The Rudolf Steiner Archive

74

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Berlin, September 13, 1921

My dear Edith Maryon!

Having just arrived in Berlin, I send you my warmest greetings. Unfortunately I couldn't write sooner because the last few days in Stuttgart were very busy. It's easy to say you shouldn't do it, but it's just not possible because then you're neglecting your primary duty. Outwardly, I'm doing quite well; my hand and voice have healed. But inwardly, I have many worries. And these worries are growing ever greater. The congress was an extraordinary success. One could not expect such a good outcome. But now everything else comes on top of that. For that you needed capable people. People who are prudent and who really feel that general affairs are their own. But they do not exist at all in the business world. People are busy becoming divided among themselves. You can only get ahead with the very few. And these few are just not enough.

I am now being invited to give lectures from all sides; I have to decline everything here. First of all, I am leaving here on Sunday evening, first to Stuttgart. Then as quickly as possible from there to Dornach. I am very eager to work in the sculpture studio again. That is understandable. The theological course is supposed to begin on the 26th.

Until I arrive, I send warm greetings; I hope that everything goes well. Thanks for the letters.

Goodbye

currently Berlin W, Motzstraße 17
Rudolf Steiner

83

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum, Sunday afternoon
, Dornach, near Basel [presumably January 1922]

Dear and esteemed teacher,

Yesterday I took the two planned walks and it went well. Today I walked around the house five times and will probably do the same at 4:30 because there are too many Sunday walkers on the street.

This morning the cantonal fire brigade association (delegates from the entire canton) visited the construction site under the direction of Mr. Aisenpreis. They thanked us warmly afterwards and said that they were quite satisfied to be properly informed about the matter, and would only like many others to be able to know the same. That's what Miss Bauer told me. I don't know if it's literally true or not. These people are having a meeting this afternoon, so it was valuable that they came. The weather is still wonderful. I am thinking a lot about the events in Stuttgart, especially at the Siegle House, and I hope that people are taking care not to catch cold again.

I hope that the journey was a good one; the sunset was very beautiful.

Kindest regards

Edith Maryon

86

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Mannheim, 19 January 1922

My dear Edith Maryon!

Thank you for the letter I received in Stuttgart. So far, everything has gone quite well, both with the lectures and with my health. There is a branch lecture in Mannheim today, and the public lecture is tomorrow. I am going to Cologne on Sunday. Of course there was a lot to do in Stuttgart again. But that is a necessity under the current circumstances. There is so much to organize. The people have the best will not to hold many meetings; but what is not done is then still missing.

I have not yet heard from England either. I would like to give you the addresses of what at least seems certain. Cologne is Monopol Hotel; Hanover Hotel Bristol, Bremen Hotel Alberti, Hamburg Atlantic-Hotel, Dresden Hotel Bellevue.

Now I can only say that I think particularly a lot about our studio; please do not overwork yourself; I will be satisfied when I can work in the studio again.

For today, warmest greetings.

Rudolf Steiner

92

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Resden, 31 January 1922

My dear Edith Maryon!

I am writing to you from here instead of from Hamburg after all. But with all the traveling, it is not easy to find the time. So far, everything has gone well: the lectures and my health. All the auditoriums were very large. Now it is the morning after Dresden and tonight Breslau. I will now return via Stuttgart on 2 January [February]. Hopefully the railway strike won't cause any problems. I often find myself thinking about the studio and I am very eager to actually be there again. There will be many details to tell about this journey; the reception has been quite good from the audience so far. Of course, you can't do much through a lecture. You can only give a suggestion. You are actually always at the beginning of the work.

And now regarding the four questions: I have already answered the first one. It is quite possible to live outside the city if you have a car. Regarding the title of the lecture, I think the best seems to be: Spiritual Values in Education. But I am open to any other suggestion. Especially education as a world problem.

As for the translator, it should be the people there who decide. Hardly anyone can translate better than Kaufmann.

The place for the summer should be determined according to the needs there; I have no wishes about it.

It now seems that one also has to struggle with sectarian tendencies there. I find that very repulsive. Everything should be organized independently of the practices of the Theosophical Society.

I received the letter to Bremen. And thank you very much for that. The matter goes back to the fact that I did not want Flossy as a mediator for letters and once told her: one must write to me directly. Isn't that how it is to be understood; everything I say always refers to the one specific case. I want accuracy in matters, and the story with the article in the Hibbert Journal proves this. So I said this only for the case in question.

I also received the letter to Hannover, but now I can only add warmest regards, because my train is leaving soon. It is not possible from here to say exactly when I will arrive. I will come as soon as possible. As I said, hopefully a railroad strike will not throw a wrench into the works. Yesterday I was offered a car here just in case. Hopefully I won't need it, because something like that makes things difficult.

See you soon

Rudolf Steiner

99

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
May 12, 1922

Dear and honored teacher,

By the time you read this, you will probably have arrived in Berlin, where I hope everything goes well, especially today's lecture, and that it will be very well received.

Mrs. Mackenzie writes to me that Miss v. Heydebrand is invited to Oxford and, if they have enough money, a second teacher from the Waldorf School. I sent you a copy of the “Manchester Guardian” with an “interview” (to Munich) - it seems particularly good to me. Perhaps it could be reprinted in Stuttgart? I will send you a second copy.

Yesterday I was at the meeting with Miss Ruhlaß regarding the sewer system, etc. The situation is as follows for the time being: the municipality is drawing up a plan, and Mr. v. Mutach, for his part, is now working [on one] for us, on the basis that 15 members participate (including him, so that he has a personal interest in the matter), who join together to form a small company and lend the community a contribution with low interest, perhaps 4 percent for a number of years, perhaps 5, and that the community then takes over the sewerage itself. The nine people present have agreed, provided the contribution is not too high; we will have to wait until the municipality announces the cost estimate to see how much it will be. I have said that I believe you will also agree under the same conditions. Mr. v. Mutach will now ask the others if they will join in, and then approach the nine outsiders with the same question.

The municipality has already started work on the path along the railway line, and the question is whether to continue to the three houses. However, v. Mutach goes to Beatenberg until the 20th and can only start working on the plans after his return. Baronesse Rosenkrantz is enthusiastic about the idea of an illustrated double issue of the “Anthroposophy” journal for Oxford - and she is particularly pleased that you have written something special for the journal. Dr. Wegman has agreed to write an illustrated article about clinics and laboratories. May I have a picture taken of clay eurythmy for children in the greenhouse? I think it would be very useful to reproduce this in connection with the school. Please answer me this so that I can prepare everything. Your English essay in the “Goetheanum” will be translated for the next issue of “Anthroposophy” in preparation for Oxford. Hopefully the lectures went well on the 12th, 13th, 14th? And you will take great care in Munich – not just going out, etc. How are you in terms of health? I am very keen to know everything.

With very best wishes,

Edith Maryon

103

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum,
May 17, 1922

Dear and esteemed teacher!

I have just returned from Basel and heard about the uproar in Munich. It is just what I feared. I couldn't understand why it was so dark – and thought that noise and disturbances must have occurred as well. I am very glad that you left. But I am still worried about the rest of the lectures, because these people might be traveling with you, so please be very careful everywhere, especially in Leipzig. I hope that other gentlemen will travel with you and that you will not be walking alone. Please be very careful. I hope to have news soon about the rest of the lectures. Goodbye.

With my warmest regards,

Edith Maryon

113

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum,
October 14, 1922

Dear and esteemed teacher,

The program seems to be as follows:

November 7: departure from Hook
1-8 Nov. London an.
2-9 Thu. Rehearsal Evening Royal Academy Dramatic Art:
3-10 Fri. Rehearsal
4-11 Sat(1) Performance 8:30
5-12 Sun. Rehearsal Evening
-13 Mon(2) Performance 8:30 (2 programs)
7-1 4D. Evening performance
8-15 M.(3) Performance 8:30
9-16 D.
10-17 F.(1) Performance 7:00 Steimway Hall.
11-18 S.(2) Performance 3:00
12-19 p.m. (3) lecture 3 p.m.
13-20 m.
14-21 p.m. England (if desired)

Baron Rosenkrantz thinks that they might receive invitations from theater managers if the eurythmy is well received. With Miss Wilson, they already have fourteen people. It's a shame that they didn't put on the Pied Piper, it's always well received, and they could easily put on Goethe, especially in this venue! Perhaps it is not too late for the first performance? The people at the consulate say there will be no difficulty in having the passports extended in London if you wish. I don't have any more information about the eurythmy permit, but I asked again in London today. Next week, you may have to be a little more forceful in the event that they still do not come.

I will be very glad when you come back; it is quiet and restless here, few people, but a lot of cleaning to do, and in between, phone calls and endless letters to write, I actually get nothing done.

I fear that we will have a somewhat difficult time in London; it seems as if general parliamentary elections are just around the corner, then everyone thinks and talks about nothing else and everything is topsy-turvy. Patrons for England are provisional.

A.E. (No idea who A.E. is!) Albert Edward??
Miss Sybil Thorndike (addressed to)
Lady Louisa Lodor
The Duchess of Grafton
The Lady St. Helier
Miss Lena Ashwell
M. Edmond Holmes
Miss Manda Royden (pastor)
Miss L. Bayley (Polytechnic.) Education.

This brochure is being sent around and seems to me to be a good preparation.

The letter made me very sad. It is truly terrible that people have so little understanding and enthusiasm, and without these two [things] one does not make rapid and firm enough progress despite the exhausting and excessively long and heavy work. You can't be everywhere at the same time, you need reliable and energetic colleagues. I think Hartley is not clever enough to have noticed much. Here he mostly admires Blümel's lessons at school.

I must post this letter right away, so just send my warmest regards.

Edith Maryon

130

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel, 11 May [1923]

Friday afternoon

Dear and esteemed teacher!

Just a few lines to greet you on my arrival in Kristiania. I am a little worried that this address may be wrong because it does not include the name of the city, so I am wondering whether I should write 'Kristiania' somewhere on the envelope.

I hope you had a good trip and [I hope] that the fur coat was taken (it is still very cold here, today I had to heat). I very much hope that the cough is now completely cured?? I am always the same; because the sun is shining, I will be in the studio for an hour. During this time I think a lot about the story of Job, because I have a very strong feeling that it will be the same for us as for him — after so much suffering, everything will be restored to us, and even more will be added, not the same beauty of the building, but still a different beauty. A second summer time should come for us. Don't laugh at that! I believe it will. We need the good times again, and the world needs another Goetheanum, however little it deserves or understands it for the time being.

I send you my warmest thoughts, and Bauer will take the letter to the post office and send my greetings.

Warmest regards

Edith Maryon

132

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio,
Goetheanum,
[May 12, 1923]

Saturday afternoon.

Dear and esteemed teacher,

the letter from Stuttgart has just arrived; I was very happy to hear that you arrived safely, although unfortunately there is no news about the cough and the fur coat??? Here the weather is disgusting, wind, rain and cold, today I could only go out for five minutes around the house – then another downpour came. Otherwise I am the same. I really can hardly understand how the A.G. can still sleep; if one has any strength, one should truly awaken now. Hopefully the Norwegians are less dreamy! and that something hopeful is happening there.

Warmest greetings

Edith Maryon

Miss Bauer asked me to send her regards.

149

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Ilkley, Hillside
August 12, 1923.

My dear Edith Maryon!

This evening I gave the second “special address” of its kind. It was similar to the one I gave in the chapel at Oxford. Yesterday was the sixth regular educational lecture. Now there are five more to follow. Today a number of teachers – actually female teachers – from the course came to see me as a deputation; they wanted to discuss the plan of a real Waldorf school. The committee that was once formed to transform the King's Langley School now consists only of Mrs. Drury-Lavin; everyone else has resigned. They consider the plan to work with Miss Cross to be hopeless. She is very saddened by this. But it seems as if some people are now showing commendable energy. The current lectures seem to be contributing to an understanding of many things.

Otherwise, things are going really well here. I hope that this is also the case for you and that your health is improving. I am grateful for the letters I receive. I will write down the address again for later: Penmaenmawr Grand Hotel (North Wales).

Please do not worry that difficulties might arise because of the sad news now coming from Germany. Careful arrangements are being made for the return journey, and no delays are expected. So please do not worry about that and do not be anxious. But on the other hand, what is happening is unspeakably distressing. Unfortunately, it could have been foreseen; no one wanted to believe it.

Warmest regards

Rudolf Steiner