General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 5/18 ■ Goetheanum May 2018 • N° 5 Goetheanum 1 Leadership: Letter to the members 9 Leadership: World Goetheanum Association Anthroposophical Society 2018 Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting 3 Response to the Annual General Goetheanum Leadership during the Meeting in other countries Goetheanum Leadership transition period up to the June retreat 5 Representative of Humanity (not in the picture: Matthias Girke) on the stage of the Main Letter to the Members Auditorium (Motion 12) 6 Members’ voices openly and make the processes more trans- 8 At the editors’ request: impressions Dear Members, parent for you as members. We see this as from a Council Member of the the best way forward to address the devel- Swiss Anthroposophical Society What is the situation at the Goetheanum? opment of isolated factions, the legitimate 10 Finland: new general secretary And what happens after the eventful Annual concerns about the further development Henri Murto General Meeting of the Anthroposophical in the Society and the rumours/suspicions 11 Argentina: new representative Horacio Müller Society in the week before Palm Sunday of various kinds which are unfortunately 12 Annual Motif: Rhythm and in Dornach? What are the consequences spreading rapidly. Movement (first rhythm) of the further terms of office of the execu- 15 Membership news tive members, Paul Mackay and Bodo von Sober stocktaking Plato, not having been confirmed by the After the intense and dramatic Easter event Forum General Assembly? at the Goetheanum (see below), there were 14 Corrections: agm minutes, Joan These questions concern many members. naturally great expectations directed to- Sleigh’s Travel Log A large number of messages from all over wards the first session of the Goetheanum 14 Appeal: Thomastik instruments the world have reached us in the Executive Leadership (Executive Council and Sec- 14 Appeal: Eliant petition for a more Council and the Goetheanum Leadership. tion Leaders). In the protracted meetings human-based education 15 Ascension Conference initiative We are touched by the intense participation on 10 April, it was our task to draw the first and concern. The human involvement in the conclusions from the events and to realign Feature events of the Anthroposophical Society has our work together. 16 Social Initiative Forum Japan suddenly become warmed and condensed. As a first step, we took a sober look at The intentions envisaged by the Executive what was expressed through the outcome Council and the Goetheanum Leadership of the voting at the General Assembly. What must now be mandated anew. What could mistakes and omissions have we made and become possible in this newly created situ- ation? We want to approach this situation continued on page 2 2 | Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 5/18 ■ goetheanum where have we not correctly assessed devel- on the Board of Directors of Weleda was con- opments? Where are deficits in the commu- The decisions made firmed by the Executive Council on 10 April. nication with the members? Where were processes incomprehensible? We want to in short form: «Goetheanum in deepen this diagnosis even further. Against development» continues this background, what is the common will 1. Since 25 March 2018, the re- At Michaelmas 2016 the Goetheanum in the Society, to take forward the initiated sponsibilities of the Executive Leadership hosted the World Conference process of re-defining the Anthroposophi- Council lie exclusively with at the Goetheanum. From this the work cal Society, the tasks of the School of Spiri- Justus Wittich, Joan Sleigh, stream "Goetheanum in development" has tual Science and the undertaking "Goethea- Constanza Kaliks and Matth- emerged. Over the next three years, the num in Development"? Are our procedures ias Girke intention is to strengthen the School of and structures still suitable for an anthro- 2. Constanza Kaliks has taken Spiritual Science, the Anthroposophical So- posophically inspired world movement? up the chairmanship of the ciety and the vocational fields worldwide As a result of the discussions on 10 April, Goetheanum Leadership in and bring them into a fruitful collaboration. we can state: of course, the Executive 2018/2019 with Oliver Conradt. The projects that are underway to reach Council and the Goetheanum Leadership 3. Until the retreat on 11 and 12 this goal will continue. In particular, this accept the outcome of the vote. Thus we June 2018, there will be a tran- includes the aim of achieving a balanced are faced with the fact that three members sitional period for all other financial budget for the Goetheanum by of the Executive Council, since Seija Zim- mandates and tasks. 2020. The future of Anthroposophy in the mermann also retired, have simultaneously 4. All responsibilities, mandates world and at the Goetheanum continues left their office (on one day). The will of the and delegations will be reas- to be the core task and heart-felt concern Goetheanum Leadership, comprising since signed at the June retreat. of the Goetheanum Leadership. 2012 of equally responsible members of 5. Paul Mackay will continue to How the work at the Goetheanum con- the Executive Council and Section Leaders, represent the Anthroposophi- tinued without interruption immediately to work together is not affected by this cal Society on the Board of after the dramatic events of the General loss. We will attempt in every way possible Directors of Weleda ag. Assembly, both publically and in the area to integrate as many concerns of Society of the School of Spiritual Science, can be members as possible in the intentions seen in two impressive events: The new for- carried by the Goetheanum. mat "Easter at the Goetheanum" brought in addition to lectures and introductions, Limited transition period ing of responsibilities. The actual Council the concert performance of the Act 3 of In the interest of the diverse workings of responsibilities of Paul Mackay and Bodo Wagner's Parzival by the Basel Symphony the School of Spiritual Science, the Anthro- von Plato (as well as Seija Zimmermann) Orchestra, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, and posophical Society and the Goetheanum ended on 24 March 2018. Since then they Verdi's Messa da Requiem with the Zurich operation, with its accompanying organiza- have been taken over by the four current Symphony Orchestra, under the direction tions, we now envisage a limited transition- board members (Justus Wittich, Joan Sleigh, of Heinz Bähler. Both concerts were a great al period in order to facilitate the reorganiz- Constanza Kaliks and Matthias Girke). The artistic event in the meeting of public cul- role of spokesperson for the Goetheanum tural achievement with the Goetheanum, Leadership, intended for Paul Mackay and which attracted many interested people to Anthroposophy Worldwide appears ten times a year, is distributed by the national Anthroposoph- designated for one year, was taken over by the almost sold out hall. This was followed ical Societies, and appears as a supplement to Constanza Kaliks and Oliver Conradt. by the International Conference of the the weekly ‹Das Goetheanum› Publisher General The many tasks and mandates within professions of Eurythmy, Artistic Speech Anthroposophical Society, represented by Justus Wittich Editors Sebastian Jüngel (responsible for the running of the Goetheanum operation and Eurythmy Therapy, organized by three this edition), Michael Kranawetvogl (responsible in projects, in planned conferences and Sections of the School of Spiritual Science, for the Spanish edition), Margot M. Saar (respon- working contexts, which were delegated and attended by up to 800 participants sible for the English edition), Proofreader for the English edition: Amadeus Bodenstein. Address to Paul Mackay and Bodo von Plato by the from 40 countries worldwide. It enlivened Wochenschrift ‹Das Goetheanum›, Postfach, Goetheanum Leadership for three years, the Goetheanum Campus with joyful en- 4143 Dornach, Switzerland, Fax +41 61 706 44 65, according to our Rules of Procedure, will counters and many inspiring examples of [email protected] Correspondents/ news agency Jürgen Vater (Sweden), News Net- continue until 11 and 12 June 2018. These artistic-educational-therapeutic work being work Anthroposophy (nna). We expressly wish will then be reassessed and reassigned as undertaken in the world. for active support and collaboration. Subscrip- part of a reorganization of all mandates, a We hope to continue our work in this tions To receive ‹Anthroposophy Worldwide› please apply to the Anthroposophical Society in regular procedure due in December 2018, direction, with your support and involve- your country. Alternatively, individual subscrip- which will be brought forward to June 2018. ment, to stimulate and strengthen the ef- tions are available at chf 30 (eur/us$ 30) per We would like to carefully consider and fective working of Anthroposophy from year. An e-mail version is available to members of the Anthroposophical Society only at www. prepare this process in the coming weeks. the Goetheanum into the world. | Justus goetheanum.org/630.html?L=1 © 2017 General The mandate to Paul Mackay to continue Wittich and Ueli Hurter for the Goetheanum Anthroposophical Society, Dornach, Switzerland representing the Anthroposophical Society Leadership. English by Joan Sleigh Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 5/18 | 3 ■ antroposophical society Worldwide International responses to the agm Finland The general secretaries and representatives were