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 This is indicated by Steiner’s two statements to Ina Schuurmann (see below) and by Rudolf Meyer’s as yet unpublished communications to Johann Waeger (co-editor of the Rudolf Steiner Estate Administration [Nachlassverwaltung ]), who had apparently asked him about a concrete,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.’” processing the shattering fact that had meanwhile really occurred, nevertheless again intends something positive, constructive, for October—namely, to form everything anew.

However, this probably means nothing less than that, in Rudolf Steiner’s eyes, all the old statutes—the ones decided upon at the Christmas Conference—had become meaningless. It is possible that he would have wanted to renew or reform them with the help of Dr. Krüger.

Did the Christmas Conference of 1923 Fail?

Reported by Jakob Streit

Two Encounters [from the Memories of Mrs. Maria Ina Schuurmann]

It was in the 1950s. The present writer [Jakob Streit] had a conversation with Mrs. Maria Ina Schuurmann (wife of the musician Max Schuurmann). We spoke about the concerns of the Anthroposophical Society since Rudolf Steiner’s death. She was, after all, one of the early eurythmists and played the angel in the Oberufer Christmas plays under Rudolf Steiner. Then she told me the following:

After the proceedings of the Christmas Conference, I was sitting at the back of the stage in the Carpentry Building (Schreinerei), where there was an artists’ corner with a sofa to rest before and after performances. Rudolf Steiner came from the lecture hall to the back. When he saw me sitting there, he said to me: ‘Now I hope that it will suffice for another ten years!’, 3 and he kept walking.

In late summer (1924), I was sitting in the same place in the artists’ corner before an event. Rudolf Steiner came by for a lecture. When he saw me, he spoke to me in a pronounced way: ‘The Christmas Conference has failed!’4 He kept walking. I was deeply shocked. For two years I did not even dare to tell my husband about this experience. – I then gave a written report to the Estate Administration (Nachlassverwaltung ) as a testimony to this statement.”

Meeting with Dr. Krüger in Stuttgart

About the personality of Dr. Krüger: He was a public prosecutor in Berlin during the First World War. Rudolf Steiner would have liked to bring him to Stuttgart as a co-advisor for the Threefolding Initiative. Only after a long period of negotiations about his

3 “Nun hoffe ich, dass es wieder für zehn Jahre reicht!”

4 “Die Weihnachtstagung ist misslungen!” replacement did he become free for this task. In addition, he worked as a freelance lawyer in Stuttgart and conducted civil cases until old age. Dr. Krüger was a subscriber of the Communications of the Anthroposophical Association in Switzerland (Mitteilungen der Anthroposophischen Vereinigung in der Schweiz), because he was fully committed to Marie Steiner’s legal position with regard to the Estate Association (Nachlassvereins).

The personal meeting with Dr. Bruno Krüger:

Since the writer [Jakob Streit] was editor of the abovementioned Communications (Mitteilungen) at the time of our meeting, in the 1970s, and knew of Rudolf Steiner’s important collaborator [Dr. Krüger], he decided to visit him during a stay in Stuttgart. (What follows is written from the first-person point of view.)

On the occasion of a lecture at the Stuttgart Teacher Seminar, I called Dr. Krüger and asked for a conversation. A very dedicated voice answered, “Come this morning at eleven to a quarter past eleven!” I found a strong personality with a powerful voice. He asked me a few brief questions; then we got into the conversation, which was mainly led by him (in a narrative way). – It lasted two hours! – In connection with events in the Anthroposophical Society, he expressed himself on the Christmas Conference of 1923. He had come to Dornach in the late summer of 1924 and met Rudolf Steiner, who immediately approached him. Dr. Krüger heard from him the staggering words: The impulse of the Christmas Conference is shattered!5 When Dr. Krüger narrated this and intoned Dr. Steiner’s words, it sounded like a pained outcry. 6 But then Dr. Steiner continued: “Herr Dr. Krüger, come to Dornach in October. We have to make (form? [JS]) everything anew.”7

At the end of September, Rudolf Steiner gave his Last Address and fell ill. Thus his intention to prepare a new formation of the Society with the help of Dr. Krüger could no longer be realized.

At this meeting, Dr. Krüger, then ninety years old, was in full freshness of mind. 8 He found a deep tragedy in the further course of the Society.

Thomas Meyer was born in Switzerland in 1950. He is the founder of Perseus Verlag, Basel, and is editor of the monthly journal Der Europäer (available in English as The Present Age) He has written numerous articles and is the author of several books, including major biographies of D. N. Dunlop and Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz.

5 “Der Impuls der Weihnachtstagung ist zerschellt!”

6 Ein schmerzlicher Aufschrei.

7 “Wir müssen alles neu machen (formen? [JS]).”

8 In voller Geistesfrische.