The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Dear Friends!

Certain events that are currently taking place within the Theosophical Society make it necessary for the following lines to be addressed to the members of the German Section. These events have not played a role within the German Section so far, and rightly so. Now, however, they are stirring up a lot of dust within other sections – unfortunately to the detriment of the Society – and it is inevitable that the matter will also be brought into our section from outside and will disturb minds here. That is why this letter is necessary.

The relevant procedures relate to the election of a successor to our dear and revered President-Founder H.S. Olcott. According to the statutes of our Society, the election of a new President could have been the easiest, smoothest thing in the world.

Now it is being made confusing for no good reason.

The statutes state:

“The President-Founder, Colonel H.S. Olcott, holds the office of President for life and has the right to propose his successor. This proposal is subject to the approval of the Society. The vote shall be taken in the manner provided.”

“The President shall be elected for seven years.”

"Six months before the expiry of the term of office of a President, his successor shall be proposed by the General Council at a meeting to be held by the latter. And the proposal shall be communicated to the General Secretaries and the General Secretary of the Society. Each General Secretary shall collect the votes of his Section in accordance with its statutes. The General Secretary shall collect those of the other members of the Society. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast shall be required for the election.

It is clear from this that the president-founder was granted special rights, which will no longer apply in the future.

We must now vote in accordance with these rights. This means that the Secretary General of a section must announce to the members which proposal the President-Founder has made regarding his successor. Furthermore, the Secretary General must hand over or send a ballot paper to each member of his section, which the member fills out at his or her own discretion.

Of course, no member is obliged to follow the proposal of the President-Founder, but may put the name of his or her choice on the ballot paper. The completed ballot paper is then to be returned to the Secretary General.

For the German section, everything necessary in terms of the statutes has basically already been done, except for the election itself. And this must be done in accordance with the instructions of the Vice-President, who is to perform all the functions of the President until a new President takes office. The current Vice-President is Mr. Sinnett. The election in our Section will be carried out properly at the right time.

So far, then, everything is in perfect order.

But disorder is brought into the matter by the following.

Before his passing away, our revered President-Founder sent to the General Secretaries and to others all kinds of circulars in which he announced that he had received instructions from higher worlds to appoint a certain personality, namely Mrs. Besant, as his successor.

The president-founder claims that certain masters, who are referred to in Theosophical circles as M. and K.H., appeared to him and gave him the aforementioned instructions.

Whether or not these instructions are genuine is a matter for esotericism. It would have been necessary to completely ignore this whole matter in the administration. For it is no one's business but Olcott's from whom Olcott accepts advice regarding his successor. It does not matter whether Olcott has taken advice from an ordinary person or a supernatural power.

One can be of the opinion that Olcott should not have communicated the whole thing. But this communication can be attributed to a weakness of his last seriously ill times. It is also due to this weakness that he said, contrary to the statutes, that he was appointing his successor. Because the statutes do not give him the right to appoint, but only the right to propose.

It would therefore have been right to extract the right thing from Olcott's circular and ignore everything else.

This has not been done in various sections.

There is a lot of discussion about what does not belong to the election matter. This carries the risk that a purely administrative matter will be mixed up with esoteric matters. Especially if one takes the correct esoteric point of view that our teachings go back to supersensible sources, then one should carefully avoid bringing a purely social matter like the presidential election into any connection with supersensible powers. It would contradict all esoteric principles to draw the supersensible into the discussion, which can always arise in a presidential election. It should be emphasized here that it would not actually be necessary in principle to say the following, and that it is only said here to prevent misunderstandings that may be caused by discussions in which the leadership of the German Section is innocent, but which have unfortunately arisen.

None of the individualities that we can recognize in supersensible vision will ever interfere in a matter such as the current presidential election. That would be to bind our will, but these individualities want to free our will through the way they relate to us, so that it can make the right decision in each individual case. That is why currents of spiritual life never come to us from them in a form that could impair our free choice. I am saying something that goes beyond the powers of the General Secretary, but I must say it as a friend of the members.

There will also come a time when I will be able to say how the statements made by Adyar are actually worded. It would not be appropriate for me to talk about this now.

I would just like to ask the members, especially at the present time, to carefully distinguish between official statements and unofficial ones. A completely private message, for example, is the one Mr. Mead has now sent to the branches. It is to be understood as nothing other than Mr. Mead's personal view. All official communications to the members can only come through the General Secretary of a section. The Deputy President, Mr. Sinnett, will also only pass on all communications to me, and I will duly pass everything on to the members.

This is to clarify the situation.

Other matters as soon as possible.

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
General Secretary of the German Section
of the Theosophical Society.

Dear friends!

As you know from the letters I have written to the individual members and to the chairmen of the branches, we will soon be obliged to elect the successor to our dear deceased president-founder. The circumstances of this election in general have also been discussed in these letters. I am now addressing the matter to the dear friends of the board in these lines. I emphasize once again that in formal terms there is no ambiguity at first. This ambiguity could only arise later from an imperfection of the statutes, which I will discuss below.

I first quote the relevant passages of the statutes, in the version in which they have been established since April 1905.

They read:

§.9. The President-Founder H.S. Olcott holds the office of President for life and has the right to nominate his successor. This nomination is subject to confirmation by the Society. The vote shall be cast in the manner prescribed for the election of the President.

§.10. Six months before the expiration of the President's term of office, the General Council shall, at a meeting convened for that purpose, nominate his successor, and the nomination shall be communicated to the Secretaries-General and the Archivist. Each Secretary-General shall collect the votes according to the rules of his Section, and the Archivist shall collect the votes of the other members of the Society. A majority of two-thirds of the votes cast shall be necessary for election. Now I would also like to add the names of the members of the General Council:

Ex officio: A. P. Sinnett, Hon. Sir S. Subramaniam Iyer, W. A. English, Alexander Fullerton, Upendra Nath B su, Bertram Keightley, W. G. John, Arvid Knös, C. W. Sanders, W. B. Fricke, Dr. Theodor Pascal, Decio Calvari, Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Jose M. Massö. In addition, the following assessors: Annie Besant, G. R.S. Mead, Khan Bahadur Kaoroji Khandalwala, Dinshaw Jivaji Edal Behram, Francesca Arundale, Tumachendra Row, Charles Blech.

Now it is quite clear that these provisions contain regrettable ambiguities, and that if the current election does not produce a positive result on the first ballot, we have no provision at all for this eventuality, unless, as some seem to be doing, we assume that the General Council can then make a second nomination. But such a thing is not mentioned in the above passages, in any case. Furthermore, it should be considered that if the statutes are interpreted literally – and we must undoubtedly adhere to such an interpretation – the member can do nothing but either elect the person designated by the president-founder or express on the ballot that he does not want the latter. It would therefore serve no purpose at all to write any other name on the ballot paper. Whether what is supposed to happen here can still be called an election seems at the very least questionable. After all, you can only say yes or no. But of course we can do nothing other than adhere to the statutes in the present case.

In January, the president-founder sent me a circular in which he announced that the Masters had appeared to him at his sickbed and had caused him to appoint Mrs. Besant as his successor. Nothing more was stated in this and similar letters than that the president-founder was nominating Mrs. Besant as his successor. Officially, no consideration could be given to the fact that the President stated that he had received the advice of the Masters to do so. For by such consideration we would have conjured up esoteric questions, such as those concerning the Masters and the truth of their appearance at Olcott's sickbed while dealing with a purely administrative matter, such as the election of the President. And we have had painful enough experience of where that leads. In other sections, they did not do what seemed to me to be the only right thing, to simply remain silent about the master apparitions, how esoteric questions are to be treated in mere business, but they spoke about them. And that has also generated a flood of writings and counter-writings, a regrettable discussion in which things are discussed that can only be discussed in quiet esoteric work and certainly not during a presidential election. Officially, nothing could be considered other than the nomination of Mrs. Besant by the president-founder. Officially, nothing else concerned us, because it was Olcott's business to decide whether he sought advice from an ordinary mortal or from a master. The members had to consider nothing else but the nomination, and then decide whether they considered Mrs. Besant to be the appropriate person or not. This is not to say, of course, that unofficially the appearances of the Masters could not have been announced so that the Council, which for Olcott was one, could also have become one for those who believe in the Masters, and who can also believe that the appearances in Adyar were really the Masters. So it was quite clear what I had to do as Secretary-General. First officially announce that it is Olcott's wish that Mrs. Besant be elected. Then, after Olcott's death, carry out the election. And at the same time, unofficially, as a friend, let the confidential information about the Master's appearances reach the members. To initiate the election before Olcott's death would have seemed absurd to me. For if one could have spoken of Olcott's imminent death as an esoteric, it would never have occurred to me to base an administrative act on it. After all, in theory, Olcott could have lived for another ten years. Since the term of office for the new president is only for seven years according to the statutes, we would have had two presidents if Olcott had lived for another ten years, the second of whom would never have been able to take office. Now I must confess that it is completely beyond me how some sections can initiate the election while Olcott is still alive. Now, immediately after the passing of our dear President-Founder, I received an official letter dated February 28 from Vice President Mr. Sinnett, which stated that the election should take place in the month of May and that only those ballots sent to the General Secretaries between the first and last of May would be valid. This gave me a definite and indisputable directive. I had to carry out the election in May. Mr. Sinnett is rightly in charge after the President's death. It is therefore also up to him to conduct the election.

The German section will now also proceed in line with Mr. Sinnett's letter.

Each member will receive their ballot paper with the necessary information at the appropriate time.

If nothing else had happened, I would not have needed to write to our dear Theosophical friends. After all, everything is actually clear.

But now, as a result of the unusual communications mentioned, extensive discussions have taken place. Outside the German Section, people have spoken out against the authenticity of the Master's apparitions. Even the oldest members of the Theosophical Society have done so. Some have turned against Mrs. Besant quite fiercely. It was said that Mrs. Besant already has too many offices. She cannot have other ones as well, etc. Finally, fierce attacks on Mrs. Besant have appeared because of an article she wrote in the [March] issue of the “Theosophical Review”. Of course, it is not possible here to reproduce the content of this article in detail, and a brief summary could all too easily be accused of subjective interpretation. I would therefore like to quote here, not in my capacity as General Secretary, but as a friend of the members, what I said about it in the 33rd issue of the magazine “Luzifer - Gnosis”:

“This article could be understood as containing nothing more than the following."

The Theosophical Society demands that its members recognize a universal brotherhood of humanity. Anyone who recognizes that the Society has such work to do that is suitable for bringing about such a brotherhood can be a member of the Society. And one should not say that a member can be expelled for actions that cause offence here and there, provided that he recognizes the above rule of the society. For the Theosophical Society has no moral code, and one finds actions among the greatest minds of humanity that might offend someone depending on the circumstances of his time and country. I must confess that I regarded this essay as a correct and even self-evident consequence of an occultist attitude, and that I assumed that other Theosophists also think this way, until I came across the April issue of the

From all this and many other things, it has become clear that there has been opposition to Mrs. Besant within society for a long time. This fact has been known for a long time to those who have had the opportunity to observe certain events. It has now only come to the surface, with Olcott's unexpected nomination of Mrs. Besant for the position of president. It will also be strange to many, however, that even old friends of Mrs. Besant have now fallen away from her or taken sides against her.

Now, I would like to distance myself as much as possible from influencing anyone in this case. However, I do feel obliged to say a few words that may be useful in forming one's own opinion.

It has been said that Mrs. Besant acts on the advice of the masters or even on their orders. It is certainly a confusing fact. Some individuals have pointed out with all their might that the existence of the Masters is not a dogma for the Society, that one can be a perfectly good member of the Society without believing in the Masters. It was further said that one could generally be convinced that there are Masters, but that one could therefore still consider the revelations at Olcott's sickbed to be deceptions or the like. It was further emphasized that if something like orders given with master authority were issued in a matter that, like an election, must be left entirely to the discretion of each member, it would inevitably lead to psychological tyranny.

These are the things that the opponents have put forward. Now let us see what they themselves say on this main point. Her own words in a document dated Benares, March 24, are: “In regard to the statements made by Colonel Olcott in his letter of information” – referring to the above-mentioned letter of January about the master's appearances – “that his master had appointed him to make me his successor, I declare with all certainty – in view of letters received from some dear friends, who for this reason alone intend to cast their vote against me, that the Colonel made these communications truthfully and in full possession of his senses, and that I myself received the order to take them over, especially in my own behalf as well as in his presence. I would rather be rejected on the strength of my Master's word than succeed through denial of what, in my opinion, leads to higher honors than any election by the applause of the crowd. While many members do not believe in the Masters, and others deny this particular revelation, the Theosophical Society draws its essence, its life, its strength from the Masters, and like H.P.B. and Colonel Olcott, I too am their servant, and only as their servant do I carry out my work in the Society. I do not ask anyone to believe, but I must assert my own faith. Separate the Society from the Masters, and it is dead. Those who do not wish the second President to have this faith should vote against me.

Two things are clearly expressed in these sentences. Firstly, that Mrs. Besant wants to do everything she does in the sense of the Masters, and that she only believes in the Society to the extent that the work of the Masters is expressed in it. Secondly, however, that she considers the revelations of the Masters to be absolutely authoritative.

One can now fully agree with the first point, but not with the second.

I can only give assurance here that I myself am not yet allowed to say what I know about the phenomena in Adyar. But the time will surely come when I will be able to speak openly to Theosophical friends about the matter. So the choice will not depend on this knowledge of mine.

Now I must say openly that I foresee many difficulties that could arise for our work in the German section because of Mrs. Besant, precisely because of her occult position and many other things. I am not hiding the fact that I also have serious concerns. And few suspect how difficult it is for me to say such things here.

I would just like to say something that could be useful to some people. One can want to be a servant of the Masters, one can firmly believe that the Society only makes sense if it does the work of the Masters, and yet one does not need to take the revelations that are now being proclaimed from Adyar as one's guiding principle. It is not true, as many seem to believe, that these revelations either come from the masters, according to whom one has to act, or that they are illusions. As every true occultist should actually know, there is a third possibility. But since, as I said, I cannot talk about the revelations themselves, these hints will have to suffice for the time being. In any case, however, it is the case that one did not need to agree with Mrs. Besant's particular spiritual direction and yet could admit that under the current circumstances she is the only candidate for the presidency who can be considered. For one must bear in mind that the opposition to Mrs. Besant is not based on her personality, but that those who are now turning against her are turning against spiritual life itself. They will certainly not admit this so readily, but it is so. There is a current in society that, if it were to prevail, would gradually extinguish spiritual life. As a result, society would perhaps become an association for the comparison of religions, for philosophical considerations, for ethical culture or the like, but would not remain a spiritual brotherhood. One can also take the position that one cannot go along with Mrs. Besant's spiritual direction, but one wants the spirituality of the Society to be preserved at all costs, and therefore, under the present circumstances, one must elect Mrs. Besant, even if it might later lead to conflicts over her spiritual direction. We must accept this fact as being determined by the circumstances of the Society.

In the near future, I will send each member a ballot paper with information, and thus initiate the election in the appropriate manner.

If you would like to write to me about my remarks, I would be very grateful if you could do so as soon as possible so that it reaches me before the election.

With warm theosophical greetings
and best wishes,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.
Berlin, April 28, 1907.

Confidential.
The upcoming election of the President of the Theosophical Society.

To all those members of the German Section who are seeking an esoteric training from me.

In these days, when the vote of the German Section on the future president of the Theosophical Society is to take place, it is my duty to say a few words to those who belong to the esoteric current. The esotericist has a different relationship to spiritual life than that which requires membership of the exoteric society. The members of the exoteric Theosophical Society have nothing to do with but the statutes. And according to the statutes, Colonel Olcott's nomination of Mrs. Besant as future president is on hand. The member will therefore only have to ask himself whether he considers Mrs. Besant to be a suitable president or not, and cast his vote accordingly. Exoterically, everything that comes into consideration is exhausted.

The case looks different when viewed from the esoteric standpoint. There we have the fact that it was proclaimed from Adyar that Colonel Olcott had made the nomination at the behest of his Masters, who appeared at his sickbed shortly before his departure from the physical plane. And Mrs. Besant has emphasized with all possible clarity that she accepts the election because her Master told her to do so.

I am now speaking in this letter only to those who have confidence in me. For only such have approached me for esoteric advice. If they had not had this confidence, they would not have approached me. And I expressly request here again that only those who have this trust may hear these words of mine. The others may simply disregard them.

Occult connections are complicated. And therefore no one should believe that it is easy to talk about them. The time will come when I will be allowed to speak more clearly than today about the phenomena in Adyar.

It has been my principle so far not to advance anything within the theosophical movement that I cannot vouch for with my own knowledge. This must remain my principle. This is not to say that others should not teach what they accept on trust. I expressly emphasize that they are right to do so. Only my principle must be the above. It is only on the basis of this principle that I feel justified in esoterically relating to Theosophists and to people in general as I do.

With these qualifications in mind, I now say what I have to say about Mrs. Besant's nomination.

From all the discussions that have taken place about the Master's appearances in Adyar, one thing is clear: either they are true, in which case it would be a rebellion against the Masters not to follow them; or they are false, in which case there can be no question of taking them into account, and then everything connected with Mrs. Besant's leadership is called into question. But there is no such opposition. Within real occultism, there should be no talk of the possible inauthenticity of the phenomena in Adyar. It would never occur to a true occultist to question their authenticity.

Nevertheless, I myself must have a different view of these phenomena than Mrs. Besant. But that does not change the following facts.

Mrs. Besant is part of the spiritual life. She is inhabited by the spiritual life that emanates from the spiritual powers. And anyone within the Theosophical Society who wants this spiritual life will see Mrs. Besant as the appropriate person to hold the presidency at the present time.

I have different experiences in relation to many things that are difficult to consider, as Mrs. Besant does. I have to assume that there may be some difficulties in conducting Central European esoteric matters through her. And I will never relate to those who have trust in me differently than in a way that I can answer for it with my own knowledge, that I can answer for it myself before the individuals that we call the Masters. Once again I emphasize: Whoever does not have this kind of trust in me, should not listen to me. I want to give everyone the message that I am able to give, but I want no one to accept it other than through the completely free decision of his or her heart.

Precisely because I feel so completely independent from any sense of authority towards Mrs. Besant, precisely because I must find other paths mapped out in many ways by the exalted individuals we call the Masters, precisely for that reason I may also say: I am completely of one mind with Mrs. Besant in that the Theosophical Society has its strength, power, and indeed its content from the Masters, and that it must die if it were to deny the Masters and thus spiritual life.

Even if I had to go in a different direction from Mrs. Besant in some respects during her presidency, I would still have to say: she seems to me to be the right president. And even if I have said that I have different experiences of the Adyar apparitions than Mrs. Besant, I must still say: esoterically Mrs. Besant is right in her appeal to the Masters.

All this is decisive for me alone, when I express just as clearly as openly to those esoterically striving that for me Mrs. Besant is the suitable personality for the presidency, as on the other hand, that for all those who have confidence in me, no “psychic tyranny” will ever be exercised by any personality.

The occultist, however, can only regard the discussion as to whether the Adyar phenomena are genuine or not as unesoteric, and must refrain from entering into it.

In view of the responsibility I am assuming in this letter towards the wise men of humanity, I greet you

Rudolf Steiner
Munich, May 4, 1907.

For your information.

To the members of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.

From the circulars that I recently sent to the chairpersons of the branches of the German Section, it can be seen that the election of the president must take place in May. It can be assumed that the members are now aware of the aforementioned circular.

I am now enclosing the ballot paper. I request that you write either “For Mrs. Besant” or “Not for Mrs. Besant” in the space marked “vote cast”. Please sign your name in the “signature” space. If you do not wish to add your name, you may omit it. I request that all members immediately return the completed ballot to the following address (in a sealed envelope):

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
private address of Countess Kalckreuth
Munich
Adalbertstr. 55.

(Please use this exact address). Those who do not wish to vote for or against Mrs. Besant can also return an unmarked ballot paper.

Ballots returned after May 23 cannot be considered valid.

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.

May 8 is the anniversary of the passing of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky from the physical plane. It will therefore remain as a day of remembrance within the Theosophical Society. Theosophists may direct their thoughts in particular to the spiritual mediator of a tremendous stream of spiritual wisdom and spiritual power in our time. And on this day, they may be especially mindful of the important occult truth that thoughts are facts. When we direct our thoughts to the spirit that was embodied in the physical body of HP Blavatsky until May 8, our thought powers provide this spirit with the bridge through which it can shine into our souls during the moment of celebration. And through this illumination of our souls, HPB can also be present in the work that is connected with her earthly deeds. — It will be of great help to our movement, especially in the present difficult events in society, if we present these facts to our souls on the White Lotus Day. This will give us the strength to do good in society. And on this day in particular, we should bear in mind the significance of the life of HP Blavatsky. The course of human development had brought it about that in the second half of the nineteenth century, life had to be permeated by the spirit of materialism. This is more the case than people today can admit. For the man of the present has forced his way of thinking and his direction in life into materialistic habits, so that he is often still materialistic in his feelings and perceptions, even if he strives to be an idealist in his thoughts. The great leaders of humanity, the masters of wisdom and of the harmony of perceptions, have poured a stream of spirituality into this materialistically colored life. And the soul of HP Blavatsky was the gateway through which this stream flowed to humanity. To recognize this, all that is needed is an unbiased look at the works of HP Blavatsky. Today we are able to examine many of HP Blavatsky's occult messages through these works. And those who can test them will only become greater admirers of the creator as a result of this examination. It can be said that HP Blavatsky's opponents can only be those who are unable to penetrate her works.

But anyone who might doubt that HP Blavatsky was in contact with the great Masters of Wisdom and of the Harmony of Feelings would have to answer the question: Where do the spiritual truths of her writings come from, which only those who do not understand them can doubt? For the one who understands, these truths are facts, and he needs no others. Or where have such truths ever been obtained other than from the sources where initiation arises? What is needed other than this realization to bring the significance of HP Blavatsky to mind?

And in this year in particular, we remember with deep love on the day of the lotus also the brave fellow campaigner of HP Blavatsky, who has now also recently left the physical plane. It was only through his energy and organizational talent that the stream of spiritual life flowing through HP Blavatsky was also embodied in a society.

If HP Blavatsky's cultural achievement is shrugged off in small circles, or if the vast multitude of people in the world are still unaware of it, then the Theosophists may remember that contemporary writers of the Christ Jesus also say nothing about him. The great advances of human evolution must arise from small beginnings. And the Theosophists must remember that their strength is reckoned with in the spirit of the world's course, that it is through this strength that the rise of the Theosophical movement is to be effected. The exalted guides of humanity are the souls of this ascent; but just as the human soul must organize the body out of the substance of the flesh in order to function on the physical plane, so the guides of humanity must form the spiritual body that is to serve their work out of human souls. And it is up to us to make our souls available to them by surrendering to spiritual wisdom.

In this sense, the human soul must voluntarily surrender to the spirit of the wise masters, just as the flesh surrenders to the service of the human soul through the wise laws of nature when the temple of the human body is built for the work of the soul.

Let us shape our thoughts in this way when we commemorate HP Blavatsky on the white lotus day.

Something of her great qualities will always strengthen the Theosophical Society if its members allow themselves to be influenced by the exemplary character of the foundress of the Theosophical Society.

The Theosophical Society (Madras Headquarters) German Section.

To the esteemed members of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.

Dear Friends!

The undersigned takes the liberty of inviting you to the sixth general assembly, which will take place in Berlin on October 19, 20 and 21, 1907.

The proceedings will be as follows:

I. On Saturday, October 19, at 8 p.m., members are invited to Berlin W[ilmersdorf], Motzstraße 17, for a free, informal conversation.

II. On Sunday, October 20, at 10 a.m. (Berlin

Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17), the business part

will be held with the following program:

1. Opening of the meeting and welcoming address by the Secretary General.

2. Reports of the Secretary General, Treasurer, Secretary and Auditors.

3. Election of a new member of the board to replace a resigned member.

4. Motions from the plenum.

5. Miscellaneous.

III. On Sunday at 4 p.m., (Berlin

Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17) a factual-theosophical

part with the following program:

1. Free lectures and discussions by members.

2. Free, informal debate.

IV. Monday, October 21, 10 a.m. (Berlin Wfilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17): Continuation of the Theosophical part:

1. Free lectures and discussions by members.

2. Free, informal discussion.

On Saturday, October 19th, at 4 p.m. (Berlin Wilmersdorf Motzstraße 17), the members of the board are requested to attend the regular board meeting.

Proposals for the General Assembly and registrations from individual members for lectures and addresses etc. on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning are requested (to be sent to the address of the Secretary General) by October 10.

Hoping to welcome as many of our dear members as possible on the days mentioned above,

Theosophical greetings, the General Secretary:
Dr. Rudolf Steiner

In the days before and after, and possibly also on these days themselves, Dr. Rudolf Steiner will give some lectures on important Theosophical topics. Further information about time and topics will be made available to each member at Motzstraße 17. On Monday, October 22, at 8 p.m., the Berlin Besant Branch will host a lecture by Dr. Steiner, to which all members of the section are invited.

Dear friends!

At the meeting of the Besant branch held on the evening of October 14, the following delegates were unanimously elected for the General Assembly:

Fräulein von Sivers,
Herr Kiem,
Frau von Bredow,
Mr. Tessmar,
Ms. Mücke,
Mr. Selling,
Mr. Korth.

We hope that you agree with this selection. Otherwise, we ask that you propose names.

The board of the Besant branch.

Read by W. D. Panday. Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-second Anniversary and Convention of the T.S., 1907

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

In the course of last year new Branches have been formed in Kassel, in Munich (a third one besides the two already existing), in Düsseldorf (a second one, Blavatsky Lodge, besides the one already existing); the Centres Elberfeld and Esslingen have constituted themselves as Branches.

The total number of Branches is now 28 and one Centre. 303 members have joined the Section during the year; 12 have resigned, 19 dropped out, 4 died, 2 passed over to other Sections. So that the net increase amounts to 266. The effective number of members at the last Convention was 872.

A principal part in the Section’s activity of this year belongs to the work for the Congress of the Federation of European Sections, that was held in Munich on May 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st.

The lecture-work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has been continued in the same intensive way as in the last year. Besides single lectures given by him in many towns, this year whole series of daily lectures were organised; they prove very useful, because the members that attend them get a total and well-linked exposition of theosophical world-conception. Such series of lectures took place this year in Munich, Kassel and Hannover. Besides visiting various towns in Germany and Switzerland, Dr. Rudolf Steiner lectured in Vienna and Budapest. Lectures were also given by Michael Bauer, Mathilde Scholl, F. Schwab, and Elise Wolfram. An active worker who is particularly able in scientific explanation of Theosophy is developing in Dr. Carl Unger.

Particular stress is laid, in Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s lectures, upon the necessity of rigorously binding the occult side of Theosophy to the logical, scientific one, and he seeks to destroy the wide-spread prejudice that Theosophy is leading to vague psychism.

We had the joy of listening to a lecture of Mrs. Besant in Munich, on May 27th, «Exertion and Destiny.»

The review, Luzifer - Gnosis, edited by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, has been continued and gains in expansion.

The sectional organ, Mitteilungen, communicating to members business notices and the activities of the Lodges, has been carried on along its old lines.

There have been published in the course of the year: Blood is a particular fluid, an esoteric treatise; The Lord’s Prayer, an esoteric treatise by Dr. Rudolf Steiner. Then his Education of the Child from the standpoint of Spiritual Science, and Pictures of occult Seals and Columns (with an introduction by Dr. Rudolf Steiner). The latter is a reproduction of the occult decoration of the Congress-Hall in Munich.

The fifth annual Convention was held in Berlin on October 19th, 20th and 21st. Instead of Mr. Bernhard Hubo, who to our regret tended his resignation from the Executive Committee, Mr. Wilhelm Tessmar (Berlin) was chosen.

After the success which our work has had in this year, we may hope for further good progress.

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

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

The Theosophical Society (Adyar Headquarters) German Section.

Dear Members of the German Section of the Theosophical Society.

Dear Friends!

The undersigned takes the liberty of inviting you to the seventh General Assembly, which will take place in Berlin on October 25 and 26, 1908.

The proceedings will be as follows:

On Sunday, October 25, at 10 a.m. (Berlin

Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17), the business part will be held with the following program:

1. Opening of the meeting and welcoming address by the Secretary General.

2. Reports of the Secretary General, Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditors.

3. Election of the new executive committee.

4. Motions from the floor.

5. Miscellaneous.

On Sunday, at 4 p.m. (Berlin Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17), there will be a factual-theosophical part with the following program:

1. Free lectures and discussions by members.

2. Free, unconstrained debate.

Monday, October 26, 10 a.m. (Berlin Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17): Continuation of the factual-theosophical part:

1. Free lectures and discussions by members.

2. Free, unconstrained debate.

On Saturday, October 24, at 3:30 p.m. (Berlin W[ilmersdorf], Motzstraße 17), the members of the board are requested to attend the regular board meeting.

Proposals for the General Assembly and registrations of individual members for lectures and addresses etc. on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning are requested (to the address of the Secretary General) by October 18.

On Thursday, October 22, Dr. Rudolf Steiner will give a lecture at 8 p.m. in the architects' house (Wilhelmstr. 92/93) on Goethe's Secret Revelation (exoteric), and on Saturday, October 24, a lecture on the esoteric in Goethe's secret revelation, also in the architects' house, at 8 p.m.

On the days before and after, and if possible also on these days themselves, Dr. Rudolf Steiner will give some lectures on important theosophical subjects. Further information about time and topics will be available to every member at Motzstraße 17. On Monday, October 26, at 8 p.m., there will be a lecture by Dr. Steiner at the Berlin Besant Branch, to which all members of the section are invited.

Members are requested to notify Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Berlin Wilmersdorf, Motzstr. 17, of their attendance at the General Assembly as soon as they receive this invitation, as the General Assembly is expected to be very well attended this time and it may be necessary to find additional space.

Hoping to welcome as many of our dear members as possible on the days mentioned above,

The Theosophical greeting,

Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Secretary General.

Translated by Marie Steiner for the thirty-third Anniversary and Convention of the T.S., 1908

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 German Theosophical Society.

The theosophical cause in Germany has made in the course of the present year very satisfactory progress. The working field has been widened through the foundation of nine new lodges, and the work in the existent lodges has been deepened. The new lodges are those of Bern, Eisenach, Wiesbaden, Mannheim, Strassburg, Pforzheim, Zürich, Bielefeld, Malsch. Charlottenburg lodge, having been dormant for some years, has dissolved.

The total number of lodges is now 37, and one centre. 336 members have joined the Section during the year; 10 have died, 21 resigned, 4 passed over to other Sections and 23 dropped out. The net increase amounts to 278. The effective number of members at the last Convention was 1150.

The lecture work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner has been continued in the same intensive way, and the subjects concerning Theosophy and Occultism have been deepened more and more. At public lectures, questions of a more and more difficult character can now be treated. In many towns an increasing growth of interest for Theosophy can be observed also, from the side of those that for various reasons cannot enter the Society. The number also of those listeners is increasing steadily.

Of particular importance for the deepening of the work is the fact that Dr. Steiner, besides his single lectures, held a number of lecture-series, which were organised in Bâle, Cologne, Hamburg, Nurnberg, Stuttgart, and Leipzig, and were very well attended, in Stuttgart more than 300 members were assembled. We have also the pleasure of seeing amidst us members from other Sections.

Further progress is to be seen in the work which is done in Munich for the popularisation of the theosophical cause. The untiring activity of Frl. Stinde and Countess Kalckreuth brought into life a particular Institution for the popularisation of Theosophy. In the so-called «Rooms for art and music,» artistic productions and an elementary exposition of Theosophy are given to the lower classes of the population; these gatherings are very well attended. By these means an interest in spiritual life is awakened in the broad masses of the population. Dr. Peipers, Baroness Gumppenberg, and other members are helping to realise this aim in a very beneficent way through lectures, magic-lantern pictures, etc.

In another way also an effort has been made to build a bridge between Theosophy and the spiritual life of the time. During the lecture series such musical performances and recitations are given as organically fit into the frame of theosophical work. Frl. v. Sivers’ art in recitation was a beautiful contribution to these performances.

An important progress lies in the intensive way with which in some places special departments of Theosophy are carried on. Thus, Dr. Unger works untiringly in Stuttgart through lectures and otherwise in trying to establish the philosophical basis of Theosophy. Frl. Völker does the same for its mystical side. Frau Wolfram in Leipzig has chosen a special field in the interpretation of legends and myths. In Berlin, classes are held by Frau Wandrey, Mlle. Boesé, Herr Walther and Herr G. Wagner. Only the characteristic sides of our work can be mentioned here by some examples.

Dr. Steiners’ efforts tend towards putting Theosophy on the broadest basis possible. The philosophical, scientific and religious elements find full consideration, as well as the occult element standing in the centre; while it is pointed out that the one-sidedness of lower psychism is to be avoided.

The magazine, Luzifer - Gnosis, edited by Dr. Steiner and appearing at irregular intervals, gains in expansion. The Sectional organ, Mitteilungen, appears in the same way as before.

The Sixth Annual Convention was held in Berlin on October 25th and 26th. For the Executive Committee the following members were chosen: Dr. Rudolf Steiner (General Secretary), Herr Franz Seiler (Treasurer), Frl. v. Sivers (Sectional Secretary), Günther Wagner, Bernhard Hubo, Mathilde Scholl, Adolf Kolbe, Adolf Arenson, Sophie Stinde, Friedrich Kiem, Michael Bauer, Elise Wolfram, Dr. E. Grosheintz, Dr. Carl Unger, Friedrich Tessmar.

In this year too we may say that the progress made gives us the best hope for the future. We send our warmest greetings to all brothers in India.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.