Rudolf Steiner Design Spiritueller Funktionalismus Kunst

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Rudolf Steiner Design Spiritueller Funktionalismus Kunst Rudolf Steiner Design Spiritueller Funktionalismus Kunst Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades des Doktors der Philosophie an der Universität Konstanz Fachbereich Literaturwissenschaft vorgelegt von Reinhold Johann Fäth Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 12.11.2004 1. Referent: Prof. Dr. Thürlemann 2. Referent: Prof. Dr. Braun 3. Referent: Prof. Dr. Oettinger 1 2 Reinhold Johann Fäth Rudolf Steiner Design Spiritueller Funktionalismus Kunst 3 4 Inhaltsverzeichnis Abartiges Design?.......................................................... 6 Erste Annäherung ................................................................... 8 Zweite Annäherung ............................................................... 15 Dritte Annäherung ................................................................ 27 Vierte Annäherung ................................................................ 37 Fünfte Annäherung ............................................................... 49 »Rudolf Steiner – »Design«?........................................ 54 Zum Begriff »Rudolf Steiner Design« und zum »Design- begriff« Rudolf Steiners .................................................. 54 Der Münchner Kongress 1907..................................... 69 »Veranstaltungsdesign« – Vignetten, Siegel, Säulen........... 72 Farbdesign: Raumstimmung und Stimmungsräume .. 86 Die Münchner Farbkammern .............................................. 86 Die Kunstzimmer und der Berliner Zweigraum .................. 92 Altarräume der Waldorfschulen.................................. 98 Farbdesign der Waldorfschulbauten .................................. 101 Der Stuttgarter Bau.................................................... 105 Zwischenbemerkung ........................................................... 114 Stühle ........................................................................... 117 Rednerpulte ................................................................ 149 Schränke ..................................................................... 156 Metamorphosen .......................................................... 176 Projektion – Reflektion ....................................................... 176 Metamorphose ..................................................................... 190 Design als Therapie .................................................... 198 Artiges Design? .......................................................... 210 Werkliste Möbel ......................................................... 214 Dank ............................................................................ 229 Anmerkungen ............................................................. 230 Literaturverzeichnis ................................................... 325 Abbildungsverzeichnis ............................................... 343 5 Abartiges Design? Zum kunsthistorischen Problemfall Rudolf Steiner. Annäherungen. »Fakten aus bisher mehr als siebzig Produktionsjahren wurden in der allgemeinen Kunstgeschichtsschreibung schlichtweg ignoriert. Keine nennenswerte Notiz gibt es in der Malereigeschichte [bzw. Designgeschichte, R.J.F.] des 20. Jahrhunderts über den Anteil ›der Anthroposophen‹. [...] Ich möchte zwei Genera- tionen von Kunsthistorikern nicht unterstellen, sie seien ›blind‹ gegenüber der umfang- reichen Bilderwelt dieser Welt- anschauungsbewegung ge- wesen. Aber sie haben sie in ihren Publikationen eindeutig verschwiegen, vielleicht auch verschweigen müssen.« Andreas Mäckler: Lichtoffene Farbigkeit: Grundlinien der an- throposophisch-orien- tierten Lasurmalerei. Voraussetzung und Er- scheinungsform. Schaffhausen: Novalis, 1992. Dissertation, Univ. Marburg, Titel: Die Farbentheorie und Malpraxis der Anthro- posophie – Vorausset- zungen und Erschei- nungsformen 6 »Die von ihm vorgestellten In- terieurs wirken wie Staffagen zu einem Frankensteinfilm der Dreißiger Jahre. Die Gebärde der Möbel heißt nicht „den Menschen“, sondern nur dessen Abartigkeit, wie sie seinerzeit Boris Karloff legendär verkör- pert hat, willkommen.« Wolfgang Bachmann: Die Architekturvorstel- lungen der Anthroposo- phen: Versuch einer Deutung und Wertung. Dissertation zur Kunstge- schichte, TH Aachen, 1981. 7 Erste Annäherung. Zugegeben, angesichts der grau verhangenen Abbildung mit den offensichtlich monströs klobigen Anthroposophen- Möbeln aus den Ende-Zwanziger, Anfang-Dreißiger Jahren assoziierte ich gleichfalls ein Frankenstein-Interieur.1 Vor den Originalen allerdings musste ich den ersten Eindruck stau- nend revidieren, denn in Wirklichkeit waren Schrank und Ses- sel vergleichsweise klein, der Stuhl geradezu zierlich, die Ober- flächen hell und warm im Holzton des geflammten Birken- furniers. So fiel denn der Bildwechsel nicht gar zu überraschend aus, als ich einen der »Frankensteinstühle« unter denjenigen Abbildungen entdeckte, die gegenwärtig als »Highlights in- ternationaler Wohnkultur« für die Zeitschrift AD Architectural Digest Abonnenten werben. Das Foto stammt aus einem frü- heren AD-Artikel (1/2-1997/98) über das Wohnatelier des Malers Helmut Federle, worin der kubistische Stuhl vor ei- nem Art-déco-Schreibtisch repräsentierte. Die Bildlegende der ganzseitigen Farbabbildung im Artikel klassifiziert: »Stuhl aus der Dornach-Schule«. Hier »Highlight internationaler Wohnkultur« aus der Dornach-Schule, dort Verkörperung menschlicher »Abartigkeit«, die man »nicht ernsthaft klassi- fizieren« könne?2 Wie kommt es zu diesen extrem unterschied- lichen Beurteilungen? Wer sich dem Phänomen Rudolf Steiner designgeschicht- lich3 bzw. kunstwissenschaftlich nähert, wird mit einer Lite- ratur der harten Schnitte konfrontiert. Ein gegenwärtiger »Stand der Forschung« lässt sich schwerlich ausmachen: Die Probleme beginnen bei der längst nicht vollständig geleiste- ten Gegenstandserfassung der Werke Steiners und spitzen sich bei der Gegenstandsdeutung extrem zu. Die Empirie ist gegenüber der Hermeneutik freilich das kleinere Problem. Schon wer sich mehr als nur lexikalische Daten zur Biogra- fie Steiners verschaffen will, um etwas über Steiner als Künst- ler zu erfahren, begegnet Charakterisierungen, die sich schein- bar nicht auf dieselbe Persönlichkeit beziehen können. Den einen erscheint der Begründer der anthroposophischen Be- wegung als bewundernswerter Uomo universale, als scharf- 8 Foto Architectural Digest sinniger Philosoph, Architekt, Plastiker, Maler und Dichter, als hellsichtiger Visionär, Forscher und innovativer Impuls- geber auf so unterschiedlichen Gebieten wie ökologischem Landbau, alternativer Pädagogik und Medizin, – und als gro- ßer Eingeweihter. Ein anderer dagegen meint: »Der Begrün- der der anthroposophischen Bewegung war als Dichter ein stümpernder Epigone, als Mystiker ein Hochstapler, als Phi- losoph eine Null, als Naturforscher ein Scharlatan und nur als Sektenpriester ein Genie.«4 Und für eine wissenschaftli- che »Würdigung« sei allein die Psychiatrie zuständig: »Wie 9 Hitler, dessen Weltanschauung der anthroposophischen man- ches zu verdanken hatte, trieben auch Steiner paranoide Wachträume, Strafphantasien und das Verlangen nach Ra- che um.«5 Braun-Rechts? Schnitt. Rot-Links: Im Kursbuch (55) über Sekten wurde unter dem Titel Astral-Marx (gemeint ist Steiner) ausführlich und positiv über die vielfältigen Gemeinsamkeiten der Anthropo- sophie mit dem Marxismus resümiert.6 Die faschistische Pres- se der Dreißiger Jahre kennzeichnete die Anthro- posophie des »Juden« Steiner beispielsweise wie folgt: »Ein Sammelbecken getarnter Mächte ist die Anthroposophie Rudolf Steiners. Neuerdings zie- hen sich dort die intellek- tuellen Marxisten und sonstige Überstaatliche zu- sammen. [...] Es hat keinen Erstes Goetheanum Sinn mit Anthroposophen zu verhandeln. Mit Bakterien verhandelt man nicht, man ver- nichtet sie.«7 Der Untersuchungsbericht eines damaligen Nazi-Inquisitors an den Reichshauptführer SS stellt fest: »Die anthroposophische Gesellschaft [kennt] in ihren brüderlichen Reihen keinen Unterschied in Rasse, Religion, Geschlecht und Farbe. [...] Eine Gleichschaltung oder Einordnung in bestehende nationalsozialistische Organisationen muss da- her undenkbar erscheinen.«8 Schließlich hatte schon 1921 Adolf Hitler die Idee der »Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus« des damals poli- tisch aktiven Steiner als eine der »jüdischen Methoden zur Zerstörung der normalen Geistesverfassung der Völker«9 apo- strophiert. Steiner wiederum soll nach dem Bekanntwerden des Putschversuchs von Ludendorff und Hitler geäußert ha- ben: »Wenn diese Herren an die Regierung kommen, kann 10 mein Fuß deutschen Boden nicht mehr betreten.«10 Je nach negativem oder positivem Vorzeichen einer Pu- blikation können Steiner-Zitate hier zum einen, Steiner-Zita- te dort zum polar entgegengesetzten Urteil aufrufen.11 Hagi- ographie und Diabolisierung wechseln. Für eine wissenschaft- liche Annäherung stellt manche Literatur über Steiner ein größeres Problem dar als die esoterischen Vorträge von Steiner selbst.12 Wer sich kunsthistorisch für Steiners Kunst interessiert und auf Entdeckungsfahrt begibt, benötigt einerseits Basiswissen der philosophischen, wie anthroposophischen Schriften Steiners, und seitens der kontroversen Darstellungen über Steiner ein diagnostisches Gespür für wissenschaft- liche Seriosität jenseits oder trotz sympathischer respektive antipathischer Färbungen – man mache sich auf eine klippenrei- che Odyssee gefasst. Zweites Goetheanum Ein Beispiel aus dem aktuellen kunstwissenschaftlichen Diskurs mag demonstrieren, dass Warnungen durchaus an- gebracht sind. Wenn der Architekturhistoriker
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