Ilona Schubert

Ilona Schubert b. Bögel (born March 28, 1900 in Mannheim ; † October 26, 1983 ) was an anthroposophist living in Mannheim and later in Dornach and one of the first eurythmists . She was very active and formative at the Goetheanum and one of the first women on the local stage. She was also the first person to publicly suspect that Rudolf Steiner had been poisoned.

Life

Schubert was born in Mannheim as the second child of her parents. Her mother, who came from Hungary , died shortly after giving birth. Her father, a Dutchman , was a second marriage to a sculptor who was like a mother to Ilona. The family belonged to the upper class and organized many festivities of a high cultural level. Therefore, the young Ilona Schubert was familiar with dance and music at an early age and took dance lessons at the age of five. She received her schooling at a boarding school in Weimar . She was enthusiastic about literature lessons and was particularly interested in the work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe . Ilona sent her parents many letters from the boarding school. One of them was shown by her stepmother , who was connected to anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner , who then sent Ilona Schubert a membership card for the Anthropological Society . Ilona then often took part in lectures by Rudolf Steiner and studied his basic works.

In 1923 Ilona Schubert married Count Joseph Polzer. Rudolf Steiner gave the wedding speech. Ilona gave birth to her son Christward Johannes a little later. The baptism of Christward was the first baptism of the Christian community . However, the marriage of Ilona and Joseph Polzer was divorced due to the Count's illness . Five years later, Ilona remarried; her second husband was the teacher and speaker Gunther Schubert, who, like Ilona, worked at the Goetheanum . After a short illness , Ilona Schubert died on October 26, 1983 at the age of 83.

Working in anthroposophy

At the age of 18 she got to know eurythmy during a stay with her stepmother in Dornach and extended the stay originally planned for two weeks, took eurythmy lessons and continued her musical education. There she met Rudolf Steiner and his wife Marie Steiner personally. She later recorded some of these experiences in writing in her work Self- Experienced in Being Together with Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner . Rudolf Steiner drew some eurythmy music forms for her, such as the "butterfly" after Edvard Grieg . Even after Rudolf Steiner's death, she remained closely connected to Marie Steiner. According to Rudolf Steiner, Ilona Schubert tailored the Christian community's first priestly clothes. She was an active and formative eurythmist at the Goetheanum all her life .

Ilona Schubert dedicated her life to eurythmy. Throughout her life she gave courses for laypeople as well as for specialist colleagues and certain professional groups. The Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland describes her as an important artistic personality who further developed eurythmy in a formative way. She was also a co-initiator of the anthroposophical summer conferences in Zurich. She was one of the first and formative eurythmists at the Goetheanumbühne .

Poisoning thesis Rudolf Steiner

In her work Self-Experienced in Being Together with Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner , Ilona Schubert is one of the first to describe an incident that occurred shortly before Rudolf Steiner's death. In doing so, she announces the thesis that Rudolf Steiner was poisoned. She described this event, which was already 25 years ago, in her publication: At a so-called rout at the Christmas conference on January 1, 1924, she was one of several eurythmists who served the guests. While she was walking from the cloakroom to the large hall in which the group was sitting, Steiner met her: "[...] swaying [...] pale as snow and groaning violently." Ilona Schubert supported the doctor and helped him into an armchair. According to her, he kept repeating that he had been poisoned. After Steiner's wife arrived, Rudolf Steiner was brought to his room and laid on a sofa there. According to Ilona Schubert, Steiner's wife came out of the room a little later and asked all those present not to say a word about the incident.

However, there is no confirmation whatsoever that Rudolf Steiner was actually poisoned. The exact cause of Steiner's death is not known.

Works

Personal experiences in being together with Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner. 2nd expanded edition, Zbinden, Basel 1977, ISBN 3-85989-383-1 .
Additional information on the basic elements of speech eurythmy. Zbinden, Basel 1982, ISBN 3-85989-404-8 .

Individual evidence

↑ Laurentius Bögel. Retrieved May 7, 2020 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Research Center for Culture Impulse - Biographies Documentation. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Ilona Schubert. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ ^A ^b Ilona Schubert: Self-experiences in being together with Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner. 2nd ext. Edition. Zbinden, Basel 1977, ISBN 978-3-85989-383-2 , p. 110 .
↑ Eurythmy as Stage Art - Anthroposophy Switzerland. Retrieved May 7, 2020 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Helmut Zander: Rudolf Steiner. The biography . 1st edition. Piper Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-492-05448-5 , pp. 467 .

personal data
SURNAME	Schubert, Ilona
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Bögel, Ilona (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Anthroposophist and one of the first eurythmists
DATE OF BIRTH	March 28, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mannheim
DATE OF DEATH	October 26, 1983

[1] Laurentius Bögel. Retrieved May 7, 2020 .

[:2-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Research Center for Culture Impulse - Biographies Documentation. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .

[:3-3] Ilona Schubert. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .

[:0-4] A ^b Ilona Schubert: Self-experiences in being together with Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner. 2nd ext. Edition. Zbinden, Basel 1977, ISBN 978-3-85989-383-2 , p. 110 .

[5] Eurythmy as Stage Art - Anthroposophy Switzerland. Retrieved May 7, 2020 .

[:1-6] Helmut Zander: Rudolf Steiner. The biography . 1st edition. Piper Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-492-05448-5 , pp. 467 .