1911 Annual Report for the German Section of the Theosophical Society

Marie Steiner for the thirty-sixth Anniversary and Convention of the T.S, 1911.

To the President, TS: - With the expression of heartiest respect and with fraternal greetings, I have the honour to submit to you the Annual Report of the Theosophical Society in Germany. This year too the Section has progressed along those lines that have proved successful for the strengthening of Theosophical life. In the different Lodges, to which 5 new ones have been added this year, the work and the understanding of Theosophical thought and a corresponding attitude of mind have been deepened. At the public lectures also the number of the listeners and a deeper interest are continually growing. New Lodges have been founded in Linz, Graz, Tübingen, Heidenheim, Bochum.¹ The total number of Lodges is now 52 and there are 4 centres. 400 members have entered during the year, 14 have died, 49 dropped or resigned. The net increase amounts to 337. The effective number of members is now 2287.

This year too the lecture-work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has been continued in the same way as in the preceding years. The Problems could be deepened and widened at the single lectures as well as at lectures-series. Such series took place in Stuttgart, Prague, Munich and Karlsruhe. Single lectures have been held nearly in all towns where the Section has Lodges, and also in some other towns, for instance in Trieste. During the Annual Convention of the Scandinavian Section, Dr. R. Steiner delivered 4 lectures in Copenhagen.

The activity of our other lecturing members becomes also wider. Dr. Carl Unger is building up a philosophical foundation of Theosophical thought and finds an always increasing number of auditors. Herr Adolf Arenson displays a beneficent activity in the spreading of our worldconception. From Stuttgart, where she is doing excellent work, Miss Völker is bringing spiritual food to other Lodges. In Munich the work of Miss Stinde and Baroness Gumppenberg increases with every year. In Nürnberg and in other Lodges activity is kept up by Michael Bauer. In Vienna and Linz work is done by Frau Reif-Busse, in Leipzig by Frau Wolfram. In Hamburg Frau Camilla Wandrey has been displaying a useful activity and has visited from there other places. It is impossible to designate in particular the work of other members. As lecturers may also be named, Herr Walther, Herr v. Rainer, Herr Uehli, Frl. Scholl, Frau v. Reden, Frau Peelen and others. There are many workers in the different Lodges who work actively for the expansion and deepening of Theosophical life. It seems particularly significant, that by applying the principles of Theosophy to healing, as Dr. Peipers is doing in Munich, our world-conception is penetrating into other departments of our civilised life.

Progress in our work can be also noticed by the fact, that the lecture-series, which Dr. Rudolf Steiner held in Munich in August, has been preceded this time not only by two but by three festival performances. Edouard Schuré's Sacred Drama of Eleusis, and Rudolf Steiner’s two works, Portal of Initiation and Probation of the Soul, have been performed. Just as in the preceding years, the acting and the preparation of the whole scenic management was done exclusively by our members under the direction of Dr. Steiner. We must think with gratitude of the devoted work of the dramatic members like Frl. v. Sivers, Frl. Waller, Herr Doser, Herr Seiling, Dr. Peipers, and many others, of the genial artistic achievements of Baroness Eckardtstein; of the musical work of Adolf Arenson; of the scenic decorations of Herr Volkert, Herr Hass, Herr Linde; of the organising work of Frl. Stinde and Countess Kalkreuth.

With profound satisfaction it must still be mentioned that the intense and comprehensive work of our members in Stuttgart has led to the result, that in this town the three Lodges will be able to display their activity in their own house. Through the munificence of one of the members and the sacrifices of others, we were able to lay this year in January the foundation stone of the Theosophical home of Stuttgart and on the 15th of October the inauguration took place in the presence of numerous German and foreign friends. The inner decoration of the house is strictly done according to occult principles; the house is built with deep Theosophical comprehension by our member, the architect Herr Schmid.

The Annual Convention of the Section will be held in Berlin between the 10th and 16th of December.

We send our warmest greetings to our revered President and the brothers in India.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.