The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Toward a Resolution

Mr. Stegemann’s presentation concludes with the following words addressed to Dr. Steiner: “Say what you feel you must say.”

[ 1 ] [Probably Rudolf Steiner:] “People believe a farmer more than they believe me.”

[Probably Ernst Stegemann:] “We are making this request; please pass it on, and you will be aware that this request entails certain obligations. The basis for this is that, wherever life takes us, we spend each day—through our inner attitude—in such a way that we can maintain this connection with the spiritual researcher. This is the best way for us to cope with feelings of loneliness.”

[Carl von] Keyserlingk: “What good is all this to me, everything you’ve told me here? I can’t understand it. I’m too stupid to understand it. I don’t have a practical grasp of what the doctor told me. I just don’t get it. — We have to do the same thing that farmers in need do, the very thing we keep reading about in all our agricultural journals: Every farmer is urged to join together in experimental groups.”

[Probably Ernst Stegemann:] “I believe we are completely united. We need to form a research group.”

[Probably Carl von Keyserlingk:] “We must put this into practice in a way that is useful for agriculture; otherwise, we can hear the most wonderful things from Dr. Steiner and still botch them, and they will be lost. We are in the agricultural profession. We want to enrich agriculture for the sake of agriculture; to bring farmers together into a research group, not just to listen. Let’s sit down together and do the work that is necessary for this.”

[Ernst] Stegemann: “You should become president. You say you understand everything so well.”

[Probably Carl von Keyserlingk:] “I don’t understand. We are anthroposophical farmers—and if I have to push this through on my own, I will push it through on my own—in Silesia. Let’s join forces right now at this conference and try to work this out hand in hand. If [Mr.] Stegemann tells me, ‘I’m doing what Dr. Steiner says,’ then I demand figures. How did you do it? When did you sow the seeds? How many workers were involved? I want production figures, a scientifically structured experiment. You haven’t told me, farmer to farmer, what you’ve done. You’ve said: “You did this, you did that”; but you haven’t told me “what” you did. The scientific tables. Do you have them? Show them to us. I have to draw up tables of experimental series. How do you conduct your experiments?

Everything I know from the Academy, I’ve learned on my own. Just imagine—you’re a famous man in your province, and am I supposed to be something like that in mine? We’re bringing shame upon our highly esteemed Dr. Steiner. We need to set up a test group with very precise scientific data. We can’t just [gap in the transcript] We are farmers. We must speak to and with one another as farmers. Otherwise, it would have been pointless for Dr. Steiner to sacrifice his precious time. If you have a different opinion, I will not bow to your judgment and will proceed on my own with my colleagues. — We’re representatives of farmers here, after all, not anthroposophists! [Gap in the transcript] Which curve did you take, then? Which “day”? I was sitting in the back, and on top of that, I’m hard of hearing.”

[Probably Ernst Stegemann:] “Wouldn’t we rather settle this dispute among farmers on our own?”

[Probably Carl von Keyserlingk:] Farmers are always [illegible]. They have no secrets from one another. One inevitably shows the other his farm. He reveals every figure. Because the farm simply can’t keep up with that. The farm in Marienstein can do things quite differently. What kind of soil do you have? Do you have loess? I’ve told my colleague what I think, and now you tell me what you think.”

[Ernst] Stegemann (marking out): “The results [gap in the transcript] Oatgrass isn’t possible in one year. I can’t say I harvested this much or that much.”

[Carl von] Keyserlingk: “What Is Weight?”

[Ernst] Stegemann: “I invite [Count] Keyserlingk to take a look at this.” [...]

Welcome to the working group.

A ring forms.

Dr. Steiner declines to attend. He should be informed of the results.

Six o'clock in the evening in the Chamber Music Hall restaurant:

[Carl von] Keyserlingk: “I move to adjourn the session.” [Probably Moritz] Bartsch: “The count has so much property that economic and (illegible) considerations come to the fore. I’m wondering whether they shouldn’t just let the weeds grow rather than pull them out, because otherwise the costs would be too high.”

Keyserlingk thanks the non-farmer for stepping in to show farmers how necessary it is for all of us [transcript cuts off].