Friedrich Rittelmeyer

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Friedrich Rittelmeyer (born October 5, 1872 in Dillingen an der Donau , † March 23, 1938 in Hamburg ) was a German Protestant pastor, important preacher, theologian, anthroposophist and co-founder as well as the first arch superior of the Christian community .

biography

Growing up in the Franconian town of Schweinfurt - his father was an Evangelical Lutheran pastor there - it was already clear to the child that he would later want to work professionally in the field of religion. From 1890 Rittelmeyer studied Protestant theology and philosophy at the University of Erlangen and in Berlin . In Erlangen he joined the Uttenruthia in the Schwarzburgbund in the winter semester of 1890/91 . The most important teachers were Adolf von Harnack and Julius Kaftan , later Oswald Külpe , who encouraged him to write a dissertation on Friedrich Nietzsche .

Following his studies, an educational trip led to encounters with theologians and socially committed pastors of his time (which led to his emphasis on “ Tatchristism ”), including the Moravian Brethren . From 1895 to 1902 he was vicar at the newly built Johannis Church in Würzburg , and from 1903 he took over the pastoral position of afternoon preacher at the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Nuremberg . There he married Julie Kerler on April 5, 1904. Rittelmeyer worked closely with Christian Geyer (1862–1929), the main preacher of the Sebalduskirche. Two joint volumes of sermons emerged from this. Around 1910 both of them had a dispute with the Bavarian church leadership for a liberal interpretation of the Bible and Confession.

In 1916 Rittelmeyer was called to the New Church in Berlin, where he worked as a preacher. Initially captured by national enthusiasm, he soon became an opponent of the war and signed an appeal for peace and understanding with four other Berlin theologians on the occasion of the memory of the Reformation (October 1917).

The Nuremberg elementary school teacher Michael Bauer arranged for Rittelmeyer to meet Rudolf Steiner , the founder of anthroposophy , for the first time around 1910 . Rittelmeyer described the encounter and examination of Steiner's person and work in My Life Encounter with Rudolf Steiner . In the Christian community that was being established, Rittelmeyer performed the first acts of worship in September 1922 (ordination of the founders and sacrament of the altar). He became the first “arch governor” of the “Movement for Religious Renewal” (self-designation of the Christian community) and was in charge of its development from Stuttgart until the end of his life. During the time of National Socialism he set himself the task of a constant tightrope walk: between critical intellectual examination of National Socialism in numerous publications on the one hand and his task of enabling a survival strategy for the Christian community, for whose continued existence he felt responsible.

Publications

Original editions (selection)

  • Peace and strength. Seven sermons, dedicated to the Würzburg Protestant community as a farewell gift, 1902.
  • Friedrich Nietzsche and the problem of knowledge. A monographic attempt, Diss. Leipzig 1903.
  • God and the soul. A vintage sermons (with Christian Geyer), Kerler, Ulm 1906.
  • The pastor. Experienced and strived for. Kerler, Ulm 1909.
  • What does Johannes Müller want? Brief presentation and appreciation. Beck, Munich 1910.
  • Life from god. New vintage sermons (with Christian Geyer), Kerler, Ulm 1911.
  • Friedrich Nietzsche and religion. Four lectures, Kerler, Ulm 1911.
  • Jesus. One picture in four lectures, Kerler, Ulm 1912.
  • Christian and war. Sermons from wartime, Kaiser, Munich 1916.
  • From Rudolf Steiner's theosophy. Phil.-anthr. Publishing house, Berlin 1917.
  • To inner politics. Kaiser, Munich 1919.
  • German distress in the light of Jesus. Eight pulpit speeches on the Beatitude. Kaiser, Munich 1919.
  • Tatch Christianity. Seven pulpit speeches on the wounds of Jesus, Kaiser, Munich 1921.
  • Christ for us. Three pulpit speeches, Kaiser, Munich 1922.
  • On religious renewal (with Emil Bock), Verlag der Christengemeinschaft, Stuttgart 1922.
  • World renewal. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1923.
  • The Christian Community. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1925.
  • Luther - what he is and is not to us. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1925.
  • From the Johannine age. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1925.
  • Christ and the Presence. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1926.
  • The cosmic Christ. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1926.
  • The act of consecration. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1926.
  • From the death of Christ. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1927.
  • My life encounter with Rudolf Steiner. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1928.
  • What does the Christian community want? Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1928.
  • The call of the present for Christ. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1928.
  • Meditation. Twelve letters on self-education. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1929.
  • Sin and grace. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1929.
  • God and the angels. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1929.
  • Theology and anthroposophy. An introduction. Christian Community Publishing House, Stuttgart 1930.
  • The holy year. Help for the inner animation of the seasons. Christian Community Publishing House, Stuttgart 1930.
  • Re-embodiment in the light of thought, religion, morality. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1931.
  • The German in his world task between Russia and America. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1932.
  • Rudolf Steiner as a guide to the new Christianity. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1933.
  • Germanness. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1934.
  • The Lord's Prayer as incarnation. Publishing house of the Christian Community, Stuttgart 1935.
  • Christ. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1936.
  • Out of my life. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1937.
  • People for one another, people for one another. Words by Friedrich Rittelmeyer, ed. v. Harro Rückner, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1937.
  • Fellowship with the deceased. Four essays, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1938.
  • Questions and Answers on Introduction to the Christian Community. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1938.

Posthumously published writings

  • Letters on the Gospel of John. With a translation of the Gospel of John, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1938
  • Life support. Eight essays, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1938
  • I am life Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1940
  • Impulses of the present. Articles, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1940
  • Devotion. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1955
  • I am. Speeches and essays on the seven “I am” words of the Gospel of John. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1956
  • Create a glowing core inside. Aphorisms for self-education. Ed. V. Christoph Rau, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1992
    • New edition as: Create a light world in yourself. Wisdom. Ed. V. Christoph Rau, Urachhaus, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8251-7722-X .

As editor

  • From Rudolf Steiner's life's work. A hope of new culture. Kaiser, Munich 1921

literature

  • Kurt von Wistinghausen (Ed.): Friedrich Rittelmeyer to the memory. Extended special print from the monthly “Die Christengemeinschaft” from May 1938. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1938.
  • Otto Palmer (Ed.): Friedrich Rittelmeyer. Attempt an appreciation. Sörensen, Berlin 1950.
  • Hanspeter Wulff-Woesten: The theological career of Friedrich Rittelmeyer. An investigation into the theological “metamorphosis” of F. Rittelmeyer with special consideration of the influence of Steiner's anthroposophy on his homiletic work. Diss. Jena 1968.
  • Erwin Schühle: Decision in favor of future Christianity. Friedrich Rittelmeyer - Life and Work. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1969.
  • Gerhard Wehr : Friedrich Rittelmeyer. Religious renewal as a spiritual bridge between times . Anders Leben, Wies 1985.
    • greatly expanded new edition as: Friedrich Rittelmeyer. His life - religious renewal as a bridge. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8251-7176-0 .
  • Rudolf F. Gädeke: Friedrich Rittelmeyer. In: The founders of the Christian community . Verlag am Goetheanum, Dornach 1992, ISBN 3-7235-0639-9 , pp. 44-67.
  • Lothar Gassmann: Anthroposophy and Christianity. Volume 1: Biographical: Life and work of Rudolf Steiner, Friedrich Rittelmeyer, Emil Bock and Rudolf Frieling. Fromm-Verlag, Saarbrücken, 2011, ISBN 978-3-8416-0177-3 .
  • Lothar Gassmann: Anthroposophy and Christianity. Volume 2: The teachings in comparison: Spirituality, understanding the Bible, image of God, Christosophy, salvation. Fromm-Verlag, Saarbrücken 2011, ISBN 978-3-8416-0178-0 .
  • Helmut Zander : Friedrich Rittelmeyer: a conversion from liberal Protestantism to an anthroposophical Christian community. In: German Protestantism around 1900 . Kaiser, Gütersloh 1996, ISBN 3-579-00106-X , pp. 238-297.
  • Christoph Führer: Aspects of a "Christianity of the Future". On the theology and spirituality of Friedrich Rittelmeyer. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-8251-7165-5 . (= Habil. Warsaw 1996)
  • Bernhard Forssman: You were Uttenreuther. Life pictures of former Erlangen students . Philistine Association of Uttenruthia, Erlangen 1993.
  • Gerhard Wehr:  Rittelmeyer, Friedrich Karl Robert Franz. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 21, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-428-11202-4 , pp. 654 f. ( Digitized version ).
  • Ulrich Schwab:  Friedrich Rittelmeyer. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 8, Bautz, Herzberg 1994, ISBN 3-88309-053-0 , Sp. 407-410.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hermann Goebel (ed.): Directory of members of the Schwarzburgbund. 8th edition, Frankfurt am Main 1930, p. 120 No. 2533.
  2. ↑ Martin Elze: The Evangelical Lutheran Church. In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , pp. 482-494 and 1305 f., Here: p. 489.
  3. ↑ God and the soul and life from God , see under Works
  4. ↑ cf. Martin Greschat , Christianity History II. P. 212, Stuttgart / Berlin / Cologne 1997, ISBN 3-17-010544-2 .
  5. ^ Friedrich Rittelmeyer: My life encounter with Rudolf Steiner. Stuttgart 1928
  6. ↑ For details, cf. the corresponding chapter in Gerhard Wehr: Friedrich Rittelmeyer. Stuttgart 1998
personal data
SURNAME Rittelmeyer, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Protestant theologian and co-founder of the "Christian Community"
DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1872
PLACE OF BIRTH Dillingen on the Danube
DATE OF DEATH March 23, 1938
Place of death Hamburg