The Rudolf Steiner Archive

The prevailing circumstances and the opposition of various circles with a vested interest in the economy are forcing the “Coming Day” to renounce a broader socio-economic program for the immediate present and to keep its activities within narrower limits. In the near future, it will consist of the association of several economic enterprises with spiritual undertakings that support each other. The spiritual undertakings: Waldorf School, Clinical-Therapeutic Institute, Biological and Physical Research Institute, are intended to serve scientific-spiritual and moral-social progress in a way that meets the demands of the present and the near future. The purely economic enterprises are intended to provide the material basis for the overall enterprise. They are to support those enterprises that can only bear economic fruit and financial returns in the future, because the spiritual seed that is now to be poured into them can only bear fruit after some time.

The shareholders will continue to receive the promised dividend from this narrower range of activities. If possible, the program can be expanded to include this transformed program. Although the program, originally developed for the further development of economic life in connection with the cultivation of spiritual values, is a necessity of our time, its comprehensive realization is currently impossible due to the little cooperation of the contemporary world involved in economic life. So what is possible in the short term must take precedence over what is necessary. Those personalities who show understanding for the idea of the “Coming Day” will find themselves all the better in it with their interests. Serving them will be the duty of its leadership.

The Coming Day
Stock Corporation for the Promotion of Economic and Intellectual
Values
signed Leinhas

[After discussing the first three agenda items (annual report, annual accounts and discharge of the management, resolution on the appropriation of the annual result) and a break, agenda item 4: supplementary elections to the board of directors is to be discussed.

Rudolf Steiner: Certain events have occurred in the last few days that make it necessary for you to have a precise insight into the circumstances before debating agenda item 4. You will best get a picture of the situation if I read two documents to you that will provide you with background information for dealing with this topic.

Rudolf Steiner first reads out Director Arnold Ich's letter of resignation. A copy of this letter is attached to these minutes and belongs to them.

Rudolf Steiner: I would just like to comment that the meeting mentioned here was brought about by the fact that Mr. Storrer and Mr. Day came to see me in Berlin on Monday, March 13, and at that time presented the result of discussions they had had with the management of ' Futurum” and expressed the view that they had to think of the intellectual leadership of ‘Futurum’ in a completely different way than it had been before, and that measures should be taken to do justice to the idea of ‘Futurum’ in accordance with the original program. I would like to make it explicitly clear that what Mr. Storrer and Mr. Day presented was the result of discussions that had taken place at the Futurum management and about which I had been informed. Storrer and Day implied that they had held meetings with other personalities and wanted to hear my opinion about them. I said: “Of course, everyone is free to hold such meetings; but no decisive action can be taken regarding the affairs of Futurum before I am present in Dornach.”

When I came to Dornach and was informed that meetings had taken place in which the directors Ith and Oesch, i.e. the entire management, had also participated, I naturally had no objection to attending these meetings - not as president of the board of directors, but as a private individual - in order to know what had been presented. Immediately after Mr. Storrer had raised the point about the management of 'Futurum', Director Ith declared that he wished to leave the meeting. I pointed out that I was also a guest and was not in charge of this meeting. That is the first point about the resignation of the first director.

Rudolf Steiner reads out Director Dr. Oesch's letter of resignation, a copy of which is attached to the protocol and which is to be regarded as part of this protocol.

Rudolf Steiner: As you can see from this, the board of directors is initially without management. I should perhaps add that the following members of the board, as it has always met, were present at its meetings: Etienne, Gimmi, Hirter and I. Three board members resigned from the board due to illness and other reasons. So there were only five board members left, one of whom does not usually come, so the board has shrunk considerably.

It goes without saying that the circumstances just presented to you have an extremely profound impact on all of Futurum's affairs. As for myself, I would like to make the following comment: the various foundations, be it the Waldorf School, the “Kommende Tag”, the “Futurum” and many others, had taken up an extraordinary amount of my time and energy, and it was quite natural that during this time the much livelier activity for the anthroposophical movement as such had to take a back seat. But now circumstances make it necessary for anthroposophical activity itself to be expanded to a greater extent. If one takes the view that if one bears nominal responsibility, one must also bear it in fact, that is, one must know that one is responsible for every individual matter, then it is basically not possible, in addition to a very demanding anthroposophical movement, to also devote oneself to the economic foundations as intensively as is absolutely necessary according to my own views.

The resignation of the two previous directors has created an entirely new situation for me. Since you are mostly anthroposophical members, you will see it as a necessity that the anthroposophical movement be continued to a much greater extent than has been possible in recent times.

If things go so far as to cause the resignation of the entire management, you can understand that it is no longer possible for me to conduct the business in the responsible manner that I believe it should be conducted. Therefore, I cannot do other than tell you that if the possibility arises from within this assembly that “Futurum” can continue without the old management, whose resignation seems irreversible, I would resign. As you will understand, I have no intention of somehow getting involved with a new management. That would necessitate my having to give up every other activity in the next few weeks. Among other things, it would mean that I would have to give up the already planned trips to the Netherlands and England. So if the anthroposophical movement is not to be harmed, something must be done; I can only tell you what that something is as a definite decision when the debate on the circumstances described continues. But this decision will be: if the possibility arises from the shareholders' circle that “Futurum” can be continued in the sense of its program, I will resign from my post as chairman of the board of directors because of the work I have to do for the anthroposophical movement.

I open the discussion on item 4.

[Willy Stokar and Willy Storrer, as representatives of a group of shareholders, are highly critical of the work of “Futurum” to date, saying that the spiritual goals of forming an association in the sense of the threefold social order have not been achieved at all. They therefore believe that Rudolf Steiner should be discharged of his duties as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Willy Stokar proposes a new board of directors, which should consist of

Ernst Gimmi (so far),

Consul Krebs (so far),

Willy Stokar,

Edgar Dürler,

Karl Day,

Willy Storrer, who are all willing to take on the responsibility.

In the assembly, this is perceived as an outrage.

Rudolf Steiner: One would have to examine the criticism that has been expressed about “Futurum” to see if it is valid. On the other hand, the meeting will have to be clear about how it takes a stand on the question as such.

[Further comments on this matter. Mistakes are admitted, but the meeting is warned against hasty decisions.

Rudolf Steiner: In order to avoid getting into unfruitful digressions in the discussion, please take into account that the first discussions, which created the basis for what followed, took place in the “Futurum” Directorate itself. This is very important. After all, you have an attempt at forming an opinion about “Futurum”. I explained to you how difficult, indeed how impossible it would be for me to continue as chairman under the changed circumstances. Now the question is whether I should say that I would resign as chairman if the meeting were to find a way of continuing the Futurum, and from this point of view I ask you to consider the matter. We should remain objective and consider the possibility of how the “Futurum” can be continued. It is not possible for me to work with a rump board of directors.

There is also something else. I would never have agreed to become president of the board of directors of Futurum AG here in Switzerland if Mr. Hirter had not agreed to become vice president at the request of Mr. Molt and Dr. Boos. As you can see, my presidency essentially depended on having someone like Mr. Hirter at my side, who is so successful and well respected in Swiss business circles. But now Mr. Hirter is also resigning from the board of directors. Mr. Etienne also informed me today that he is forced to resign. Mr. Gimmi has explained to you that he asks you to make a genuine attempt to work constructively with the individuals who have criticized the management of “Futurum”. Mr. Gimmi himself has resigned from the previous board of directors in favor of the new proposal. So I would be a chairman of the board without a board of directors and without a management. I must ask you to provide advice here, either to make positive counter-proposals for the election of board members and for the election of directors or to enter into a factual discussion to see if you can accept the proposals made by one side. Ultimately, whether or not the gentlemen can do this, they will have to show. At least they have shown the goodwill to become members of the board. And I also ask you to show this goodwill if necessary. If you cannot propose other members of the board and get them approved, then you are obliged to respond to the gentlemen's proposals in some way.

The discussion is becoming disorderly.

Rudolf Steiner: We must continue the discussion in an orderly fashion.

[Further contributions. Johann Hirter expressly declares that he is no longer available. Question about the separation of the spiritual activities.

Rudolf Steiner: For the clinic and laboratories and for everything that is grouped around the journal 'Das Goetheanum', and for everything that is grouped around the school, it would be a matter of ensuring that I can continue to do for them in the future what I have done for them so far, just as I have done it so far. After the exclusion of the above-mentioned enterprises, to which I will gladly stand as I have stood so far, the purely economic enterprises remain: These are the knitwear factory, the office A.G., the cold glue factory, the cardboard factory Gelterkinden, the umbrella handle and stick factory Bönigen and the trading department. There is a new fact for this. If I am to tell you exactly the point at which this became an issue for me, it is that, albeit indirectly, I was approached about negotiations that took place within the management. It is impossible for me to have someone come to me and, as it were, stand between me and the management. That is possible under the one condition that he is right. This is clear, isn't it? Otherwise such a meeting could not have taken place at all within the Futurum management. The moment the management stopped going along with me, that was that for me. You must look at things impartially. Now the case is on hand - I have read to you: “In order to create the basis for a development of ‘Futurum AG’ in line with the founding tendencies, decisions will be unavoidable that make a reorganization of the personnel necessary. I would like to contribute my share to this,” and so on (from Dr. Oesch's resignation letter). Dr. Oesch has therefore formally resigned. You have heard that he has already been designated by those prominent figures who have declared their willingness to continue the matter. This group has a director, while I am left without management and a board of directors. You have a group of prominent figures, including Mr. Gimmi and Mr. Krebs from the old board of directors and Dr. Oesch from the old management. This group can start by laying the names of leading personalities on the table of the house, quite apart from the fact that they themselves will be leading personalities. They will not expect me to continue without a board of directors and management.

[Further comments. Someone would rather make their money available for spiritual values.

Rudolf Steiner: It is of course out of the question for the shareholders to start a run on the funds invested with “Futurum”. It is not easy to get money today because the money market is completely inflexible.

[Several proposals for election to the board of directors. Since some of the proposed candidates refuse, only the candidates already proposed by Willy Stokar remain for election.

The vote confirms the removal of the previous directors, including the Rudolf Steiners, with the exception of Gimmi and Krebs, and the election of the new board of directors. After the vote, the remaining agenda items are dealt with. The meeting ends at 7:30 pm.

My dear friends, I believe I have given you a very important insight into anthroposophical [spiritual] science. I will develop this further tomorrow.

I would just like to ask you one thing now. I am obliged to tell you something more mundane, and since I don't have another opportunity to say this more mundane thing, I would like to ask you not to underestimate what I said “sub specie aeternitatis” alongside what I now have to say as something mundane.

I would like to draw your attention to a newspaper report that has already appeared in a wide variety of Swiss newspapers about the events at the “Futurum” general assembly and what emerged from it. Now, as I said, I cannot take another opportunity, I do not want to call you together specially. I ask you all very much to make a distinction between the important matters that we have just discussed and what I have to say now. I do not want the first to be wiped out by the second.

But I would like to note a few things here before taking the opportunity to speak about them in public, and that must be done. I will read you the relevant sentences from this report, which are:

The report was received with satisfaction.

However, as far as the impact of the ideas of the threefold social order and associative economics emerging from the anthroposophical movement is concerned, several shareholders stated that expectations have not been met. It has proved impossible during the financial year to realize the idea of an associative economic system within such a small group of associated economic enterprises. This would only be possible if a corresponding reorganization of economic life could be undertaken on a larger scale. It was therefore demanded that the company abandon the offensive against the current economic system and initially turn its main focus to the greatest possible economic efficiency. As this direction had the majority of votes, there was a need for personnel changes in the administration and for the company to break away from its previous close connection with the anthroposophical movement of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. There were no differences with the spiritual movement, but there was a decision to separate it from “Futurum AG” in order to ensure that the latter would have full development opportunities as an economic enterprise. This has the consequence that the spiritual-economic enterprises such as the clinic, laboratories, publishing house and so on are to be separated from “Futurum” in the near future and remain with the anthroposophical movement.

My dear friends, I believe that if you reflect on the content of these sentences, you will have to say to yourselves: The worst enemy that could arise against the anthroposophical movement in Switzerland could not write worse sentences than those written here. For here, above all, the silliness is written that the reproach that can be made to the “Futurum” is that it has not fulfilled its expectations because it has not fulfilled what is demanded of the anthroposophical movement by the “Futurum”. And then it is said – as I said, putting these things together is nothing more than a huge, capital absurdity – then it is said: So the Futurum must separate itself from the anthroposophical movement, must give up the offensive against today's economic system.

My dear friends, I myself must naturally regard this form of expression as one of the worst attacks on my own personality. You will feel this when you consider the matter. Because here nothing less is said than: Dr. Steiner, with his anthroposophical movement, is becoming very dangerous because he is taking action against the modern economic system; so we have to do it differently, we have to move away from him.

My dear friends! This is the very way to completely destroy the Anthroposophical movement. But besides, anyone who understands what I myself have been dealing with in terms of economics in recent years will find that it is an unscrupulous untruth to say that, because one does not want to be offensive, one has to move away from the Anthroposophical movement and then from me.

As if this offensive had come from me! It was completely different people who took this offensive approach!

My dear friends! When I read this at first, I thought that some inept editors had written it who are not familiar with the anthroposophical movement as such. But today I was presented with the original, the original letter to the editorial offices, and this original letter to the editorial offices for these acts, which are already hostile to anthroposophy, comes from the current management of “Futurum”.

This is what has been sent to all Swiss editorial offices by the current management of “Futurum”, that is, by the side that has actually always conducted this so-called offensive in an outrageous manner. If they were to write in a reasonable way, they would actually have to admit to themselves that they have spoiled things in the most stupid way possible by proceeding in this way and constantly throwing the most stupid things at people's heads in public lectures.

This, my dear friends, is what is happening today. And actually, no worse insult has been made to the anthroposophical movement than here by the present management of “Futurum”. As I said, I only received it today that this has been issued by the current management of “Futurum”.

I must emphasize here, and this cannot be emphasized enough, that I consider it a dishonest, lying attack when it is said that one has to turn against the offensive that has been driven against today's economic system in order to get by. It is a falsehood that, if it were not done out of stupidity but out of intention, could have no other purpose than to finally culminate in the entire anthroposophical movement being shaped in such a way that I am thrown out of it in order to have it for oneself. I am not saying that this must be the intention, but if one wanted to achieve this intention, one could not do it more subtly than through such writings.

This, my dear friends, is necessary to say, after it became clear to me today that this writing originated from the current management of “Futurum”. Of course, I do not mean what I have discussed in relation to the current composition of the board of directors of “Futurum” and so on, which was somehow said in a still benevolent way. But the present management of Futurum has begun its activities by taking the most urgent steps to undermine the anthroposophical movement in Switzerland. You can imagine what consequences such a thing must have in the near future.

There we have it: this anthroposophical movement is a dangerous movement, it undermines today's economic system; one's own “Futurum” must break away so as not to be in these dangerous waters!

I don't know if it has been read in the right way. It must have been read, even by anthroposophists. But if it is read and felt in the right way, then it must also be felt as I have just expressed it. But then it cannot be allowed to go without informing the public that this is a thoroughly untruthful, objectively untruthful, unworthy attack against the Anthroposophical Society by the present management of “Futurum”. I cannot characterize the matter otherwise.

I now ask you to really consider the matter, because the situation is such that it is no longer possible to put up with everything that is being said and done to us from all sides. It is no longer possible. I am only giving this to you all for consideration for now, but for careful consideration.

Tomorrow at 5 p.m. there will be a eurythmy performance and at 8 a.m. we will continue today's reflection here.

It is necessary to explicitly point out that it was not the anthroposophical movement that trumpeted these crazy things out into the world, but the same side that is now blaming it on the anthroposophical movement.

To the members of the Anthroposophical and the Free Anthroposophical Society in Germany:

May 1923

My dear friends! The development and reception of anthroposophical endeavors in the present makes it necessary for me to change the way I work. Anthroposophy has revealed itself as a soul need for an ever-increasing number of people; on the other hand, it is increasingly confronted with misunderstandings and misjudgments by many.

This requires that I meet the increased demands for the cultivation of the anthroposophical need more than has been the case since the time when practical institutions of various kinds were formed by the objectives of the friends of our cause. These institutions have arisen in a thoroughly justified way from the intentions of these friends on the basis of the anthroposophical movement. And it was also understandable that when these friends strove for the realization of such practical ideas, the wish arose for me to be involved in the administration of the corresponding institutions. I accommodated this wish, although I was aware that this accommodation, which was a natural obligation, would draw me away from my actual task of caring for the center of anthroposophical work for some time.

For a relatively short period of time, I had to comply with the wishes of my friends. But now I must also take the position that I may continue to work only within this center of anthroposophical life with its artistic and educational implications. I must belong entirely to anthroposophy as such, as well as to its artistic and educational endeavors and the like, and to institutions such as “Kommender Tag” etc. only to the extent that the spiritual impulses of anthroposophy flow into them. In the interest of the anthroposophical cause, I must withdraw from all administrative matters of these institutions. Only in this way will it be possible for me to work as intensively as is necessary in view of their own demands and the rapidly growing opposition.

These are the reasons that move me to resign from the office of chairman of the supervisory board of “Kommenden Tages” now. I ask the friends of the anthroposophical cause not to take this as a sign that the intensive, appropriate and ideal work of “Kommenden Tages” will change. This work is in good hands; and I ask that no degree of trust be withdrawn from it in the future. I am convinced that everything will go better if I now formally place this work in the hands of those who will do it well, and devote myself to the cause to which I have been assigned by fate. Whatever intellectual stimulus I can give to the Clinical-Therapeutic Institute, the Coming-Day Publishing House, the research institutes, the journals, etc., will flow better to them if I am removed from the actual administration. Practically speaking, nothing essential will change within the same, since I have been obliged, even in recent times, to grow into the situation described as necessary for the future through the circumstances I have explained. So it is only the situation that has actually arisen that is being officially established.

I therefore hope that my resignation from the supervisory board of the “Day to Come” will be seen as an expression of my trust in its leadership and that it will become such among the members of the Anthroposophical Societies as well. It should strengthen that trust, not weaken it. If there were any reason to weaken it, I would have to stay. However, the situation is such that I am unnecessarily dependent on the knowledgeable and prudent leadership, and therefore obliged, to return to the anthroposophical cause in the narrower sense.

I ask you to take this as the reason for the step that is now necessary.

Rudolf Steiner

Address by Rudolf Steiner regarding point 4 of the agenda [Election of the Supervisory Board]:

I myself will have something to say regarding this point, ladies and gentlemen. It concerns the fact that the affairs of the Anthroposophical Movement have recently taken on such a form that In the future, it will be impossible for me to take on other activities of this kind, such as the position of chairman of the supervisory board of “Kommenden Tages”, in addition to my work for the Anthroposophical Movement in the narrower sense. The esteemed attendees – and they are, of course, the more numerous – who are members of the Anthroposophical Society, know that the circumstances of the Anthroposophical Movement have changed a great deal, especially in recent years. On the one hand, it is absolutely clear that a spiritual movement such as anthroposophy – and I do not want to say specifically anthroposophical, but a spiritual movement such as anthroposophy – lies at the lies at the very bottom of the innermost needs of an ever-greater number of people, and that therefore the Anthroposophical Movement, which has existed for more than 20 years now as a partial movement, so to speak, in this great stream, that the Anthroposophical Movement makes, one might say, more demands on those who have already been destined by fate to care for it and it has been clear for some time that, in addition to everything that is incumbent upon me for the anthroposophical movement, it is no longer possible to engage fruitfully in other activities without the tasks that I already have for the anthroposophical movement being disturbed or compromised. The latter must not happen under any circumstances, on the one hand because of the increasing demands on the Anthroposophical Movement and because of the ever-widening interest, which demands an expansion of my work precisely in this regard, in this direction. On the other hand, this Anthroposophical Movement, through countless things that can only be described as misleading, has to reckon with an opposition today that, well, I would say, if it is to be countered in the right way, will cause work and, above all, worry and the like.

So, taking all these things into account, I had no choice, esteemed attendees, but to recently decide to resign from my position as chairman of the supervisory board of “The Coming Day” and from the supervisory board in general, which I hereby do in a very official manner. The situation is such that, in practical terms, I have recently had to limit my work for the “Coming Day” to that which - precisely because of the other demands - will have to remain so in the coming period. If I am to do the work for the “Day to Come” that is to flow into its various institutions, and if I am to do the work for the Waldorf School, in which the “Day to Come” is also extremely interested in a certain respect, if I am to do this work , which will have to be provided in a positive and substantial way in the form of my advice to 'Der Kommende Tag', then I will have to admit to myself that I will withdraw all the more from the activity, which will be able to take place in the future without me and perhaps better without me than with me.

The supervisory board and the board of directors of “Tomorrow” are, after all, an absolutely sure guarantee for all those who, as shareholders and otherwise, have an interest in “Tomorrow” , that this Coming Day will continue to work in this direction even after my resignation, in the fruitful way it has set itself, and in the way it is in the interest of the shareholders and the world in general. I must say that the situation of the “Kommende Tag” is such that today I can only ask those shareholders whose trust in the “Kommende Tag” is perhaps somewhat connected with the fact that I took over the position of chairman of the supervisory board years ago, I can only urgently ask those whose trust is connected with this fact not to lose an ounce of that trust, but on the contrary to continue to place it in a greatly increased measure in the excellent management of “The Coming Day”. I would like to say that it was clear to me from the very beginning, when I took over the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board three years ago, that this could only be for a relatively short time.

For the situation that now exists was entirely foreseeable, and although it was of course clear to me at the time that a large part of my work for the Anthroposophical Movement would be affected, ... I did it anyway.

Isn't it true that “Der Kommende Tag” came about because a number of personalities who had emerged from the Anthroposophical Movement wanted to support an undertaking that was designed to be socially sustainable in the future. The “Kommende Tag” was to be founded as a kind of model example of what should be done by combining enterprises, in particular combining personalities who are interested in social issues in economic life. Through this union, the “Kommende Tag” was to be established as a kind of model example. The personalities who founded it turned to me for advice at the time. We hammered out the preliminary details, the intentions and the principles together, and in the early days we tried to steer the “Coming Day” in the direction in which it should be steered.

The actual initiative did not come from me. From the very beginning, I was, so to speak, in the role of an advisor. At the time, I found it quite natural that friends approached me and wanted me to take over the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and for me to be on the Supervisory Board at all. But what made it desirable for the first period of time, even if it was entirely decisive for the decisions at the time, cannot be decisive for continued membership of the Supervisory Board. And all this together with the fact that I am quite certain of the excellent management - I can tell you that I would not resign if “Der Kommende Tag” did not stand on absolutely secure feet and was in a future-proof situation - since that is the case is the case, because you can have full confidence in the “Day to Come”, even if I withdraw, perhaps even more so, as I have already mentioned, then, my dear attendees, you will not withdraw your confidence in the “Day to Come”. So you will understand that the reasons for my resignation are decisive, and I ask you to accept this resignation in the sense in which it has just been characterized.

Above all, it is my duty at this moment to express my heartfelt thanks to the other members of the supervisory board for their dedicated work, for the extraordinarily difficult work that had to be done in the early years, for the work that, I would say, suffered from ever-increasing opposition and caused serious concern.

I would also like to thank these members of the supervisory board in a special way for the warm way in which this collaboration has taken place; both those members of the supervisory board who are the originators of the original ideas of “The Day to Come” and those who, as members of the works council, have joined the supervisory board in accordance with the law. Those who have worked on the organization and further implementation of the ideas and affairs of “The Day to Come” over the last three years know just how much dedicated work is needed to accomplish things in an appropriate and proper manner. But I believe that more and more people will feel how grateful we are to the members of the supervisory board for their dedication, and it will therefore be understandable that I express my heartfelt thanks to the supervisory board and wish that its work in the near and distant future will be rewarded with the most beautiful fruits.

Secondly, I would like to express my warmest thanks to the board of directors, above all to the prudent, dedicated and extremely objective director of the board, Mr. Emil Leinhas, and to the other members of the board as a whole for their dedicated work. It has not exactly become easier for social and economic enterprises to carry out their management activities in recent times. It requires not only an extremely exhausting amount of work, but above all, constant thoughtfulness and constant prudence, which it is neither necessary nor even possible to describe in detail here. But if you have seen all this, if you have had to go through all this, so to speak, if you have had to see from day to day how things have actually been worked on, especially by the management of our board in recent times and since the beginning, it will also be understood that, out of a very special inner satisfaction and heartfelt feeling, I would also like to express my warmest thanks to the members of the board, above all to the director, Mr. Emil Leinhas, when I leave. In doing so, I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who, from the inner circle of the Anthroposophical Movement and from further afield, have turned their interest and attention to the endeavors of “Der Kommende Tag” and have simply given “Der Kommende Tag” the opportunity to survive through their sympathy and participation within the circle of shareholders. I would like to express my most sincere thanks to all of you on my resignation! I now ask you to take note of my resignation from the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board and from the Supervisory Board in general. This brings us to the fourth item on the agenda. Since I have now resigned and no longer bear responsibility, I ask the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Unger, to take over the chairmanship of this Annual General Meeting.

From the minutes of the extraordinary general meeting of the International Laboratories and Clinical-Therapeutic Institute Arlesheim AG.

The meeting is opened by Dr. Ita Wegman. She proposes that Dr. Steiner be elected as president for the day. He provides information about the reasons for the new write-off of the “Futurum” assets in accordance with the meeting of March 24, 1924 [see page 425] and proposes:

1. To approve a contract between the Internationale Laboratorien und Klinisch-Therapeutisches Institut Arlesheim A.G. and 'Futurum A.G. in Lig.', by which the takeover of 'Futurum' can be undertaken for 450,000 francs.

2. To this end, the share capital of the International Laboratories and Clinical-Therapeutic Institute Arlesheim A.G. is to be increased from 500,000 francs to 950,000 francs. Both proposals are unanimously adopted.

Rudolf Steiner: As you know, we are striving to make a clear distinction between the spiritual and commercial interests of our members. This is particularly necessary for the Clinical Therapeutic Institute, which is to be separated from the International Laboratories by uniting with the Goetheanum Association. Furthermore, an experimental laboratory is to be affiliated to it, while the actual laboratories are to continue to be operated as a commercial enterprise under the title “Internationale Laboratorien Arlesheim A. G. Arlesheim” with a share capital of 950,000 francs. This independence will make it possible to put the business on a healthy and profitable footing.

Dr. Wegman and Dr. Steiner will remain closely connected with the clinic, which is now to become an integral part of the Goetheanum, especially with regard to the production of the remedies. In a meeting preceding today's general assembly, the board of directors decided to submit the following proposal for approval:

The International Laboratories and the Clinical-Therapeutic Institute Arlesheim A.G. in Arlesheim sell the Clinical-Therapeutic Institute to the Verein des Goetheanum. The exact purchase price will be determined by the Board of Directors after the annual balance sheet as of December 31, 1923, has been prepared. The company name is changed to “Internationale Laboratorien Arlesheim A.G. in Arlesheim”.

This proposal is unanimously approved. Since these resolutions also require a reorganization of the Board of Directors, Mrs. G. Ricardo, who is staying in America for an extended period, is recalled as a member of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Ita Wegman resigns. Mr. Emanuel Joseph van Leer and Mr. Edgar Dürler are newly elected to the remaining member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Geering-Christ.

The auditors must be replaced due to the resignation of the previous members, Ms. M. Viehoff and Mr. Karl Day. The following are proposed as replacements: Dr. Rudolf Steiner in Dornach, Dr. Ita Wegman in Arlesheim.

The chairman of the meeting (Dr. Steiner) emphasized that this would establish the necessary contact between the Goetheanum Association, which is purely spiritual, and the international laboratories, which are commercial. This solution guarantees the necessary cooperation.

The vote is unanimous in favor of the proposed candidates.

At the end of the meeting, the chairman notes that the resolutions passed today annul those of the Annual General Meeting of April 5, 1923.

Speeches by Rudolf Steiner at the preliminary meeting of the fourth ordinary general assembly of “Futurum A.G.”

Emil Leinhas greets the members of the Anthroposophical Society who are present and who represent about 80% of the share capital of “The Coming Day”, and asks Dr. Steiner to take the chair.

Rudolf Steiner: My dear friends! Today we will probably have to hold the most sober and uninspiring meeting possible within the Anthroposophical Society, and therefore we may well ask that pure reason alone prevail in today's meeting, otherwise we will hardly be able to cope.

The point is that today we have to talk to each other in a certain way about the fate of the “Coming Day”, which is connected with many ideals that members of the Anthroposophical Society have embraced in recent years. We have in the “Coming Day” an institution that emerged, so to speak, as the last major institution from the once emerging threefold social order movement, and it is only with a certain pain that we can turn our attention to the fact that this “Coming Day” is now in a truly serious crisis that absolutely must be resolved. Above all, it is important to see things as soberly as possible.

The hopes have not been fulfilled that the things connected with the “Coming Day” could proceed as one had wanted, that the Central European economic crisis, so to speak, would pass by the “Coming Day”, but the “Coming Day” is now just as any other business, fully participating in what the declining economic life offers. The “Coming Day” is not doing better today, but also not worse than any other Central European business.

The crisis has come about in the following way: if, [after the currency was converted to gold marks], the “Coming Day” had cash today, the possibility of continuing its economic and intellectual operations with cash, if it could count on being able to take out loans, then it would be able to continue working, just as other businesses are truly not working under better conditions today. However, the “Coming Day” does not have any cash, and so it cannot continue its economic and spiritual activities as they have existed up to now. The material value of the “Coming Day” is - and this must be emphasized again and again - such that if cash were available or could be raised, there would be no objection to simply letting the leadership go. Of course, there may be other reasons why “The Coming Day” is unable to find cash at the moment, but the main reason is that German economic life has taken on forms that make it impossible for the “Coming Day” to continue as other commercial enterprises do, because to do so it would have been necessary for the “Coming Day” to be treated with the same goodwill from outside as other commercial enterprises have been. That did not happen. A large part of the reasons why the “Coming Day” is in this crisis due to the lack of any cash funds - soberly this cannot be put differently than this: a large part of the blame lies in the way the “Coming Day” was vilified in the world. A project that is presented to the world in this way could only continue to function if it had a core of people who would take financial responsibility for it. But if only what has happened so far within the Anthroposophical Society is continued, the only thing that can be counted on, this is not the case either, and so today we can do no other than objectively present the situation of the “Coming Day” as it is. Therefore, I will take the liberty of organizing today's agenda in such a way that I will first ask Mr. Leinhas to present the situation of the “Coming Day” objectively to you, and as the second point on the agenda, I will make the proposals that need to be made in view of the serious situation. So I ask Mr. Leinhas to give an objective presentation of the situation of the “Coming Day” as a prerequisite for our further negotiations.

[Emil Leinhas describes the situation on the basis of the balance sheet. The situation is such that the economic enterprises can no longer support the spiritual ones.

Rudolf Steiner: My dear friends! You have listened to the description of the situation of the “Coming Day”, and I will now take the liberty, with a heavy heart but purely rationally, as I ask you to take it, of discussing the only way we can get over this crisis of the “Coming Day” in my opinion.

The essential thing here is that, in view of the description of the situation that has just been given to us, we now have to divide the “Coming Day” into two parts: one comprising purely economic enterprises and the other comprising spiritual enterprises. If we draw the conclusion from what has just been said, it is actually the case that we, who, as anthroposophists, have to reflect on the situation, have to say that The “Coming Day” is no longer able to provide any cash for the spiritual activities, which essentially include the Waldorf School, the Clinical Therapeutic Institute, the Research Institute and the publishing house. Therefore, the question is – since the prerequisite that I believed I had to make, that the purely economic operations had to be organized first, has failed due to the impossibility of somehow managing today with the sale of these operations or the like – how we manage to separate the spiritual operations of “Coming Day” in a certain way. But this can only be done through extremely difficult measures that require heavy sacrifices on the part of our anthroposophical friends. It is not possible in any other way. You must bear in mind that these spiritual enterprises are now in a situation in which they have no possibility of being continued in any way out of the situation of the “Coming Day”. They have, so to speak, been abandoned, not by any decision, but by the facts.

The question arises: how do we get out of this situation? We have to consider the following: the “Coming Day” has issued 109,000 shares. Let us do the math based on the number of shares. If we make an estimate, but probably a fairly accurate one, of the share capital underlying these 109,000 shares, and divide it between the purely economic and the spiritual enterprises, then 74,000 shares are accounted for by the economic and agricultural enterprises and 35,000 by the spiritual enterprises. So, we have possessions for the spiritual enterprises, which correspond to 35,000 shares of “Tomorrow”.

Now, my dear friends, how can these enterprises, these spiritual enterprises, be continued? That is the fundamental question. And however you may look at it, these spiritual enterprises cannot remain as they are in the face of the situation of the “Coming Day”. For what would then have to happen? Then the “Coming Day” would have to proceed in the same way as other enterprises have to proceed today. The holdings would have to be consolidated, and the total mass of shareholders of the “Coming Day” would be faced with exactly the same situation, only with a significantly reduced number of shares. Perhaps this would somewhat increase their creditworthiness, but it is something that cannot be done, given all the prospects that have to be considered.

But if this cannot be done, what can be done? There is nothing else to be done – and I am now saying what I have to say with the greatest reluctance, but it must be said because of the situation, and if I were to present the matter to you in a long-winded way, it would not be any better: the only thing that can be done is to get rid of the 35,000 shares that correspond to the ownership of the spiritual enterprises. But this is only possible if enough people of influence can be found within the Anthroposophical Society who are willing to simply renounce their shareholdings in favor of the most important spiritual enterprises, so that the spiritual enterprises receive the 35,000 shares as a gift. It is just as if spiritual enterprises were to be founded and if a number of self-sacrificing personalities could be found who would contribute the sum corresponding to these 35,000 shares.

So, my dear friends, is it possible that the owners of 35,000 “Kommenden-Tag” shares renounce ownership of their shares? Then the 35,000 shares of Coming Day stock that are being given away could be left to the German Goetheanum fund, which would then have to be at my free disposal. This would give me free rein to run the spiritual enterprises. I see no other possibility for any other solution to the problem we are facing now than for this measure to be taken. You will understand that it is extremely difficult for me, one year after I myself resigned from the supervisory board of “Kommender Tag”, to have to make this enormous demand on the shareholders of “Kommender Tag” today: Give me 35,000 shares so that the spiritual activities can be continued in the way I will explain in a moment.

So if today there are shareholders willing to make this donation, then the matter is such that the “Coming Day” as such will continue to exist as an association of purely economic enterprises. How this continuation is envisaged will be discussed later. This continuation would correspond to a shareholding of 74,000 shares. We can discuss the matter in this area later. At this moment, I consider it my task to explain what can happen to the spiritual enterprises if the 35,000 shares are donated to the German Goetheanum Fund. It would then be clear that this willingness to make a sacrifice would at least express an anthroposophical attitude. The donors would say to themselves: Of course we are making a sacrifice, but we are doing so out of the anthroposophical spirit. There are shareholders in the “Coming Day” who will be able to make such a donation. Since they can, of course, only be placed in a position to make such a gift voluntarily, one can only say: Those who will give will also be able to give. It will be a group of shareholders who can give. On the other hand, there are shareholders of the “Coming Day” who cannot renounce their shareholdings; they are referred to purely economic enterprises. They would be in no different a position than other shareholders. And in order to preserve the full ownership of the 74,000 shares, it would be necessary for the spiritual enterprises to have no influence whatsoever on the economic administration of the “Coming Day”. If this condition were to be fulfilled today, that 35,000 shares of stock be made available to the German Goetheanum fund, and the economic enterprises were to be thought of separately, then the following would emerge:

First of all, the Waldorf School has 300,000 German Marks booked in the “Coming Day”. What the Waldorf School needs cannot really be covered by any kind of equivalent value. As you all know, the Waldorf School is entirely dependent on school fees and voluntary donations for its cash resources. Therefore, if the situation is to be rectified, the Waldorf School cannot be provided with the equipment it needs unless it receives a gift of the full amount. What corresponds to the Waldorf School [in terms of land, buildings and facilities], which is therefore listed in the “Coming Day” with 300,000 marks, must be donated outright.

The following then remains: the Clinical Therapeutic Institute, which is currently linked to the sale of remedies, that is, to the pharmaceutical laboratory. I will discuss the Clinical-Therapeutic Institute later. Regarding the sale of remedies, the balance sheet shows that it can be said that there is every prospect of it no longer requiring any significant sacrifices from today onwards. It is self-financing. However, cash will still be needed in the near future. And because it is a solid economic asset, it will be taken into account as such, and it must also be possible to buy it. Now it occurs to me that the Internationale Laboratorien A.G. in Arlesheim also handles the sale of remedies for all those countries in the world that have not even been ceded to the Stuttgart laboratory in a treaty, that this Internationale Laboratorien A.G. Arlesheim handles the sale of these remedies for the world. It is a joint-stock company. And in view of the balance of the local sales of remedies and in view of the general circumstances relating to our sales of remedies, which are extremely favorable in ideal terms, the International Laboratories A.G. Arlesheim will be persuaded to take over the sale of remedies and carry out the purchase of the laboratory. But again, given the circumstances there in Arlesheim, I cannot imagine that the purchase price could exceed 50,000 francs. These 50,000 francs will of course have to be added to the Goetheanum fund, since if the spiritual enterprises are now independent, if they are given as a gift, but the donation does not receive any cash, so that there could actually be no question of this purchase having the consequence that compensation - which would in any case be quite minimal - could be paid to the donating shareholders.

Regarding the publishing house, I would like to say the following: I can only feel an obligation to the publishing house to save from it the anthroposophical books that I have written myself, the books that are the result of the extraordinary and meritorious research of Dr. and Mrs. Kolisko, the two brochures and another book by Dr. Wachsmuth, a member of the Executive Council at the Goetheanum, which is currently being published. That would make a total of books that could be worth between 25,000 and 30,000 francs. This is something that should be acquired and the income from it should go to the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Press. The other mass of books is such that, speaking purely financially and from the point of view of the Coming Day, I not only cannot feel any obligation towards it, but must not feel any obligation towards it. In the case of this mass of books in particular, it occurs to me that despite all the objections I raised at the time when this book publishing house was founded, this publishing house has only behaved over time in such a way that it has essentially counted on the consumers of the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House within the Anthroposophical Society; that basically those who at the time created a competing company for the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag with the “Coming Day” publishing house with an alleged enthusiasm that was actually foolishness, could easily be taken to task for this. Therefore, I do not feel morally obliged in any way to take care of the remaining book stock of the “Coming Day” publishing house.

This remaining book stock brings me to another thought. In the future, I will have to work hard to ensure that no anthroposophical funds flow into economic enterprises that have nothing to do with the Anthroposophical Society as such. In this regard, there was a time when we gave in, but today it is imperative that no economic enterprises be fed anthroposophical funds in the future. Therefore, it was also necessary for me to ensure that in the future, the entire sale of remedies worldwide would not be based on capital that comes from anthroposophical pockets, but on capital from people who want to manage their own assets with these things, in other words, only by people who do not give the money for anthroposophical reasons, but only out of consideration for those who consider the sale of remedies profitable, without taking into account that this has anything to do with anthroposophy. In the future, these matters can only be dealt with from this point of view. The sale of remedies can be organized in such a way that, if it is also managed commercially in the future, it can become a profitable business in a purely commercial sense, given the great recognition that even those remedies find in the world that I myself have only, I would say, half-hoped for. But it can only be managed with funds that are given for the risk involved in selling the remedies. So I can also recommend to the Internationale Laboratorien A.G. Arlesheim, which will be based on the above principles in the future, the purchase of the sale of remedies here.

That leaves the Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Stuttgart, my dear friends. Although its finances are quite healthy at present, it cannot be thought of as needing any other kind of leadership than that provided by cash. In accordance with the intentions that emerged from the Christmas Conference in Dornach, the Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Arlesheim can no longer be a member of the International Laboratories A.G. in Arlesheim, but only the local laboratory and the sale of remedies. In the future, a spiritual institute cannot be associated with purely economic enterprises. For this reason, the Clinical-Therapeutic Institute in Arlesheim has also been separated from the International Laboratories A.G. in Arlesheim and has become an integral part of the Goetheanum. The same cannot be said for the ClinicalTherapeutic Institute in Stuttgart, because the Goetheanum could not guarantee or take on the risk of a penny subsidy. So the situation of the Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Stuttgart is such that it cannot be connected to the International Laboratories A.G. in Arlesheim, nor can it be connected to the Goetheanum for the simple reason that the Goetheanum cannot take on any risk. The only way to set up the Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Stuttgart is to make it a financially independent enterprise that can be taken over by a doctor or non-doctor who, if subsidies are needed, will take them on at their own risk. On the other hand, if subsidies are not needed, anyone with a little business sense can take them on at their own risk. But if subsidies are necessary, then the Goetheanum certainly cannot take them on. So there is no other option for the clinic than to make it an independent enterprise. As for Gmünd, I do not count it among the enterprises for which I am responsible; the “Coming Day” will have to continue to take care of it and find a way to make it profitable.

What remains, my dear friends, is the scientific research institute, which is almost heartbreaking when you have to talk about it in this situation. But as things stand, the fact is, on the one hand, that the “Coming Day” has no cash for this institute, that the Goetheanum in Dornach is in no position to take on any obligation for this scientific research institute, not even a single penny , so that there is no other possibility — not out of any wish or anything like that, but purely out of the economic situation — than, if no enthusiast can be found to take over and finance the scientific research institute, to dissolve it, to dissolve it completely. We may be burying the idea that we had in mind as one of the most sacred, I would say, to establish economic enterprises to serve the spiritual life. But the possibility of continuing this does not exist.

So the following situation would arise for the spiritual enterprises: the Waldorf School will be supported by donations. The Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Stuttgart will become independent and will be made into a separate enterprise; Gmünd will remain in the care of the “Coming Day”. The scientific research institute will have to be dissolved if no individual or consortium can be found to maintain it. My books and the others mentioned will be removed from the publishing house and it will be ensured that these books fall to the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House for further distribution. The rest of the book inventory must be sold on the open market to outside publishers. I would consider it inadmissible if any steps were taken within the Anthroposophical Society itself to sell the rest of this book stock and to found anything further on what lies within the Anthroposophical Society, because that would create competition for the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag, and no one can demand that what the Philosophisch-Anthroposophischer Verlag is doing should also be undermined by further competition.

That, my dear friends, is the stark and sober truth, which is the only thing that is necessary in the current situation. If we succeed in appealing to the willingness to make sacrifices of so many shareholders in the “Coming Day” today, so that 35,000 shares of stock for the spiritual enterprises are freely available and allocated to the Goetheanum fund, then we can undertake the reorganization of these spiritual enterprises in the way I have described. I would advocate for the order itself and then the remaining 74,000 shares would have to be dealt with for the further operation of the purely economic enterprises that are part of the “coming day”.

Do you believe, my dear friends, that what I have just presented to you briefly, soberly and dryly has really caused me the most serious concerns for weeks, has led to the most difficult struggles. But when Mr. Leinhas came to me at the Goetheanum in Dornach a few weeks ago and told me that the last of the economic enterprises with which the “Coming Day” still had to reckon, which, in a spirit of complete sacrifice, had actually raised the lion's share of the subsidies up to that point, it was clear that this enterprise would no longer be able to raise these subsidies either. Then it was clear: this would mean the end of the possibility of continuing the “Coming Day” in its old form. Then, despite its material assets, the “Coming Day” would be without the possibility of creating cash; then a reorganization would have to take place at all costs. Since that time, the whole matter has been a great concern to me. As long as there was hope that the economic enterprises could be sold first, and the spiritual enterprises would remain as a kind of rump of the “Coming Day”, one could think that what remains could be organized in some way. But now that things have progressed so far that we are standing before the General Assembly and have asked you to come together beforehand in confidence, it is not possible for me to put anything other than what I have just said before you as a proposal.

That is the point at which I would like to open the discussion. I therefore ask friends who want to participate to speak up. We can then, after the things that have been presented have been discussed, move on to discussing what possibilities can be considered for the continuation of the purely economic enterprises. I should also mention that one shareholder, who owns the corresponding number of shares, has made available to me the amount that the Waldorf School in “Kommender Tag” is currently worth. It can also be assumed that a number of others will definitely give it. So it will be possible for the shareholders who are willing to transfer their shares in the way described to add their number of shares to a list that is being passed around.

During the discussion, Emil Kühn asks whether it would not be possible for the shareholders who are donating today to participate in some way in the real values of the spiritual institutions.

Rudolf Steiner: As far as the economic enterprises are concerned, I myself would certainly be open to discussing the question that Dr. Kühn has just touched on. But as far as the spiritual enterprises are concerned, I would like to say the following: If the experiences that have been made in the economic management within the Anthroposophical Society in recent years are taken as a basis, then I can only say that I myself would not participate in the reorganization of the spiritual enterprises differently than if, in every respect, such conditions were created that would only make possible an administration in the spiritual sense for these enterprises.

As far as the Waldorf School is concerned, I would not be able to participate in a reorganization if, in any way, an economic administration were to be associated with this reorganization; and that would be the case if, in some way, the current shareholders of the Waldorf School were to participate. The Waldorf School can only obtain its operating funds from school fees and voluntary contributions, as I said before. And even if the property were there to begin with, it would always have to mean something quite imaginary for those who participate in it. The only healthy relationship is when the Waldorf School itself has this property, when it is given to it. On this condition alone, the spiritual enterprises of “Coming Day” can be detached from my proposal. I can say that I would only participate if a sufficient number of people were to give up their shares as a free gift - and this can only be done of their own free will - in order to find a solution. I myself would not participate in this solution if it were tied to the condition that gifts be made on condition that there should still be a participation. For that, financial administration would be necessary again, and I do not want to be associated with that. So I ask only those friends to sign up who are able to make their donations unconditionally, who want to place these spiritual enterprises on purely spiritual ground.

As you have seen, I have only made the proposals with a heavy heart. The proposal that has now been made is the most obvious one and has also been well considered. Otherwise it would be a matter of issuing bonds that would only represent an imaginary ownership. I want to keep away from anything imaginary. If the Waldorf School is not detached from an economic connection with the “Coming Day”, then I also don't know how the question can be solved, that I could remain the spiritual director of the Waldorf School. So I can't say what influence it would have on my own decisions if such a reorganization, as it has been suggested, were to take place. I have not appealed to a decision by you, but to the willingness of individual anthroposophical friends to make sacrifices. We do not have to bring about a decision if 35,000 shares are donated to the German Goetheanum fund as a gift – if Gmünd is dropped, it is only 29,000 shares – if 29,000 shares are donated to the German Goetheanum fund as a gift. I am not appealing to a decision, but only to the willingness to sacrifice in order to finance the spiritual enterprises in a certain way à fond perdu.

[Further discussion of the donation of shares to save the spiritual enterprises, which would also relieve the economic enterprises. These should become independent and, if possible, be taken over again by their former owners.

Rudolf Steiner: My dear friends! The words contained in my proposal have, I am deeply moved to say, fallen on extraordinarily fertile ground. I do not wish to miss this opportunity to emphasize what seems to me to be important and significant, namely that despite the unfortunate circumstances that have arisen within the Anthroposophical Society as a result of various foundations - I have often spoken about this over the past few years - it has become apparent that the trust in the general anthroposophical movement is so great that we can only look on with the deepest satisfaction that this trust is so great that it has hardly been weakened at all in recent years, despite all the unfortunate measures that have been taken and that were intended to accommodate those who had the faith that such measures could do anything for the anthroposophical cause. I have already emphasized in various places how the reliance on purely anthroposophical ground since the Christmas Conference has been shown everywhere in the most energetic way, that trust in the actual anthroposophical cause has not diminished in recent months, but has become much greater. So that within Anthroposophy we can look with the deepest satisfaction at what is alive among us in this direction.

I must say that today, with an extraordinarily sad and worried heart, I set about making the proposal that I once had to make to you, my dear friends, after becoming aware of the situation of “Kommendes Tag”. And I could have well understood if this proposal had been rejected in the broadest sense. I must say that it is deeply touching and heart-warming that this did not happen, but that we can see that right from the outset, in the first hour, friends have agreed to donate 20,700 shares to the Goetheanum Fund. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this very beautiful result, that we can look at this result, that the indicated number of 20,700 shares has been made available, so that in the very near future we will be able to achieve full financial recovery of the spiritual enterprises in this direction, as far as possible, and thus also be able to contribute indirectly to the recovery of the “Coming Day”.

This is an extraordinarily distressing result, and we can only look back on the proceedings of this meeting with the deepest emotion. I thank all those who were able to donate and did so, truly from the bottom of my heart for what you have done, which means an extraordinarily significant deed not only for the “Coming Day”, but especially for our anthroposophical movement. For if this willingness to make sacrifices is now being shown in spite of the failures of recent years within anthroposophical circles in such a way, we will nevertheless be able to achieve what needs to be achieved on our main path in the near future. And what needs to be achieved is what can be done through anthroposophy in spiritual terms for humanity and for modern civilization. Even if our material undertakings have not had the desired success, even if everything that has emerged from the threefold social order movement has basically fallen through today, we still have the opportunity – and this is solely due to the unlimited trust that our anthroposophists have in anthroposophy – to make further progress in the spiritual realm.

This, however, also imposes an obligation on me to continue in the way I have tried to make the Christmas Conference fruitful so far, by making the Anthroposophical Society ever more esoteric and esoteric, in an active way. It is precisely from what our friends have done today that I feel how strong the obligation is to continue in this direction in the most energetic way. If we stick together in this way, each doing what he can do, we will make progress on the appropriate path.

You see, my dear friends, there is still work to be done: the threefolding movement was founded here years ago. Individual enterprises have emerged from it. The part of the threefolding movement that should have been carried out in a purely practical way, for which practical collaboration would have been necessary, did not initially prove itself. On the other hand, far beyond the borders of Europe, especially in America, there is a great deal of interest in these impulses. Let me use this word, which has been so much maligned: These are realities of the threefold social order. It is becoming apparent that these impulses are nevertheless being taken up with a certain understanding more and more. And perhaps it will be good for these impulses in particular if we do not try to translate them into unsuitable practice in a hasty manner, but instead follow what I have often said at the beginning of our explanations of our magazine Anthroposophie: Threefolding can only take effect when it has entered as many minds as possible. We have seen the failure of applying threefolding to the outer practice of people's lives, but it will make its way into the world as something that is, after all, on anthroposophical ground. All indications show that our strength must be applied in the anthroposophical-spiritual field. And in this sense, I would like to tell you that I feel it is my duty and my gratitude to do everything in my power to further and advance the esoteric-spiritual character of our anthroposophical movement. If we succeed, and we must succeed, because the spiritual does not encounter obstacles in the same way as external material things, then the friends who have shown this willingness to make sacrifices will feel even more closely connected to our life in the Anthroposophical Movement in a renewed way.

Since it is already late, we may perhaps close today's meeting with this.

Excerpt from the memoirs of Emil Leinhas

The works council movement showed a tendency towards a certain one-sided, purely economically oriented radicalism. This danger became all the more apparent the more the employers retreated to their earlier entrepreneurial position with the strengthening of political reaction.

In this situation, we turned to a few professors at the University of Tübingen through the mediation of Professor von Blume. One Sunday we met with these gentlemen at the home of Professor Robert Wilbrandt in Tübingen. Rudolf Steiner described the development of the movement to form works councils and pointed out that such a one-sidedly economically oriented social movement could pose a great danger for spiritual and cultural life, precisely because it seemed to lead to a certain success among the working class. In contrast to this, he considered it necessary to also bring intellectual life to greater effectiveness through free corporations in all areas of cultural life. He therefore proposed the formation of a cultural council consisting of personalities from intellectual and cultural life, which would have the task of preparing the self-administration of the entire intellectual and cultural life, but above all of the education system and universities. Rudolf Steiner explained how he would envision the self-administration of a university, for example, without the involvement of a ministry of education, but rather through the teachers working at the university itself; a state of affairs that, incidentally, did not exist that long ago.

You can't exactly say that the professors didn't show any understanding for this; but their answers did paint the distressing picture that these gentlemen were truly worried about the difficulties that would arise from such self-government of the university within their own ranks. In view of the envy and jealousy that would show among colleagues, they believed that they still had to give preference to administration by a higher-level ministry of education. It was clear that a college of academics of this nature would be completely unsuitable for self-administration of its affairs.

As on previous occasions, for example on the occasion of a highly significant lecture that Rudolf Steiner had given in Tübingen to an audience consisting mainly of students, one had to make the sad experience again that of all sections of the population, the academic world was least able to muster understanding for new social ideas, regardless of age or rank. On the drive back from Tübingen, we decided to appeal to the general public of intellectual and cultural life as soon as possible, calling on them to establish a cultural council. At two meetings convened for this purpose at Landhausstraße 70 over the Pentecost weekend, various drafts of such an appeal were discussed in detail. On Sunday evening, a proposal I had put forward was accepted in its main features. During the night, this draft was reworked by Dr. Unger and several other friends, taking into account the suggestions that had arisen from the meeting, and submitted to a second meeting, which took place on Whit Monday, for a decision.

It is necessary to found a bank-like institution that serves economic and spiritual enterprises in its financial activities, which are oriented towards the anthroposophically oriented world view, both in terms of their goals and their attitude. It should be distinguished from ordinary banking enterprises in that it not only serves the financial aspects, but also the real operations that are supported by the financial side. It will therefore be particularly important that loans, etc. are not granted in the way they are in ordinary banking, but rather from the factual point of view of the operation to be undertaken. The banker should therefore be less of a lender and more of a merchant who is familiar with the subject, who can realistically assess the scope of a transaction to be financed and make practical arrangements for its execution.

The main focus will be on financing such ventures that are likely to place economic life on a healthy associative footing and shape intellectual life in such a way that legitimate talents are placed in a position where they can express themselves in a socially fruitful way. What is particularly important is that, for example, enterprises are centered that currently yield well, in order to support other enterprises with their help, which can only bear economic fruit in the future and above all through the spiritual seed that is now poured into them, which can only come to fruition after some time. It is necessary for the bank's officers to have an insight into how the view of life that comes with anthroposophy can be translated into economically fruitful action. To do this, it is necessary to establish a strict associative relationship between the bank's administrators and those who, through their ideal work, can promote understanding for an enterprise to be brought into being.

For example: a person has an idea that promises economic fertility. The representatives of the ideational world view can create understanding for the social consequences. Their activities are financially supported by the amounts to be received, which are also intended to support the economic and technical realization of the idea.

The main focus must be on supporting the anthroposophically oriented spiritual movement itself. The building in Dornach, for example, cannot support anything at first; nevertheless, it will bring a mighty economic return in the future. It must be made clear that everyone can support it materially, while respecting their financial conscience, if they only count on its material fertility over a longer period of time.

The undertaking must be based on the realization that technical, financial, etc. activity can develop branches that may temporarily produce favorable results for the individual entrepreneur, but that have a destructive effect in the context of the social order. Many recent undertakings were oriented in this way. They were capitalized, and it was precisely through their capitalization that the social order was undermined. Such endeavors must be confronted by those that arise from healthy thinking and feeling. They can be integrated into the social order in a truly fruitful way. However, they can only be supported by a social mindset inspired by anthroposophically oriented spiritual science.

It is true that an undertaking such as the one characterized here can initially only overcome the social-technical and financial possibilities of crisis, and that it will face social difficulties as long as these, as the actual workers' question, still take the form that comes from the old mode of production, which is doomed to crisis. The workers involved in the new ventures will, for example, behave in the same way towards wage differences as they do towards old-style ventures. However, one must not underestimate how quickly a company of the kind characterized here can also have socially beneficial consequences if it is managed properly. This will be seen. And the example will be convincing. If a project of this kind comes to a halt, then the workers involved will have their convictions with them when they get back on track. Only by aligning the interests of manual workers with the spiritual leaders of enterprises, through a way of thinking that affects all classes of people, can the forces of social destruction be counteracted.

The basic condition is that spiritual endeavors are intimately connected with all material ones. We cannot achieve such an orientation with the forces currently available in the anthroposophical movement because we do not have a practical enterprise in its bosom that has grown out of its own forces, except for the Berlin anthroposophical publishing house. But this alone is not enough to serve as a model, because its economic orientation is only the external expression of the power of spiritual science as such. Only those undertakings can be truly exemplary that do not have spiritual science as such as their content, but that have a content that is based on the spiritual scientific way of thinking. A school as such can only be considered exemplary in this respect when it is financially supported by only those undertakings whose entire institution has emerged from spiritual scientific circles. And the Dornach building will only be able to prove its social significance when the personalities associated with it have brought into being such enterprises that are self-supporting, provide the people who support them with the appropriate maintenance and then still leave so much that the deficit always demanded by a spiritual enterprise can be covered. This deficit is not really one at all. For it is precisely the fact that it arises that brings about the fructification of material enterprises.

You just have to take things really practically. That is not what the one who asks does: How, then, should one do a financial or economic enterprise in the sense of anthroposophically oriented spiritual science? That is simply nonsense. Because you don't do anything practical with mere thoughts. It is essential that the powers organized in the anthroposophically oriented spiritual movement itself undertake the enterprises, that is, that bankers, factory owners, etc., join forces with this movement, that the Dornach building become the real center of a new entrepreneurial spirit. Therefore, no “social”, “technical” etc. “programs” are to be set up in Dornach either, but rather the building is to create the center of a way of working that is to become the way of working in the future.

Those who decide to give financial support to the Dornach enterprises must understand that we have now reached the point where supporting enterprises in the old sense means investing in the sterile, and that supporting one's money today means supporting future-oriented enterprises that alone are capable of withstanding the devastating forces. Short-sighted people who still believe that something like this has never borne financial fruit will certainly not join the Dornach endeavors. Those who do join must be far-sighted people who are truly capable of financial and economic judgment, who understand that wanting to continue muddling along in the old ways is digging a secure grave for themselves. These people alone will not follow the destructive course of the last four to five years. Working with companies in the same old style means nothing more than using up financial and economic reserves. Because even the reserves of raw material and agricultural production, which last the longest, are being used up. Their financial and economic fructification does not lie in the fact that they are there, but that the work is possible through which they are supplied to the social organism. But this work belongs entirely to the reserves. Everything for the future depends on a new spirit also being given the leading position in the individual enterprise.

Leaflet, second edition, June 1919