On the History and Development of the School Ritual: René Maikowski

Letter to Helmut von Kügelgen dated May 30, 1970 (excerpt)

... When I was head of the University Association and frequently discussed issues relating to the youth circle and our work in Stuttgart at that time with Dr. Steiner, I asked him a question that was on the minds of many of us at the time, but which was viewed very differently. Some of us felt that the Christian Community, through its cult, independent of lectures or other personal involvement, had a sustaining spiritual substance, and the question was whether, in a form appropriate to our tasks—we had founded the “Free Society” at that time—a corresponding cultic celebration was also possible for us (this was before the Christmas Conference and the establishment of the School of Spiritual Science).

To my surprise, R. Steiner responded very positively to this idea and characterized it as a continuation of what was given in the school's sacrifice ceremony ... He presented the possibility of esoteric work of this kind for the Society as entirely feasible and indicated that he would return to the subject after being asked about it. When these wishes were fulfilled with the Christmas conference and the establishment of the school and the first class, I saw this as confirmation of what he had said at the time. What was particularly important to me in this conversation was his characterization of the nature of the sacrifice ceremony and school activities ... and the emphasis on the clear and conscious path of knowledge to which they lead ...

Letter to Gotthard Starke dated August 29, 1983 (excerpt)

... When we established the working groups of the Free Society after the delegates' conference (1923) and the Christian Community began its work at the same time, a discussion arose among our circle of co-workers about our tasks and our working methods. Some noted that the Christian Community had an easier task because it had a cult, whereas we only had the possibility of working through the word. People wondered whether it would be conceivable for the Society to have a cultic element at some point. Opinions were divided. I took this question up with Dr. Steiner himself. He explained that this was indeed conceivable. After all, the Esoteric School had existed before the war. In the future, what had then emerged in connection with the Theosophical Society would take a different form. The form of the Christian Community would not be considered. He characterized the different foundations of anthroposophy and the Christian Community, as he did later in Dornach (December 30, 1922). Cultic work in the anthroposophical movement must arise from the same spiritual stream as the school activities, in a sense a continuation of what was given in form and content in the sacrificial celebration ...