A guided tour through Anthroposophy

The Goetheanum is the international headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society. It's situated in the small Swiss town of Dornach, just outside Basel. This book is essentially a guide book to the Goetheanum, its history and its immediate surroundings. I never been to Dornach (or Switzerland, for that matter) and therefore found the book quite fascinating. And no, I'm not an Anthroposophist - read my other reviews if in doubt.

The Anthroposophists are a "new religious movement", founded by Rudolf Steiner about a century ago. Many of its ideas would be familiar to the New Age seeker, including a belief in reincarnation and spiritual evolution on a cosmic scale. Other notions are more peculiar, including the idea that the Devil is really two different beings, known as Lucifer and Ahriman. In contrast to the Theosophists (a similar movement), the Anthroposophists place strong emphasis on Christ, but interpret the Gospel stories in their own peculiar manner. Steiner admired the German polymath Goethe, and therefore named the headquarters of his movement after him. Otherwise, Steiner's interest raged over a surprisingly large spectrum: pedagogy, agriculture, architecture, and a new form of dance known as "eurythmy". I admit that I find many of his ideas to be pretty corny or even somewhat creepy...

I always assumed that the Goetheanum was something like a Mormon temple, i.e. a place for worship of the more traditional kind (plus the odd ritual). Actually, the Goetheanum is open to the public, and the main attraction is an auditorium with a theatre stage. Yet, in some ways it really is a temple of sorts, since the main performances are Goethe's "Faust", Rudolf Steiner's mystery plays (featuring actors performing as Lucifer and Ahriman), and demonstrations of eurythmy. To a devout Anthroposophist, I suppose watching a performance of this kind actually is a kind of religious ritual.

The guide book explains the complicated symbolism found in the pillars, paintings and glass windows of the main auditorium. It turns out that the pillars, with their strange markings, symbolize the planetary incarnations of Earth. The history of mankind, at least according to Anthroposophy, is depicted on a huge painting in the ceiling, including the lost continents of Lemuria and Atlantis. The path of individual spiritual development is featured on the glass windows, including the soul's meeting with Lucifer and Ahriman.

The Goetheanum was opened in 1928, but at the time, only the outer building was ready. Work on the interior has continued on a semi-regular basis ever since, and the latest changes were made as late as the 1990's. Parts of the interior building are still unfinished. Lack of money, a principle that no debts should be incurred for the Goetheanum, and internal conflicts within the Society seems to have hampered the pace of work. In fact, the present Goetheanum is the second one. The first Goetheanum was opened in 1920 and burned down already in 1922, probably due to arson. A chapter on this equally remarkable building project is included in the book.

"The Goetheanum" also contain a chapter on the buildings in the vicinity of the main building, many of whom are just as weird as the Goetheanum itself. I admit a certain fondness for the design of the heating plant - and laughed at the fact that the Green Anthroposophists use natural gas and maybe even oil to heat their facilities. Apparently, they have electricity, too. Well, well! Rudolf Steiner's grave is also situated close to the Goetheanum, or rather the place where his ash is deposited.

This guide book is probably too narrow for the general audience, but if you're planning to visit Switzerland or have a love-hate relationship with the Anthroposophical Society, it might be of considerable interest.