Goetheanum 2 anecdote: Back in the sixties during my first visit to the Goetheanum, midwinter I think, there was nothing going on, so I took the tour. The guide was Alfred Barnes, Henrys brother. I was the only one there, so at first I thought he might cancel. But no, Alfred didnt cancel...ever. He noticed my accent and asked if I was American; turns out he was too. I didnt know anyone, only learned later when I got to know him better that he was Henrys brother, whoever that was. So he gave me a personal guided tour, including the “Representative of Man” room of course. While there he told me that since I was a compatriot and therefore obviously reliable, he would also show me the ashes room, which was located directly under the visitors chairs facing the statute. In that little room were Rudolf Steiners and others ashes. Kinda creepy, but interesting. (Recently the RS ashes have been buried in a nicely designed outside mini-cemetery. I dont know what happened to the rest.) Alfred once told me that since he and his wife had lived in Dornach so long, they decided to become Swiss citizens. So one day he went down to the Dornach municipality (In Switzerland the town you live in decides such things.) The official was surprised at the reason for his visit: citizenship! He smiled and said, “Herr Barnes, you will never be a Swiss.” “Why not?” “Do you speak Swiss German?” “Well...no.” (He spoke fluent High German, having attended the Stuttgart Waldorf School.) “Do you intend to learn?” - something he knew was almost impossible at Alfreds age. “Well...no.” “See what I mean?” he answered apologetically.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:10:22 +0000
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