Little-Known Statements of Rudolf Steiner on the Christmas Conference Recorded by Jakob Streit, with an excerpt of a letter by Rudolf Meyer
Thomas Meyer In view of the announced “celebrations” for the hundredth anniversary of the “Christmas Conference,” it seems to us necessary to point out a few statements which originate from Rudolf Steiner. If one does not want to or cannot prove that Jakob Streit or Rudolf Meyer have produced forgeries, then their authenticity cannot be doubted. They may be shocking for some. But what is shocking should also be welcome if it serves true knowledge. The statements, especially the two by Ina Schuurmann, make it clear that Steiner followed up everything that happened since the Christmas Conference in a procedural way. What was true in January no longer held true in midsummer. How the members received these events was not determined once and for all. At first, as is well known, he expressed himself very positively, also with regard to the reaction of the spiritual world to his courageous step. The spiritual floodgates were even more open than before. But the spiritual conduct of the members was, as it were, subject to continuous testing, from day to day and week to week. This is indicated by Steiner’s two statements to Ina Schuurmann (see below) and by Rudolf Meyer’s as yet unpublished communications to Johann Waeger (co-editor of the Rudolf Steiner Estate Administration [Nachlassverwaltung]), who had apparently asked him about a concrete, presumably critical statement by Steiner in connection with the Christmas Conference. Meyer writes on October 7, 1961: Dear Mr. Waeger, I can answer your question as follows. I already came to know Dr. Steiner’s statement about the ‘Christmas Conference’ in 1924 (before his illness). It was even more concrete. He was concerned that the members would not take up what was intended with the Christmas Conference, even though such a great enthusiasm was catalyzed by that event at the time and many quite inspiring things came into movement
among the friends. This concern also came to expression, for example, in Breslau (and Koberwitz), when we experienced it there daily during the Agricultural Conference. In addition, however, there was always hopefulness, from which one could draw the conclusion that everything would now be different and that an unstoppable progression of the movement had begun. Both were there! I also believe, as far as one may judge such things: [Both were there] in Dr. Steiner himself, in the different ‘layers’ of his being, so to speak. The statement in question (I believe that this must be roughly the right one) was as follows: ‘The Christmas Conference is not being taken up. It still has time. But if it is not taken up by autumn (or October? or Michaelmas?—probably it was ‘autumn’), then the ahrimanic powers will break in.’1 The last phrase seems to me the most important thing about it; for then one sees the precision with which something like this is effective. It also gives a special background to the illness. But I want to abstain completely from interpretation here.2
So we are dealing with a dynamic movement in the period of time after the Christmas Conference. Decisive is the situation in “autumn.” Here, Steiner’s illness and the “breaking in of ahrimanic powers” coincide. The two grave statements of Steiner to Schuurmann and Krüger also occur within this same time period. The communications of Meyer and Streit accord with one another in this respect! It is of special importance that Steiner, in his demeanor toward the lawyer Krüger while apparently 1 “Die Weihnachtstagung wird nicht aufgenommen. Noch hat es Zeit. Wenn sie aber bis zum Herbst (oder Oktober? oder Michaeli?—wahrscheinlich hieß es: ‘Herbst’) nicht aufgenommen ist, dann stoßen die ahrimanischen Mächte nach.” 2 Ed note (TO): Cf. S.O. Prokofieff, May Human Beings Hear It! (Temple Lodge, 2004), p. 74f.: “In a conversation with Johanna von Keyserlingk during his stay in Koberwitz, Rudolf Steiner expressed himself even more concretely concerning this danger. Rudolf Meyer, to whom she communicated these words by Rudolf Steiner, repeated them as follows: ‘Rudolf Steiner is supposed to have said to Johanna von Keyserlingk (1879–1966) in June of 1924 that if the Christmas Conference would not be taken up by the members, there would still be time until Michaelmas of 1924, but then the demons would strike.’” december 2023 • 61
