The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Translated by Marie Steiner for the twenty-eighth Anniversary and Convention of the Theosophical Society

To the President-Founder, TS: - With my fraternal and most cordial greetings I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.

A new branch has been formed at Weimar, under the title of the Weimar Branch of the TS.

The total number of branches in Germany and German-Switzerland is now 11; 47 new members have joined during the year and two resigned. Miss Marie [v.] Sivers (Motzstrasse, 17, Berlin Wilmersdorf) has been elected Assistant to the General Secretary.

In the month of June last there appeared the first number of anew monthly magazine, Luzifer, under my editorship. It is published at Motzstrasse 17, and is dedicated to theosophical propaganda in German-speaking countries. Our old organ, The Vâhan, edited by Herr Richard Bresch, at Leipzig, has continued to appear as usual.

A new work entitled «Christendom as a Mystical Fact», by myself, has been published, and another, «Theosophy, a Picture of the World and the Destiny of Man,» is in preparation by me and will shortly appear. The following translations have been published: Mrs. Besant’s «Esoteric Christianity,» Mr. Leadbeater’s «Astral Plane» and «Outline of Theosophy.»

On the whole I venture to say that we are authorized to entertain the best hopes for the future. I myself am doing my best to aid in propagating Theosophy in Germany, lecturing in Berlin and in other towns. We hope to form within the next few weeks branches at Köln and Nürnberg.

Our work is difficult as so many of our old members are reluctant to enter upon the work of propaganda in the present state of German thought, but I am fully persuaded, after considering all sides of the question, that positive work must overcome all obstacles: at the beginning success will be slow, but the movement will become stronger as it acquires momentum. With my whole soul I promise to do everything in my power to forward it.

Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

Read by Mr. G. S. Arundale. Translated by Marie Steiner for the twenty-ninth Anniversary and Convention of the TS, 1904

To the President-Founder, TS: - With my fraternal and most cordial greetings I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section TS.

New Branches have been formed in Cologne, Nurnberg, Munich and Dresden. Our Kassel Branch has dissolved, but it is to be hoped that it will revive in a short time. Besides there is a new Branch in formation in Karlsruhe.

The total number of Branches in Germany and German Switzerland is 13; 138 new members have joined during the year; two have resigned; one died; so that the net increase amounts to 135 members.

The review, Luzifer, has been considerably enlarged through its union with the Gnosis, a magazine that appeared hitherto in Vienna. Its editor is Dr. Rudolf Steiner; it is published in Berlin, Motzstrasse 17. Its influence upon the deepening of theosophical life is evident. The Vâhan, under the editorship of Mr. Bresch, is continued in its habitual manner.

A new book of Dr. Rudolf Steiner was issued last spring under the title of «Theosophy, an introduction into supersensual works and into the destiny of man.» The following translations have been published:

«Four Great Religions,» by Mrs. Besant, through Mr. G. Wagner; «Atlantis,» by Scott Elliot, through members of the Leipzig Lodge; «Fleta,» by Mabel Collins, through members of the Stuttgart Lodge, and «Studies in the Bhagavad Gita,» by «Dreamer.»

I myself have held a great number of lectures in many towns of Germany with the view of theosophical propagation, and will continue to do so. In September we had a visit from Mrs. Annie Besant who lectured publicly in Hamburg, Berlin, Weimar, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne, and kindly addressed the lodges in private meetings, infusing them with her spiritual strength.

Despite all difficulties our work advances well, and it is to be hoped that with every new year we shall be able to send in better reports.

The increase of members in Berlin and Leipzig is a good sign of progress.

We send our warmest greetings to all brothers in India and sincere congratulations to our revered President.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

Read by Dr. Otto Schrader. Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirtieth Anniversary and Convention of the TS, 1905

To the President-Founder, TS: - With my fraternal and most cordial greeting I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section TS.

New Branches have been formed in Berlin (Besant Lodge), Karlsruhe, two new branches in Stuttgart (so that we have three branches in this town) and in Freiburg im Breisgau. Besides we have worked in St. Gallen, Zurich and Basel (Switzerland) and in Heidelberg, Frankfort on the Main, Bonn, Jena and a number of other towns. Although there are not yet branches in these places we have there friends who are interested and the formation of several new branches is expected.

The total number of branches in Germany and German Switzerland is now 18; 137 new members have joined during the year; three have died; seven have resigned, so that the net increase amounts to 127 members. The effective number of members is 377.

The review, Luzifer - Gnosis, that appears in Berlin under the editorship of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has now begun its third annual course; it tries to advance the interest in our movement by dealing in the most manifold way with all theosophical questions. Its influence is evidently increasing. The Vâhan can henceforth no more be regarded as a magazine representative of our Society, as its editor, Herr Richard Bresch, has left the TS. A new book of Dr. Steiner will appear in a short time under the title: «Introduction into the Secret Science.» — The following translations have been published : «The Path of Discipleship,» by A. Besant, and, «The Story of the Year,» by M. Collins. There has also appeared a work of Dr. Steiner dealing, from the theosophical point of view, with «Schiller and our Age.»

I have tried also during this year to work for the propagation of the theosophical movement, through a great number of lectures in many towns of Germany and Switzerland.

Despite all the difficulties existing in Germany we can hope, on the ground of the results obtained and the experiences made, for good results in the future. Our Annual Convention on the 22nd of October has shown that the theosophical thought is deeply rooted in the minds of our members. A numerically small opposition against some measures of the leaders of the TS has been energetically thrown back.

The General Secretary of the three years’ old Section, Dr. Rudolf Steiner, has been re-elected for three other years. As Assistant Secretary he will be helped as hitherto by Fräulein Marie von Sivers. As members of the Executive Committee there have been chosen besides, Herr G. Wagner, Herr B. Hubo, Herr L. Deinhard, Frau H. Lübke, Fräulein $. Stinde, Fräulein M. Scholl, Herr M. Bauer, Herr A. Kolbe, Herr F. Seiler, Herr H. Ahner, Herr F. Kiem.

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

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

Read by Peter de Abrew, Esq. Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-first Anniversary and Convention of the T.S.

To the President-Founder, TS: - With my respectful and fraternal greeting I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section TS.

In the course of last year New Branches have been formed in Frankfurt on the Main, Bonn, Heidelberg, Bremen, St. Gallen and Basel (Switzerland); a second branch in Munich; centres in Regensburg, Elberfeld and Esslingen. The Berlin Branch has dissolved, so that the active work in Berlin is carried on by the large Besant Branch. A new lodge is in formation in Kassel.

The total number of Branches in Berlin is now 24, and 3 centres. 237 members have joined the Section during the year; 7 have died, 11 resigned or dropped and 5 passed over to other Sections. So that the net increase amounts to 214. The effective number of members at the last Convention was 591.

The lecture-work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner in Germany and Switzerland has been continued in the same intensive way as in the last year. Besides these have been introduced series of daily lectures held by Dr. Steiner in various towns that have proved very effective, because, apart from the stimulation given by single lectures, they make it possible to develop to a larger audience a total picture of theosophical philosophy. Such series of lectures have been developed thus far in Leipzig, Stuttgart and Munich. Great stress is put, in the German Section, upon the fact that the Society should not only grow through the increase of its members, but that the theosophical philosophy should spread though an intensive lecturing activity. This is the best way of doing propaganda here. And through this way of working, the movement advances here despite the difficulties.

The Review edited by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Luzifer Gnosis, has continued its task. It has considerably gained in expansion.

A new Sectional organ has been founded under the title Mitteilungen; it is edited by Miss Scholl.

From outward literature there have been translated: Mrs. Besant’s «Study of Consciousness» by Mr. G. Wagner; «New Psychology» by Mrs. Leibke; Ed. [Schuré's] «Les Grands Initiés» by Fräulein von Sivers.

The number of steady workers has been increased through Mrs. E. Wolfram in Leipzig, who spreads the theosophical ideas in Leipzig through good lectures.

The Fourth Annual Convention was held in Berlin, on October 22nd and 23rd. For the Executive Committee, besides the members named in our last report, Mrs. E. Wolfram has been chosen.

We shall make ourselves ready for a worthy celebration of the Congress of the European Federation, which is to be held in Munich, at Whitsuntide, May 19th.

‘We send our warmest greetings to all brothers in India and especially to our revered President.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-fourth Anniversary and Convention of the T.S., 1909

To the President, TS: - With the expression of heartiest respect and with fraternal greetings, I have the honour to submit to you the Annual Report of the Theosophical Society in Germany.

The Theosophical movement in Germany has made very satisfactory progress this year also. Seven new Branches have been founded, and in the old Branches the work has been continued, so that there is a progressive development and intensity in the domain of knowledge and Theosophical life, as well as an increase in the number of members and working capacities. Feeling the dignity of the Theosophical spirit in public work, we have laid stress principally upon quiet persistence, and this has succeeded in attracting an ever increasing number of hearers to our public lectures, although we severely refrain from anything which could have a likeness to objectionable advertisement. New Branches have been founded in Breslau, Mühlhausen, Essen, Koblenz, Dresden, Strassburg and Munich. The total number of Branches is now 44, and two Centres. 415 members have joined the Section during the year, 6 have died, 35 resigned or dropped and 29 passed over to other Sections. The net increase amounts to 350. The effective number of members at the last Convention of the Section was 1500. The lecture work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has continued in the same intensive way as before, and particular stress has been laid on lifting Theosophical philosophy and questions of Occultism into the higher regions, in building up the fundamental principles of knowledge, which had been given out during the past years in the most various directions, and in infusing this knowledge into the manifold departments of practical life. Having organised, besides single lectures, an always growing number of lecture-series, it has been the more possible to deepen and widen the subjects. These lecture-series gain always much sympathy; in the course of this year we had five of them in Germany and Switzerland: in Düsseldorf, Kassel, Munich, Bâle and Berlin. The presence of many members from other countries gave us warm pleasure. In Munich the number of attendants was about 600. The value of these lecture-series is corroborated by the fact that Theosophical friends from abroad invited Dr. Rudolf Steiner to give them in their countries; they were held in Rome, Christiania and Budapest.

The representation of Edouard Schur@’s drama, The Children of Lucifer, which was given in connexion with the lecture-series of Munich, and only for the 600 friends of the Theosophical Society, was of particular importance. This performance may perhaps be considered as something deserving attention, because Dr. Rudolf Steiner wished to give in the scenical management an example of artistic performance according to the severest Theosophical principles. Only members of the Theosophical Society worked at the painting of decorations and scenic pictures. The actors too were all members of our Society. The principal parts were entrusted to Herr Doser, Frl. von Sivers and Dr. Peipers. Mr. Schuré gave us the great pleasure of his presence at the performance and also at the following lecture-series. The members of Munich, especially Countess Kalckreuth and Frl. Stinde, deserve our warmest thanks for the great amount of work which they have done in order to make possible this difficult representation.

We are also progressing in the popularisation of the Theosophical Spiritual movement through the so called «Rooms for Art and Music.» The room in Munich, mentioned in our last report, has continued its work under the guidance of Countess Kalckreuth and Frl. Stinde; a new one has been founded in Berlin under the care of Mr. Günther Wagner, and with the help of Frl. von Sivers, Frau von Sonklar, Baroness Lichtenberg, Frl. von Eckardstein, and many other Berlin members. Artistic and musical productions are offered to all classes of the population; myths and fairy-tales are treated from the Theosophical point of view, and popular Theosophy is explained.

It may be particularly noticed that the fruits of our Theosophical labor show themselves more and more in the special departments of science and life. Thus, Dr. C. Unger not only develops an intensive activity in the lecture-field, but builds up philosophy in a Theosophical spirit. Dr. Peipers displays a rich activity in making use of our Theosophical knowledge in the department of theoretical and practical medicine. The progress of our activity shows itself also in the increasing number of lecturers. Active in this respect have been Mrs. Wolfram, Mr. Michael Bauer, Mrs. Wandrey, Mrs. Reif-Busse, Mr. Walther, Mr. Schwab, Mr. Adolf Arenson, Miss Völker, and others who lectured in more intimate circles.

The magazine, Luzifer - Gnosis, continues and gains in expansion, although through the unceasing lecture-activity of Dr. Rudolf Steiner a great pause had unfortunately to be made in its appearance; but a second edition of the former numbers has been rapidly exhausted. The sectional-organ Mitteilungen appears in the same way as before.

The Seventh Annual Convention, hold in Berlin on October 23rd, 24th, and 25th, was numerously attended. Dr. Rudolf Steiner delivered on this occasion a series of lectures on «Anthroposophie.»

We look forward with the best hopes to the New Year. We send our warmest greetings to the revered President and to all brothers in India.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

• 1. Besides the Lodge Neuchâtel, founded by us in Switzerland.

Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-seventh Anniversary and Convention of the T.S., 1912

To the President, TS: - The undersigned has the honour to present herewith the annual report of the Theosophical Society in Germany.

This year also our work has gone along the same lines and in the same manner, as since the foundation of the German Section. In the various Lodges, to which 3 new ones have been added, the work was done in such a way that knowledge, as well as the deepening and ennobling of life, have been aspired to. And one can distinctly see how the public lectures, as well as the other activities emanating from our Society, find an ever-growing wider comprehension in broader circles of the population. New Lodges have been founded in Augsburg, Erfurt and Hamburg. One Lodge dissolved. The total number of Lodges is now 55, and there are besides 4 (or 3) Centres. 293 members entered during the year; 14 died, 90 have resigned or dropped; 29 have gone over to other Sections; the net increase being thus 160.

The lecture-work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner went on this year as in former years. Lecture-series were held by him in Hannover, Helsingfors, Norrköping, Stockholm, Christiania, Munich and Bâle. Single lectures were given by him in most of the Lodges of our Section and were also held abroad. Dr. Carl Unger’s work for the building up of a philosophical foundation of the Theosophical work has been vigorously continued. His efforts too were directed in the same direction as before. Herr Adolf Arenson and Fräulein Toni Völker work with devotion in Stuttgart and its environment. So do Fräulein Stinde and Baroness Gumppenberg in Munich, Michael Bauer in Nürnberg, Frau Wolfram in Leipzig, Frl. Scholl in Cöln, Frau Wandrey in Hamburg. All these unwearingly affective members try to serve in the most intense manner the ideal of strengthening Theosophical knowledge and Theosophical life. At present the number of members that have entered into the ranks of those that have put their work into the Service of our cause by lectures, effective service of humanity and other different ways, is very large, and it is not possible even to name each single one in this report. Dr. Peiper’s activity as healer and lecturer in Munich, Frl. Stinde and Countess Kalckreuth’s unwearying activity for the spreading of spiritual life in the lower classes of the population, the activity in word and deed of Herr Walther, Frau v. Reden, Frl. Vreede, Herr v. Rainer, Frau ReifBusse and many others, have helped in the most different directions to deepen our thoughts, and to implant them in an effective way into the life of the soul and also into practical life.

The fertility of our work on the line of mystery-representations in Munich showed itself this year not only through the ever-increasing number of visitors, but also in that we were allowed to offer besides the repetition of the mysteries already performed, «The Holy Drama of Eleusis» by Eduard Schur&, «The Portals of Initiation» and «The Probation of the Soul» by Rudolf Steiner, a fourth performance of a similar kind, «The Guardian of the Threshold». Of those that are active in this work and have already been named formerly in his report, of Frl. v. Sivers, Frl. Waller, Herr Doser, Herr Seiling, Dr. Peipers and many others, of Baroness Eckhardstein as artistic moulder of the scenic pictures, of our painters Herr Hass, Herr Linde, Herr Volkert, as shapers of the decorative work, of them all I will only say, that with the increase of work, their devotion and self-surrender have increased.

On the whole it may be said, that our work progresses in the line designated by the fact, that within our field of activity a great number of persons have found in Theosophy the inmost impulse of their life.

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

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

Berlin and Stuttgart, W. Spemann publishing house

To compile the most necessary information from all branches of knowledge on 840 pages, as has actually been done here, was only possible thanks to Professor Kürschner's remarkable prudence and skill in literary matters. The book is intended to meet a twofold need: firstly, to enable those for whom the small editions of Meyer and Brockhaus are still too expensive to purchase an encyclopedia, and secondly – and this is arguably more important – to serve the needs of the moment. The act of looking up information, which is often time-consuming and laborious in the larger works of this genre, can be done here in the shortest possible time, so that the book will be useful in many cases even for those who own a larger encyclopedia. The small size was not achieved at the expense of content, but by using easy-to-understand abbreviations to maximize the space available. The small book was produced at relatively great expense. In addition to Kürschner, it had eighteen contributors. The greatest care was taken to ensure that the articles were complete. It should be emphasized that, in addition to the articles usually included in an encyclopedia, it also contains information about courts, life, fire and pension insurance companies, military districts, legations, consulates and more. Brought about with great sacrifice and true diligence, the book should soon enjoy a corresponding distribution.

Rudolf Steiner.

Deutsche Post, vol. 3, no. 10

(our own report) Vienna, March 2.

The tenth budget debate under the Taaffe ministry is just beginning. What will it bring us? Severe accusations against the government from the benches of the left, complaints from those of the right emphasizing that they support this government because nothing better is available from the majority. This ministry has no fundamental support anywhere. Then the budget will be approved by a large majority and Taaffe will continue to 'rule'. He is a telling example of how the inability of a person often has something in common with genius, namely that it is often irreplaceable. Indeed, Taaffe can do something that would be difficult for a truly talented man in Austria: he can stay in his post. But these last words are not to be interpreted as if we wanted to make any concessions to the inactivity into which the German opposition is increasingly falling. The political inactivity of the Germans in Austria is simply dismal, and the role they play must, if it continues, be a miserable one. How long will it take before the Germans here become truly politically mature? The number of those who understand that it is the German idea, first and foremost, that every German must serve, and that it is nothing short of sacrilegious to make completely insignificant, subordinate issues into the figureheads of parties, is dwindling. Such a course of action would lead us completely into political quagmire and is doubly dangerous now, when a harrowing event in our royal house has significantly changed the political situation. In the late Crown Prince, we had a prince who was truly friendly to education and a fighter for truth and light in the best sense of the word. We saw from his various public addresses how powerfully he felt about unadulterated truth free from authority, and how unfeigned this feeling was can be seen from the recently published letters to his former teacher of natural sciences, Dr. Jos. Krist. One had the conviction that the Crown Prince was a powerful bulwark against any reaction. When he exposed the spiritualist fraud Bastian some time ago, he did so, as he himself said, with the specific intention of doing something against superstition in the higher circles. The hope of education was with this prince. Now he is gone, and already the fateful influences of the reactionary powers are revealing themselves before our eyes. The confessors are at the top. We are exposed to the danger of a terrible regression. It is no longer considered taboo to openly state that there is a serious flaw in the liberal education of the crown prince, and high-ranking church leaders boast that they raised their warning voice in time and in a decisive manner against the irreligious influence of modern researchers on the mind of the Austrian heir to the throne.

It was distressing to go out on the streets of Vienna in the days when the sad news from Mayerling came. Everywhere one saw signs of the deepest sympathy for the unfortunate prince. People who had never known each other addressed each other in the streets to communicate their shock. But leaving aside all these outbursts of emotion, and the loyalty and attachment of the Austrian peoples to their imperial house, and looking at the matter objectively, the death of Crown Prince Rudolf is the most serious blow that could have hit progress in Austria. We looked to the future with joy when we saw the chivalrous prince among scholars and researchers in the pursuit of science. This prospect has now died with him.

Now we are once again completely dependent on ourselves. Crown Prince Rudolf was thoroughly pro-education, but he was also no supporter of Taaffe's system of government. We must now fight our fight against reaction without such a powerful protector. This event should, however, serve as further proof to the Germans that unity alone can lead them out of the doubt in which they find themselves.

Steiner

To the branch:

Most honored Sir!

By the deed of foundation of July 22, 1902, President H.S. Olcott has approved the founding of a German section of the “Theosophical Society”. He also instructed me by a special letter (dated July 22) to take the initiative in founding this section.

It is understandable that I myself, at this moment of foundation, feel compelled to address a few words to the brothers in the branches. This is all the more understandable as I have every reason to say how aware I am that the prospect of the post of Secretary General has given me a very special trust. I am also aware of the great responsibility that this office places on me.

I had to do some serious soul-searching when I was asked to take up the post. Above all, I had to ask myself whether I was allowed to accept such an office, given my short affiliation with the Theosophical Society.

My reasons cannot be misunderstood by the Theosophists to whom I speak. The time when I joined the “Theosophical Society” was for me the end point of many years of inner development. I joined no earlier than when I knew that the spiritual forces I had to serve were present in the “Theosophical Society”. And from that moment on, it was completely clear to me that I should belong to the Theosophical Society. I did not need to say that if the members of the German branches of the “Theosophical Society” consider me worthy, I not only may, but must follow their call. To the Theosophists I say that my personality is no more decisive for my decision in this direction than it will ever be in the future in the conduct of my office. I want to “serve” in the sense that one of our best German Theosophists will express in a forthcoming writing.

For those who have only recently joined the “Theosophical Society”, especially for those who are still doubtful in themselves whether it is the right thing to join our Society, which H. $. Olcott founded in association with H. P. Blavatsky, and at the head of which the former still stands; or whether it is not better, or just as good, to join another so-called “Theosophical Society”; for them I remark the following. The proof that we as the German section of the “Theosophical Society” will achieve what every true Theosophist wants to achieve - more or less consciously - can only be provided by our future work. In this respect, joining us is certainly a matter of trust for many at present. I myself know that there are forces within the “Theosophical Society” to achieve what we are striving for. I have known this since I joined, and my presence at the last annual meeting (July 1902) in London, where I was able to approach the leading personalities, was a new affirmation for me.

Whether we will achieve what we are called to do within the German-speaking population will depend on the trust that will be placed in us, and no less on how our work is received. We ourselves will serve no one other than the spiritual powers that guide us. What we have to give in our “service” cannot be revealed by the day, but only by time.

Just one more word. If the German section of the “Theosophical Society” is to accomplish what it is called upon to do in view of the present spiritual conditions and the “signs of the times” in German-speaking regions, then it needs a Theosophical monthly. It will be my task to establish such a publication. I can only give the assurance here that I see the necessity of such a journal, and ask you all to accept this journal as the organ of the German section of the “Theosophical Society”.

With the highest esteem and fraternal greetings
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
Friedenau-Berlin, Kaiserallee 95