3. To the command of Artillery Regiment No. 7,

Luitpold, Prince of Bavaria, Oberlaa, late 1880 / early 1881, draft

Commendable Regimental Command!

A graduate of the Imperial Technical University in Vienna¹ requests admission to the Imperial Army as a one-year volunteer at the expense of the joint war budget and supports his request with the following:

1.) He is of the required age, according to his baptismal certificate and certificate of admission.²
2.) Neither he nor his parents have any assets, as evidenced by the certificate of indigence.³
3.) he has demonstrated good moral character, as his father has given his permission, as evidenced by the letter of guarantee.⁴ He therefore believes that he is fully qualified to serve as a one-year volunteer and requests that he be allowed to begin his military service in the above regiment at the beginning of October 1881 [text interrupted].

Source: Original (1 page, 1 double sheet), RSA; answered on: Jan. 9, 1881 People: [Franziska Steiner]; [Johann Steiner] Places: Vienna Regarding the date: The draft is on a double sheet that was later reused for mathematical integration exercises in linear differential equations. Rudolf Steiner took this subject in the winter semester of 1879/80. In point 2, the following has been deleted: “has passed the school-leaving examination with very good results.”

About this draft: Since a reply to this request to the regimental command is available in the Rudolf Steiner Archive, it can be assumed that Rudolf Steiner actually wrote the draft as a letter and sent it. In Austria-Hungary, universal conscription had been in force since 1868, beginning at the age of 21 and consisting of three years of active service, seven years in the reserves, and two years in the Landsturm (militia). Rudolf Steiner probably wanted to use this request to arrange his military service in a way that was favorable to him. However, Lieutenant Colonel Hugo von Ritschl, commander of the Imperial and Royal Field Artillery Regiment Luitpold Prinz von Bayern No. 7, replied from Vienna on January 9, 1881, “To Mr. Rudolf Steiner, Technician Vienna - residing in Oberlaa,” rejecting his request: “Your application for admission as a one-year volunteer at the expense of the state must be rejected because you are currently physically unfit. [...] According to S. 135 and 136 of the instructions for the execution of military service, you must not fail to report annually for admission before the beginning of the period of service for as long as you are liable for military service, because otherwise you will be found fit for regular service and will lose your entitlement to the privilege of enlisting as a one-year volunteer.” (RSA 066) On the occasion of Rudolf Steiner's second application for naturalization to the Swiss Confederation, his advocate, Dr. iur. Walter Stucki (1888-1963), wrote on January 25, 1922, in response to the question “Has the applicant fulfilled his military obligations in his previous country of residence?” in the corresponding form: “The applicant was found unfit for military service and paid the substitute tax until he was 32 years old.” On the occasion of Rudolf Steiner's second ‘application for permission to acquire municipal and cantonal citizenship,’ his attorney, Dr. iur. Walter Stucki (1888–1963), wrote on his behalf on January 25, 1922, to the Federal Department of Home Affairs, Department of Internal Affairs, in Bern, in response to the question ‘Has the applicant fulfilled his military obligations in his previous country of residence?’ in the corresponding form: 1922 to the Federal Political Department, Internal Affairs Division in Bern in response to the question “Has the applicant fulfilled his military obligations in his previous country of residence?” in the relevant form (p. 3): “The applicant was found unfit for military service and paid the substitute tax until he was 32 years old.” (According to: Alexander Lüscher / Hella Wiesberger: Legal exclusion – Denial of Swiss citizenship. Series: The last years of Rudolf Steiner's life: Forgotten – Overlooked – Unconsidered, Vol. 4, Basel 2021).