German Theosophical Society
The German Theosophical Society (DTG) was a theosophical association that existed from 1894 to 1902. Both Rudolf Steiner , the founder of anthroposophy , and his future wife, Marie von Sivers , joined the DTG in 1902 and 1900 respectively and thus became members of the Theosophical Society Adyar (Adyar-TG).
history
The DTG emerged from the merger of the Theosophical Association and the Esoteric Circle , both of which arose mainly from readers of the Sphinx magazine . The Esoteric Circle was founded on November 3rd, 1893 in Berlin by Wilhelm Hübbe Schleiden , the Theosophical Association was founded there in 1892, also by Wilhelm von Hübbe-Schleiden. Hübbe-Schleiden also served as the president of these rather loose and disorganized groups. They saw themselves as a branch of the Theosophical Society and accordingly represented its teaching. The merger also aimed to achieve a more streamlined structure and realignment to the teachings of the Theosophical Society . The union or re-establishment took place on June 29, 1894, in the presence of Henry Steel Olcott , one of the founders and president of the Theosophical Society. Organizationally, the DTG was run as a branch of the European section of the Theosophical Society . The new company was based in Berlin. Wilhelm Hübbe Schleiden was elected President of the DTG.
The Theosophical Society split into two competing organizations in 1895 as a result of the Judge Case . On the one hand the Theosophical Society Adyar (Adyar-TG) and on the other hand the Theosophical Society in America , the DTG followed after the schism of the Adyar-TG direction under the leadership of Olcott. In the following years several small lodges were founded under the umbrella of the DTG
During these years numerous theosophical groups, some of which compete with one another, were founded throughout Germany, mostly with different goals, but each group claimed to be in possession of the “true” and “correct” theosophy. Hübbe-Schleiden himself took part in a theosophical congress on August 25, 1901 to unite all the different groups in Germany. However, no agreement could be reached. Then the members of the DTG, together with several like-minded theosophical groups, founded their own German section of the Theosophical Society on October 19, 1902 . The DTG was integrated into this and thus expired as an independent organization.
Rudolf Steiner in the DTG
The DTG lodge in Berlin was headed by Cay Lorenz Graf von Brockdorff as secretary; in terms of rank, he was under Wilhelm von Hübbe-Schleiden , the president of the entire (small) DTG group.
On September 13, 1900, Rudolf Steiner gave a lecture in the literary group “Die Kommenden” about Nietzsche's personality . Count von Brockdorff and his wife Sophie Countess von Brockdorff were among the audience . They were very impressed by Steiner's speech and then invited him to give the same lecture again in their Berlin DTG box. Steiner accepted the invitation at the end of September 1900 and noticed for the first time that the audience here was more open to spiritual and, above all, supernatural teachings than he had previously known. Steiner himself remarked:
“Now I noticed that there were personalities in the audience with a great interest in the spirit world. So when I was asked to give a second lecture, I suggested the subject: "Goethe's secret revelation". And in this lecture I became [...] very esoteric. It was an important experience for me to be able to speak in words that were shaped from the spiritual world, after I had been forced by the circumstances during my time in Berlin to only let the spiritual shine through my representations. "
The Brockdorffs now invited Steiner to give regular lectures with them. From October 6, 1900 to April 27, 1901, Steiner gave a total of 27 lectures on the mysticism of the Middle Ages, which he published in 1901 in the form of a book, The Mysticism in the Rise of Modern Spiritual Life . From October 5, 1901 to March 22, 1902, another 18 lectures followed, which were printed in 1902 under the title Christianity as a mystical fact .
Marie von Sivers , Steiner's future wife, had already joined the DTG in November 1900 and met Steiner at one of his lectures that same month. When, at the end of 1901, Count Brockdorff wanted to resign from his secretary position for reasons of age, he asked Steiner whether he would not like to be his successor. Steiner accepted on condition that Sivers support him in this activity. On January 17, 1902, Steiner, who had previously only been a guest, joined the DTG and thus became a member of the Adyar Theosophical Society . At the same time he also took over the office of secretary of the Berlin DTG lodge.
As mentioned above, several like-minded theosophical lodges wanted to found their own German section of the Theosophical Society (DSdTG). At the end of April 1902, Steiner was approached with the proposal to become Secretary General of this DSdTG. He agreed again on the condition that Sivers would become his secretary. Thereupon Steiner and Sivers traveled in July 1902 as official representatives of their lodge to a theosophical congress in London . Here they met with Henry Steel Olcott , then President of the Adyar-TG , in order to receive a deed of foundation from him for the official establishment of the DSdTG. On October 20, 1902, Annie Besant brought this certificate together with the certificate of appointment as Secretary General to Berlin, where the founding event of the DSdTG took place on that day .
swell
- ↑ Steiner & Spirit - Fruits of Anthroposophy: Steiner & Spirit Fruits of Anthroposophy ( Memento of February 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Rudolf Steiner - Mein Lebensgang: Steiner, Rudolf: Mein Lebensgang (1923-25) ( Memento from January 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ), page 200f.
- ↑ a b c Rudolf Steiner - Mein Lebensgang: Steiner, Rudolf: Mein Lebensgang (1923-25) ( Memento from January 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b c Günther Wachsmuth: Rudolf Steiner's earthly life and work, from the turn of the century to death, the birth of spiritual science . Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House at the Goetheanum, Dornach 1964.
- ^ A b c Gerhard Wehr: Rudolf Steiner, Life - Knowledge - Culture Impulse . Diogenes, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-257-22615-2 .
literature
- Norbert Klatt: Theosophy and Anthroposophy, New Aspects of Their History from the estate of Wilhelm Hübbe-Schleiden (1846–1916) with a selection of 81 letters . Klatt, Göttingen 1993, ISBN 3-928312-02-2 .