live the anthroposophical worldview as represented by Rudolf Steiner as a teacher in a way that corresponds to our lives, which were born into the inner and outer distress of our times. This urgent need for structure has now led us to the following decision, inspired by Rudolf Steiner himself, who encouraged us to establish a general youth branch:

We call upon all young people who feel connected to the anthroposophical movement, regardless of whether they are members of the Anthroposophical Society or not, to join us in forming such a youth branch.

In this group, we want to work among ourselves and with teachers of our own choosing in a way that is both our right and our sacred duty as young people at the dawn of a new era. The work should be completely free and individual, adapted to the local conditions.

Outwardly, we want to reach out especially to all circles of youth that have not yet been reached, in the conviction that they in particular hold the possibilities for the future within themselves; called to help raise the anthroposophical movement to its future world task, they need their own path to it, one that arises from their own nature. The only condition for admission to this youth branch shall be the pledge to devote oneself with all one's strength and dedication to the service of the movement.

Walter Scheidegger, Rudolf Geering, Basel;
Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, Dornach; Anton Burg, Karlsruhe;
Hans Erhard Lauer, Heidelberg; Luise Kieser, Heilbronn;
Else Koch, Leipzig; Otto Senn, Munich;
Elisabeth Baumann-Dollfus, Paul Baumann, Freie Waldorfschule Stuttgart;
Robert Wolfang Wallach, employee at the “Bund für Dreigliederung” (Threefold Social Order), Stuttgart.

The members of the “Youth Branch” will be registered as such at the Anthroposophical Society's office in Berlin.

We ask that the association be established in the various locations as soon as possible in accordance with the appeal and that notification, lists of names, and individual registrations be sent to the following address: Dr. R. W. Wallach, Stuttgart, Dobelstr. 4/11.

A circular letter with suggestions on the nature of the collaboration will follow shortly.

For Stuttgart, the merger took place on March 13, 1920.

Youth Branch: Stuttgart Group.