1907 Annual Report for the German Section of the Theosophical Society
Read by W. D. Panday. Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-second Anniversary and Convention of the T.S., 1907
To the President, TS: - With my respectful and fraternal greeting, I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.
In the course of last year new Branches have been formed in Kassel, in Munich (a third one besides the two already existing), in Düsseldorf (a second one, Blavatsky Lodge, besides the one already existing); the Centres Elberfeld and Esslingen have constituted themselves as Branches.
The total number of Branches is now 28 and one Centre. 303 members have joined the Section during the year; 12 have resigned, 19 dropped out, 4 died, 2 passed over to other Sections. So that the net increase amounts to 266. The effective number of members at the last Convention was 872.
A principal part in the Section’s activity of this year belongs to the work for the Congress of the Federation of European Sections, that was held in Munich on May 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st.
The lecture-work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has been continued in the same intensive way as in the last year. Besides single lectures given by him in many towns, this year whole series of daily lectures were organised; they prove very useful, because the members that attend them get a total and well-linked exposition of theosophical world-conception. Such series of lectures took place this year in Munich, Kassel and Hannover. Besides visiting various towns in Germany and Switzerland, Dr. Rudolf Steiner lectured in Vienna and Budapest. Lectures were also given by Michael Bauer, Mathilde Scholl, F. Schwab, and Elise Wolfram. An active worker who is particularly able in scientific explanation of Theosophy is developing in Dr. Carl Unger.
Particular stress is laid, in Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s lectures, upon the necessity of rigorously binding the occult side of Theosophy to the logical, scientific one, and he seeks to destroy the wide-spread prejudice that Theosophy is leading to vague psychism.
We had the joy of listening to a lecture of Mrs. Besant in Munich, on May 27th, «Exertion and Destiny.»
The review, Luzifer - Gnosis, edited by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, has been continued and gains in expansion.
The sectional organ, Mitteilungen, communicating to members business notices and the activities of the Lodges, has been carried on along its old lines.
There have been published in the course of the year: Blood is a particular fluid, an esoteric treatise; The Lord’s Prayer, an esoteric treatise by Dr. Rudolf Steiner. Then his Education of the Child from the standpoint of Spiritual Science, and Pictures of occult Seals and Columns (with an introduction by Dr. Rudolf Steiner). The latter is a reproduction of the occult decoration of the Congress-Hall in Munich.
The fifth annual Convention was held in Berlin on October 19th, 20th and 21st. Instead of Mr. Bernhard Hubo, who to our regret tended his resignation from the Executive Committee, Mr. Wilhelm Tessmar (Berlin) was chosen.
After the success which our work has had in this year, we may hope for further good progress.
We send our warmest greetings to all brothers in India, and especially to our revered President.
Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.