Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work – 1923: The Burning of the Goetheanum
“Try to become one with the world—that will be the best and most important ‘program.’ It is something that cannot be contained in statutes but needs to burn in our hearts as a flame.” —Rudolf Steiner
In 1923, Central Europe was still in disarray and social chaos created by the polarizing events of World War I. In volume 6 of his seven-volume biography of Rudolf Steiner, Peter Selg focuses on one of the most tragic years for the anthroposophical movement, including especially the rise of nationalism and the seeds of hatred spawned by Adolf Hitler and his followers.
The very beginning of that pivotal year began with the destruction of the nearly finished Goetheanum building in Dornach, Switzerland, delivering a heavy blow to the Anthroposophical Society and to Rudolf Steiner, both spiritually and on a personal level. It was evident that the fire had been caused by arson, and Steiner immediately expressed determination to rebuild and move forward, despite the friction in the Anthroposophical Society and the movement as a whole. Steiner noted, “It will not be viable if things continue as before,” suggesting that the Society needed to be suffused with the “will to wake up…because then it can inspire an awakening of the present civilization as a whole.” He devoted the remainder of 1923—indeed, his life—to that cause.
“You can rest assured that, whatever may happen, I for one will never be induced to stray from my path. As long as I live, I shall continue to represent my cause as I have done so far. I hope that we will not be held back by any disruptions but that we will be able to work together here as we have done before—this will, at least, be my endeavor. Whatever happens it is my belief that we need to rebuild in some form, and everything that needs to be done to achieve this will be done. It is important to continue what we have begun. It is simply an inner obligation.” — Rudolf Steiner, to the workers at the Goetheanum, January 1, 1923
C O N T E N T S:
10. The Fire at the Goetheanum and the Year 1923
Cited Works by Rudolf Steiner
Notes
About the Author
Peter Selg was born in 1963 in Stuttgart and studied medicine in Witten-Herdecke, Zurich, and Berlin. Until 2000, he worked as the head physician of the juvenile psychiatry department of Herdecke hospital in Germany. Dr. Selg is now director of the Ita Wegman Institute for Basic Research into Anthroposophy (Arlesheim, Switzerland) and professor of medicine at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences (Germany). He lectures extensively and is the author of numerous books, many of which have been published in English.
Margot M. Saar studied at the Universität des Saarlandes, at Open University, UK, and at Institut für Waldorfpädagogik Witten Annen, Germany. She is an experienced translator and interpreter in specialty fields (education, medicine, philosophy, anthroposophy, homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine, general science). She has been a foreign language teacher at Michael House School Derbyshire, UK, a teacher of foreign languages and philosophy, exam officer, and upper school mentor at Michael Hall School, East Sussex, and translator of technical manuals and legal contracts, international correspondence, office management at Hüls Troisdorf AG Witten Germany. Margot has translated numerous books for SteinerBooks, including Peter Selg’s 7-volume biography of Rudolf Steiner.
Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work, Seven Volumes
Vol. 1. (1861–1890): Childhood, Youth, and Study Years
Vol. 2. (1890–1900): Weimar and Berlin
Vol. 3. (1900–1914): Spiritual Science and Spiritual Community
Vol. 4. (1914–1918): The Years of World War I
Vol. 5. (1919–1922): Social Threefolding and the Waldorf School
Vol. 6. (1923): The Burning of the Goetheanum
Vol. 7. (1924–1925): The Anthroposophical Society and the School for Spiritual Science
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