Eberhard Arnold

Correspondence, January 1925

[Arnold, Eberhard and Emmy papers - L]

[Draft Translations by Bruderhof Historical Archive]

Potsdam, January 2, 1925

Weißenburger Str. 22

Dear Eberhard,

After some days of recuperation at the wintry New Silesian Baude (mountain hut) in the Riesengebirge (Giants’ Mountains) I returned on New Year’s Eve to my mother and sister, only to learn there that starting now I am to take on a replacement job in Moabit. I am very glad about being now able to again concern myself personally with Berlin. I have just now been on the phone with Eva Sachs. We shall presumably meet in the rooms of Lothar Schreyer’s new school on Bayreuth Street near Wittenberg Square. Eva will fix that up today and immediately write to you about it. Please let her know right away that you are coming; we would also have to make arrangements about accommodation.

From Heuberg Alfred will definitely come, Alwin perhaps if money for the journey can be raised. There is a rumor about H. Buddensieg coming; how is the situation? I have not yet invited him. So far he has not replied to my last letter in which I wrote to him with respect to circular letter 8 that I had not wanted to hurt him. If you think that he is nevertheless waiting for an invitation, write to him in my name. Nelly will already tomorrow come to Berlin.

In the meantime I have received the first Christdeutsche (Christian-German) circular letter. As regards its formulation “that we have found the way from autonomy to authority”, I reject it as too flat. I take my stand with Ragaz: “No true authority without freedom, no true freedom without authority”. Just as little does the following sentence do justice to the paradox of faith: “We never manage to get beyond ourselves, for God will always remain outside of us.” From the soul as God’s breath to the Johannine word that “God is love, and who abides in love abides in God and God in him” the Bible teaches the opposite. And yet I rejoice about the decisiveness of these young people and hope that their (in part still extant) opposition to us will be transformed by the forthcoming Bundestag (confederation day) into a fellowship, a confederation.

H.J. Schoeps and C. Beyer are going to take part in the “confederation day”. For the next circular letter C. Beyer has held out for me the definite prospect of an elucidation of his theses.

This is how I visualize the plan for the confederation day:

Beginning at 5 o’clock.

1. Report about the situation by me.

2. Start and guidance of the discussion by you.

(I would like to keep the minutes.)

3. Conclusion , with a summing up between 8 and 9 o/clock

After supper written fixation of the results by a small circle. On the following morning these are to be presented and possibly deliberated.

May the beginning of this new year lead us together more firmly than ever and ground us more deeply than ever.

I cordially greet all of you!

Erich [Mohr]

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Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

District of Cassel

January 2 , 1925

Mr. Alfred Gneiting

Nürtingen

Dear Mr. Gneiting,

On behalf of Eberhard Arnold I am to let you know that we are sorry we have to give you a negative reply. As we wrote you, we were really in need then . However, we have now engaged two new helpers as from January 1, and our house is now overcrowded. If you are still available in the spring and wish to visit us for a longer or shorter time, we shall be glad. As soon as the real agricultural work starts again, there will be enough to do, and once the weather turns warm, our hostel rooms in the barn will become usable.

For the present we thank you warmly for your will to help us, and we greet you from our whole house community.

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Sannerz, January 3, 1925

To Fritz Beichler,

Because of the somewhat hurried mailing of our letter of December 30 on New Year’s Day the references and first impressions promised therein were left behind. They are here enclosed and follow today as a special mailing.

On behalf of Eberhard Arnold

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Habertshof, January 3, 1925

Dear Eberhard Arnold,

I feel very sorry that the envisaged meeting has not been possible within the past year, since Hermann Schafft could no longer have come. Would it now be possible for you to meet with us on January 16 in Schlüchtern? If it fits you, I propose meeting at two o’clock in the afternoon. You can also suggest another time, but in that case please let me know soon so that I can let the friends know. From our side we would invite Georg, Heinrich, Herpel, Schafft, Wibbeling (who most likely cannot come) as well as Volger. We assume that you, too, may want to bring along some friends. If I don’t let you know anything else, we shall meet at Heinrich Schulltheiß’s.

I heard of Else’s illness; I feel sorry about it and hope she will soon get better. Greet her as well as the others in your family.

Greetings from your Emil Blum.

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Sannerz, Post Sterbfritz

Administrative district of Cassel

January 3, 1925

To Mr. Ernst Kreuder

Offenbach on Main, 57 Bleich Street

Dear Mr. Kreuder,

Please forgive us for letting you wait until today for a reply. The serious illness of my sister- n-law Else von Hollander, who works together with me in the publishing house, the Christmas preparations in our children’s community, and last not least our perplexity as regards finding a practical way for you, kept me from attending to it earlier.

Our Sannerz work circle is at the moment not in a position to offer you any practical help. Amid the present winter conditions our house is overfull; it would be more possible during the summer when we are able to occupy many people with agricultural and building work and can accommodate them in the youth hostel. I have a friend on the Wilhelm Street in Offenbach, Mr. Otto Herpel, a highschool teacher with a lot of connections,. It’s to him we want to turn on your behalf and for that purpose pass your request on to him.

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Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

January 3, 1925

Dear Otto Herpel:

Today I send you a letter that came to me recently from Offenbach and ask you if at all possible to do something for this young man who is so desperately searching for employment. I enclose for you the reply we wrote to him. From his letter and our reply you can gather what it’s all about. Perhaps you may soon be able to personally look up the unfortunate correspondent. With warm greetings.

I am going to pass through Offenbach in January and would like to use the opportunity to pay you a visit.

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Nürtingen, January 6, 1925

Respected Mr. Arnold,

Today I received your letter of January 2. It is a great disappointment for me, all the more as on your postcard of November 29 you told me that I would be able to come to you by [“until”] the 15th of this month. I have already made arrangements for this. I have had to make additional purchases for which reason I have sold my bicycle. Then, too, it is known everywhere in my circle of acquaintances. It would be embarrassing for me to now have to remain here. Besides, I can now no longer get a job in my trade, which would have been more possible before Christmas. As you can see, I find myself in a very unhappy situation. I have got to leave; my savings won’t take me very far; hence before long I would find myself devoid of sustenance. I would like to ask you if possible to look for a place for me at the other settlement that Otto Glück has told me about. For the present I thank you from my heart for your efforts and greet you warmly trusting in your help.

I would also put up with sleeping on hay in the barn

Your Alfred Gneiting

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POSTCARD

[Mail stamp] Gotha, January 7, 1925

To the Neuwerk Community Sannerz

P.O. Sterbfritz, District of Kassel

Hearty greetings!

We are still feeling lonely and solitary, as before. We long for others to share our feelings and to swing along with us. Then we always think of you and feel that we do belong together once again. We continue to hold out in the struggle in spite of lonely hours. Now unity seems to come close!. But how?

Did I have health insurance? Where is your medical card? Otherwise no unemployment benefits! A note attesting payment of unemployment contributions! All this state and government crap!

Special regards to Heini and Else! We think of them!

It’s not that we are despondent—not at all! You will understand! Hearty greetings to all!

Roland [Karl Keiderling]

Many thanks for your gifts! We are waiting for news from Adolf.—please soon!

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POSTCARD

Sender: Kühn N.W. 87

Dear Eberhard (Arnold),

Today just one urgent business matter: Yesterday I spent half, and today the whole afternoon trying vainly to get hold of a smallish lecture room, for us on January 29. So far the only possibility is the regional assembly hall (Landesgemeindehaus), but only on January 28!

Would it be possible for you to alter your journey by one day, possibly by making a few changes? For you will scarcely be able to change all subsequent appointments, or could it be that these are not yet all fixed? Ulrich [Wolf] is away on a journey until January 13; otherwise he would assist in locating a hall.) So I am now waiting for your reply before making further attempts. Trudi still has a reply card addressed to me.

Cordial greetings to the whole house community, including Lotte Lange!

Klara Kühn.

Please let me know immediately!

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Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

January 7, 1925

Pastor Speckmann, Düren

Dear Pastor Speckmann,

In connection with the lectures we sent you a book collection of our publishing house, which unfortunately arrived too late. Please let us know how many of the books you have sold or still have in stock and if you want to send these back to us. We would be very grateful to you for a prompt reply.

With warmest greetings from us all

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January 7, 1925

Sannerz

Hans and Wally Klassen

Neusonnefeld

Dear Hans and dear Wally,

We are also completely of your opinion that we should encourage each other, speak to one another and support each other. Above all, we consider it so very necessary that out of this love we have mutual visits and speak over our thoughts to one another. Therefore in the telegram, which unfortunately did not reach you, we begged you for a meeting. There are so many things to talk over and above all the main point, which stands behind everything else, the real unity of the Church, and the practical unity in the joining together of our church communities. Please do understand it rightly, that just this consciousness of unity and this striving for a complete and much clearer unity and certainty, showing also outwardly, urges us to ask these questions and make these requests.

We would gladly cut down in our letters and write less about the practical consequences of unity; we would hope that the personal meeting together and the reunion, which cannot be accomplished through writing, will bring us more fully and deeper together. We ask you Hans and Wally, both of you, to visit us immediately if possible, before January 15, since after that date our time and strength will be extremely taxed. I would then gladly travel over with you both to Würzburg, to agree about the time and details of the lectures in Würzburg where at one time I spoke in the university. I am also ready to visit Gräfenhainichen; even more, it would be a special joy, since I hope that then the depth of the unity might be given to us, out of which the complete identity of our common, open witness would emerge. We still hold firmly to our faithful friendship, brotherhood and belonging together, and in consequence have much on our hearts for the final uniting in one place and for the now necessary working together with all publications and public witnesses, lectures and meetings. Please feel with us that the love and conviction of our belonging together urges us in all seriousness to have community in all things.

We still ask you to send the manuscripts of the lectures to Herr Arno Weiss, the director of commercial school in Liechtenstein.

You must have noticed how determined and vigorously I act on your behalf everywhere. The developing Bruderhof community is something so great and decisive that nothing can have more weight than the uniformity of our harmony in all things, especially in public matters. That the devil is out to make impossible the accomplishment of this divine possibility, should strengthen us to be even more determined to lay aside and sacrifice everything that is against it. Therefore we must dare to arrange, re arrange and shape it, so that nothing stands in contradiction.

We beg you to feel completely and inwardly with us our ardent desire and glowing longing that also the apparently outer and unimportant matters are determined by the cause, by love.

In this super great, super human, super personal love,

Your faithful

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Sannerz, January 8, 1925

Dear Otto Schmidt,

The days of your exam and of your final decision as regards your working with us in our life community are coming closer. Speaking to you with that frankness that is one of the most determining preconditions for our work here, I would like to give you once more an opportunity to really think it over. We know and regard it as determinative for our life that our agriculture is not in the first place an enterprise aiming at profitability and net proceeds. On the one hand it is to satisfy the needs of our large household; it is also to meet the needs of the livestock required for that household. And it is to be an essential opportunity for us to get inwardly acquainted with and, if possible, give help to, many persons in the farm workers’ fraternity—persons of most different outlooks and attitudes but with similar communal aspirations. That under these circumstances it is not always “top-notch” workers that labor here with us is clear to us. On the other hand communal life is conceivable only if the participant groups or individuals are considered of completely equal value. There has to be leadership, but no masters and servants; everyone is ready for everything and yet feels urged to also render special service in accordance with the measure of special suitability granted him. With our limited means we shall always aim at what is unlimited! You are aware that we work only with unpaid labor in line with our over-all proclamation of the ultimate complete—hence also economic!—community of all men. That is why we are all “free of cash”!

Our leasing of more land is going forward, though not always quite as smoothly as we would like. The farmers here are never quite open about their intentions. Still we remain confident of being able to expand.

What I have said will help you gain a new picture. If you remain joyfully ready to join with us in our building up, we cordially ask you to let us know, also about your talking it over with your relatives, and we greet you.

[Adolf Braun]

Sannerz, January 8, 1925

Dear Maria Adler,

Warmest greetings to you from all of us in Sannerz Unfortunately it was only in the evening of the day before yesterday that Adolf informed us that you would be able to help us in our work. Now we make haste to reply to you. All of us who know you—Emmy and Adolf and I—have come to love you very much and have the feeling that you could find a good place in our work and could do a fruitful service. It so happens that right at this moment the best and most suitable service you could do is vacant; however such an opportunity cannot always be kept available. In fact we have to get full clarity right now whether you are able to come to us just as soon as possible. The enclosed report by Trudi Dalgas is written for outside persons but will nevertheless give you a good overview of our work as a whole.

Your work would take the following form. Together with Emmy, Trudi, Ludwig (Wedel), Martha, and Mimi (Moni) you would look after the children’s community and would take over a good deal of the practical work; e.g. taking the children every day out into woods and fields, mostly from one to three o’clock, will surely be a joy for you. In addition you would care for the children, i.e. for some of the younger groups, during their free time, --in the afternoon and partly also in the morning; you would oversee, direct, and occupy them. You will have to see to it that their sleeping and living quarters are kept in good order—a task involving also the children themselves as far as they are able. An important ongoing task will be looking after their clothes and underwear, involving cleaning, mending, darning, and keeping everything in good order—a task some of the children can also help with quite nicely if properly directed. We have in our house three little girls: Ruth, Sophie, and Luise, 11, 11, and 10 years old respectively who will really assist you with cleaning and mending, also boys, especially Heini and Hansemann, who are good at other things such as getting firewood and keeping fires going and are ready to help..

We also see it as important to have somebody ready to lend a helping hand in all areas of housekeeping. e.g. in the garden and with the laundry.

We believe you will feel happy in the nascent community of our house and in the work, which is not at all easy at times. In the evenings we sing and read a good deal. The children go to bed early so that in the evenings we can find joy and new strength—in community and alone.

We urgently ask you to let us know immediately when exactly you can arrive here. We are now giving a negative reply to a very capable person, Elisabeth Rotkohl, because we would like to have you here.

Please also write to us about your circle of friends in Dresden, because at the beginning of February I am to give the enclosed lectures in Dresden. What is urgently required, though, is that you reply to us as quickly as possible.

With cordial greetings

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Sannerz, January 8, 1925

Dear Maria Großmann,

I have been ever so happy about what Adolf has told us about his meeting with you in Gotha. It has been really good for our Adolf to stand so powerfully by your side! I definitely hope that an ever stronger bond, an ever deeper mutuality will make itself felt between Sannerz and Gotha, between you comrades of the way and us partners in a common life.

For your Wegwarte (“chicory”) periodical you will definitely get my contribution, which, we hope, can also bring you a bit of joy and assistance, and we ask you to specially do something for our Sonnenlieder (“Sun Chants”), to discuss them in your periodical and to sell them in your circles there. It would also make us very happy if we could help you in your work by granting you percentages (royalties). To end with, we want to ask you once more to really think of Roland and Irmgard, to see to it that they do not land in excessive need and may soon find work. Please let them have our letter as soon as possible.

[Eberhard Arnold]

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Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

District of Kassel

January 8, 1925

Dear Alfred Gneiting,

It makes us truly sorry that as a result of misunderstandings, while having in hand a definite agreement with us, you were then given a negative reply. As Else von Hollander wrote to you in November, we were at that time in great need of help in our farm and crafts work and would have been extremely happy for your then helping us out until January 15. We did not hear from you again until December 29, by which time we had unexpectedly received help through two young men who visited us, stayed until about Christmas and helped us a lot with our building work. What we meant with our request was that you should come straight away and remain with us until January 15. It was simply because of a linguistic misunderstanding that things went so badly awry, for you had a different understanding of “until” [or rather “by”], namely “from” January 15--the way it is sometimes meant in the Swabian dialect. It is only now that we see this clearly, after letting a woman from Würtemberg [Ilse von Seckendorf] who works with us read your letter. So that’s finally opened our eyes, and now . . . [page is torn]

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Charlottenburg

January 8, 1925

.Dear Mr. Arnold,

I thank you very much for your friendly and detailed letter of December 28. To begin with, I would like to make clear that I do not have to directly care for either my mother or for siblings; however, while absent from my mother’s house I did try to ease her life by off and on supplying her with groceries. As my mother, being the widow of a teacher, receives a pension, any support from my side such as I gave to her, free willingly and out of love to her, can be dispensed with.

As regards the salary question, I thought that for the time of my introduction there you might perhaps pay me 70-80 marks. Also, until I find a closer togetherness with the dear Sannerz folk I would prefer to lodge in the inn. And quite generally, not having a clear picture at all of how community of goods can work out among so many participants, I like to suggest that you first let me come for a testing time of 6-8 weeks. I have once again immersed myself in your books and writings, and in my mind’s eye I can truly enter wholeheartedly into your great and wonderful task, which is so greatly to my liking. Therefore, regardless of mere material considerations or of my fear I might not manage to find my way into your community of goods, I will nevertheless not decline to fill the post you offer me. When all is said and done, it is for me simply a question of fitting in, and that, as I look at it from here and bear in mind the concept of your way of life, I cannot imagine being all that difficult.

If you are ready to accept my suggestion and thereby also take on the risk of my once more striking camp if unable to find my way into your common life, I expect as soon as possible your reply as regards fare for the journey so that I can come to you right away.

With kind regards yours truly

Anna Sprockhoff

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Dresden, January 9, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

I have gratefully received your letter and the papers you sent concerning the press. In the mean time we have made good progress. To begin with, we have got a meeting hall; i.e. we have rented for four days the smaller one of the Anner meeting rooms on the Fischhof Square for a fee of 120 marks. The meetings usually taking place there almost wholly belong to the communist and anarchist scene; without a doubt the place does have the proletarian glimmer you desire. With suitable publicity a receptive field will there be prepared for you. Still, you ought to know that this locality, situated as it is right at the border of the red light district, is likely to keep away some people; the upper-class society is not likely to come. The final fixing of the meeting dates has until now been in the hands of S.v.P., conjointly with Wiesenhütter; this is now clear, and we have allotted your subjects (leaving out the second one) in succession to February 2, 3, 6, and 7. An in-between break was surely called for, not only because it made it possible to invite people after the first two days, but also in order not to overdo it. It also means a financial saving, given that, looking at it from the economic side, I don’t yet see that side as fully assured. The favorable thing is that the hall rent is to be paid every evening after the meeting and not before. In a day or so the appeal referring to December 14 will go forth. It is above all meant as a challenge to stand fully with us in inwardly preparing for your coming. As I unfortunately don’t have a specimen of that appeal available right now I can only send you one for your information later on, together with the handbill we have come up with. For, since we want to be people of good taste, all 35 copies of the appeal will be written and signed by hand, and at the moment all the models have been given out. Above all, let me hear your opinion about dispensing with the second (lecture) subject. If you want it differently, as long as nothing has been printed, it can all still be changed.

C. v. Prosch has the wish that on February 5 you might hold a Bibelstunde (Scripture hour) in the Y.M. C. A. Is that OK? Carl [v. Prosch] is in agreement with us. As Werner N[atzschka]. in his letter (he works outside of Dresden) does not express an opposing opinion (I mean with respect to the second subject) it may be assumed that he is also. Ernst Kallmann has told Werner that he, too, is interested.

(On the margin:) We are squabbling about the “Dr.” or “Dr. Phil.” on the handbill. Please decide and tell us what you want.

Carl wants to take on relations with the press. We don’t want to use placards. If seen as the right thing, we could also churn out handbills. It is clear that above all we want to invite the various youth groups, either collectively or by handbills. At any rate 2000 or 3000 handbills should get printed next week.

Do you like to speak from (or by) a desk? Shall we make two placards asking people for contributions to cover the expenses? I myself do not regard a special appeal just for that as very practical, nor will it scarcely be to your liking; it would at any rate not serve the cause. What are the practical aspects of your meetings like? Does a special person have to be in charge for each meeting? Not likely, I think. Please write what we need to know! We are looking forward to your coming!

With warmest greetings

Your [Fritz] Beichler

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[letter to Otto Schmidt, Jan. 9, 1925: see above, same (or similar) letter dated January 8]

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Sannerz, January 9, 1925

Dear Roland and dear Irmgard,

Today I, too, have to let you know how heartily I feel and how strongly I swing along, with you. When we were together in Gotha, short though that was, I did have the strong impression that in spite of all weaknesses the community of you two and the community of us all, including you, is coming along. I think that the two of you as a married couple and family, in the spirit of Him, on whom everything depends, can newly enter our life community. I also have the strong impression that our whole Sannerz house is inwardly preparing and getting ready for that. Until then you still have in front of you little more than half a year, which will surely bring you a lot of struggle and work, but that will gain you an all the harder steeling and all the deeper anchoring. Within the next weeks I will also send you books and writings to read, suitable for helping you forward and for strengthening your union with us here.

On January 26 I shall probably pass through Gotha and will let you know in good time that I am going to miss one train in order to be together with you at least briefly.

Very hearty greetings to the two of you from us all!

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Gotha, January 9, 1925 [1925]

Hearty greetings to you, Emmy!

When I came to Großmanns today, I found a card and letters from you and Eberhard. I was ever so happy to hear from you at greater length.

Your invitation, Emmy--you have no idea how enticing it sounds! I have not yet learned to ride a bike nor do I have money, but sometime I do want to come! I would never have thought that you would grant so much honor to my circlets. I am so glad I can produce these little trinkets—hair bands and rings-- for you! It makes me ever so happy, for I am still, or am once again, one of you, and it’s after all so much nicer if these things derive from our own circle.

What you write about work is also what Irmgard and I think. A few days ago I again inquired at the labor exchange about agricultural work as well as about urban relief work but to no avail. The farmers don’t have any work yet, and if you are lucky enough to get a job you work 10-12 hours a day at 15 Pfennig per hour plus a few potatoes—utterly ridiculous! Irmgard wants to look around for stenographic work at Kiskens [Kaesgens] (Baptist}. It simply is tremendously hard to get work, especially if lacking proper papers, unless it’s somehow possible to make personal arrangements. We keep trying as hard as we can.

I am grateful for your hint that I should not forget what work is like. I am getting ready for Sannerz! Today I bought sole leather so I can sole my shoes, for I am right now learning to repair shoes: to sew, mend, and sole them. That’s surely something I shall be able to put to good use in Sannerz.

There has just been a timber auction up in the woods, so now every day together with several boys I go to fetch wood in a handcart, and in that way I get hold of beams for our new hut. In town, too, I am getting orders for doing little jobs and in that way can earn a little money. So I am everywhere looking around for work, and in reply to the concern in your question I can only say that I am making an effort to do good and diligent work. On Monday I want to spend the day splitting wood for ourselves so that Irmgard can always have a warm room. She will often say, “Else would envy me this warmth!”

Then on Tuesday or Wednesday I will split firewood for the Großmanns. At long last I am now recognizing more and more how the two of us will have to work at Sannerz. Irmgard is up and about all day long. She keeps everything in good shape; the day before yesterday she spent a day and a half working on my corduroy trousers, redoing and patching half a trouser leg—with great patience and perseverance. Yesterday we had our laundry day! For washing (and for cooking and coffee making) we have been using snow, for the water is too far away and one uses too much. Then I stretched a clothes-line, and that’s where our laundry was hanging, out in the open and right by the side of our hut. It looked ever so funny! Irmgard is very pleased with the success. She is doing really fine, looks sprightly and well. I think our economical and vegetarian fare as well as the constant cool fragrance of the spruces and pines are especially good for her.

We feel like people walking along a narrow steep path from which they can easily tumble down if they do not watch out. Unbounded trust in God—that is the path. Without this daily renewed trust we could not endure this life, which, human speaking, is after all pretty hard for us, for even one day. There is but the one choice: either the totally radical way or the purely human one. On the latter way our marriage and what is inmost in us would simply have collapsed. And that is why we live in defiance of all human calculations. We know what is “liable” to happen to Irmgard, to our marriage and our life; we know it through having talked with other people. But this is the way we go, we constantly trust in God and put everything into his hands.

Please greet specially Else from me, and Adolf and Eberhard and Heini! A heartfelt greeting to you from

Roland [Karl Keiderling]

Are they to be open rings?

I have to go quickly and get a registered letter.

[Irmgard:]

We warmly thank you all for your letters from our mother and for your love through Adolf. We have been so very happy about everything we hear from you. Our great longing is to be closely connected with all of you.

Enclosed a doll’s dress I have made for Ruth--something she had long been wishing for from me; however, before Christmas I had no more time for it.

At first we had a hair band ready for Christmas also for Trudi, but Roland thought for her it would not be a special joy. Especially warm greetings to Trudi!

A cordial “Hail!” to all in Sannerz!

Irmgard

To Else or Eberhard:

At the time I went to see Maria in Hörselgau, as I lacked money for the journey I took along three Sonnenlieder. One of them was purchased by Esther Großmann (but not yet paid), and one was bought by a friend of Maria’s, who has now paid for it. At that time Maria lent me money for the journey, and now she would like to make use of that amount for our field, if you are in agreement. If not, we will send you the 6 marks right away. Please write to us about that.

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January 10, 1925

To the Society of Friends

Quakers

For the attention of Marion Fox

The undersigned house community Sonnherz [“Sun Heart]” at Sannerz begs to submit the following request to the Society of Friends in England. After four years of farm experience, the agriculture of our house community has been taken in hand by our friend Adolf Braun, and this has enabled us to enlarge our farm area by a further 45 Morgen ]27 acres] thanks to a local farmer’s offer. We can either purchase or rent the land offered.

What is of importance to us is not acquisition of communal real estate but only the carrying out of our task, for at this present time we regard small cells of brotherly life such as ours, motivated by the spirit of peace and community, as very necessary. Hence we are fully in favor of the option of renting the land. But even renting does initially require money. The land has to be paid for; seeds, machines and horses have to be obtained.

We would like to ask you to come to our assistance with about 2000 marks to cover the costs of the additional land and required purchases.

For about two years now we have had to daily feed 25-26 persons, half of them children, i.e. besides the children from our own two families constantly 5-8 undernourished city children, for whom we not only furnish a home in our community but also full schooling. In addition we have to reckon with a large number of guests coming to visit us, especially in summer.

Until now, though, we have only had about 13 ½ Morgen [8.5 acres] of land, used as meadow and vegetable garden, as well as our small publishing house, and whatever comes to us from those two sources is channeled into the commune. Until now these sources have not been sufficient to properly feed all our people, but in all the years past we never managed to get more land. So now the above-mentioned farmer’s offer of land strikes us as a divine dispensation at the right time. However, we do not have at out disposal the means we now need!

Hence on behalf of the above purpose we have the request that you put at out disposal about 2000 marks for the initial rent payment and for the purchase of two horses, either as a loan on favorable terms, or, still better, as a donation.

The rental of the land may come to about 1100 marks; the horses (of a medium heavy breed) might still cost a bit more. We also request a speedy reply, as the rental agreement is waiting to be concluded.

With brotherly greetings

Sannerz house community

1. for the agricultural department

2. for the children’s community

3. for the publishing house

- - - - -

Sannerz, January 10, 1925

Dear Otto Speck,

For quite some time we have often been thinking of you. We have it on our hearts to offer you here in our life community in Sannerz a possibility to work in line with that joint way of faith about which at that memorable night we had so deep an encounter. Neusonnefeld does not stop us from stretching our hands out to you and begging you: Dare to once again walk that way together with us!

We are now hoping to build up our agriculture, presently comprising 3 cows, 4 sheep, 1 goat, and 2 pigs, into a rented farm of about 50 Morgen [30 acres] with 2 horses and all the required equipment. Apart from you, Adolf Braun, who has co-signed this letter and who at present attends from Sannerz the agricultural district school in Schlüchtern, as well as Lotte Wilmers, who for a whole year already has been tending our stables as well as doing other work, will devote themselves wholly to agriculture. I would like to ask you to declare your readiness to start working with us as from March 15. Please let us know if this is possible for you, what obligations you still have to fulfil, and what other thoughts you may have with respect to our proposal.

As regards relations between Sannerz and Neusonnefeld, there is still an ongoing hope that we might yet be led to jointly take on a bruderhof that would mean vigorous communal work, deep-going social outreach, and true evangelical service. How these hopes might be realized is something we cannot yet say, but we want to stand ready for it and let ourselves be prepared by practical work.

With many good greetings in heartfelt fellowship

- - - - -

Sannerz

January 10, 1925

Dear father Cordes,

The loving parcel you sent with the warm accompanying words to Else gave us all much joy, and I want to thank you once more for it in the name of our whole household. Else is getting slowly a little better; hopefully after a few weeks she will be able to get up and come back unhindered to the work which has become so dear to her. Your article about free enterprise which you kindly enclosed, has interested us very much and to a great extent has our agreement. The range of ideas represented by you have gained acceptance much more strongly than in earlier times in the circles known to us, also through the work of Karl Udo Iderhoff, with which you are familiar. It shows how right I was that for years I spoke in favor of the "Free Money and Free Economy" thought, as with all other practical suggestions on social justice and on becoming new people.

On January 18 and 19, I am thinking of being in Hamburg and want at last to visit you and your dear household once again and report to you about all branches of our communal work. When I was in Hannover in December 1923, which was the last time that we wanted to be together, unfortunately it did not come about. So I ask you now today to let me know whether the 18th or 19th would be acceptable to you for my visit.

With warm faithful greetings from our whole household, also to your dear wife and your whole family.

- - - - -

Sannerz, January 10, 1925

Dear Curti [Breitfeld],

you ought to have had my letter long ago, however, here with us things are ever so topsy-turvy before and after Christmas. Then at New Year the conference of the Freideutsche Werkbund (Free German Work Alliance) and added to that Else’s continuing bedriddenness—all this made it really impossible to write earlier.

This letter is being written by Ilse von Seckendorff, who after first rendering good service to the children has now been kind enough to put herself at the disposal of the publishing house. We already knew her from the time in Stuttgart and from the meeting that the Social Youth Community (Soziale Jugendgemeinschaft) had with us in Sannerz. We are very happy about our working together. Your place has been taken by Ferdinand Scholl, a 40 years old highschool teacher (Studienassessor), war veteran and war prisoner for several years who was led to us by mysticism and the community movement; there is not much more we know about him so far. The three days we have had together with him have left us with the good impression that he wants to find his way into our life and is ready for every kind of work. Suse Hungar has been with us for a fortnight. She has not yet become happier or clearer about her personal way of life. She hopes she can soon be back with us. This time the children were especially happy to see her and be with her once again.

As regards Roland)and Irmgard (Keiderling) I enclose for you some news that will tell you more about them than we would be able to report to you after my own and Adolf’s visit. At any rate we have the impression that Roland and Irmgard are growing together and belong together better than some of us may have thought.

Our meeting with the Free Germans [i.e. the New Year’s convention] has been a great joy for us After some hours that we felt were rather . . . [a word missing in the original] two or three times something of real significance broke through and plaited a strong bond between all of us participants. As the local Sannerz group of the Free German Work Alliance we are now more than a mere outward member of that circle of people who are more genuine and less “made up” than many.

Your letters, dear Curti, have made us, and specially me, very happy.. I am quite in agreement with what you express in great, sweeping outlines about culture, civilization, spirit, religion, death and life. The main thoughts about the rise of a false civilization and the contemporaneous wave trough in true spiritual culture, about the imminent end of civilization and the approaching spiritual event, above all about the difference between what is man-made and what comes from God—all this you will surely be able to express more clearly and comprehensively, so that the hearer and reader can feel with every word what it is leading up to.

What you wrote to me about men’s mutual trust and about confidence is surely right, but we don’t want to forget that the factually sacrificed Spirit who comes from God and leads to utmost spiritual daring, does waken and guard mutual trust and confidence in the persons led by him.

It makes me very happy to hear that, grateful for your recuperation, you hope you can help set up in Switzerland a suitable home for peace activists in need of rest. I would like to ask you that as a first person you thus care for with your friends you bear in mind our Suse Hungar, who in our opinion ought to have a chance to relax for half a year in an atmosphere of inward gathering and quiet, with good air and food, after sacrificing herself beyond her strength for decades. At the same time her mother ought to be cared for by sending every month 30 marks to her in Bielefeld.

You also wrote us that a Swiss friend of yours could easily and gladly support our publishing house with 40-50.000 Swiss francs. Such an opportunity should not be left unused. For the Sonnenlieder as well as for the now vigorously commencing production of our Lebensbücherei (“books of life” series), of legends, myths, fairy tales as well as of my own books we badly and urgently need working capital! We shall immediately place at your disposal a report about the present situation of our publishing business, just as soon as you let us know that the moment for that has come.

- - - - -

Sannerz, January 10, 1925

Dear Emil Blum,

By a phone message (received by Erich Hermann) I have expressed my agreement with your proposal for January 16 and with the participants you have named. As regards my side, a few friends who had been among us from the very beginning of our joint work might well be invited. However, with Else still sick and the time left so short and the journey expensive for those not living at Sannerz I shall most likely not bring anybody along apart from the brothers you mentioned.

I joyfully look forward to our being together and hope that the greatness of the cause, which equally presses upon, and commissions, all of us will unite us in the unity and unanimity that, I am convinced, is still what is to be given.

- - - - -

POSTCARD

January 11, 1925

To Eberhard Arnold

Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

District of Kassel

Dear Mr. Arnold,

I am going to arrive with bag and baggage on Sunday, January 18.

Many heartfelt thanks for all the efforts!

Your Alfred Gneiting.

Frankfurt at 12.51

- - - - -

Presently Wahnsdorf, January 11, 1925

Dear Eberhard Arnold,

Your letter has made me very happy! I felt in it so much love that I had to ask myself whether I am able to fully reciprocate it. I have just now phoned with my father, and his enclosed letter to me tells you everything. You can easily imagine how dejected I feel. Every time I can see a way lie open before me, my father by his lack of understanding and false conception of things will mess it all up. I get pushed around like a piece of merchandise, and the question whether I might thus be acting against my conscience does not come up at all. I would joyfully come to you right away, however . . .

What my father has told me right now is that if later, after I have come of age, I would do something like this he could not stop me, but that at present he still bears responsibility for me before God. I am going to be 21 in July, so I still have to endure this for five more months! At times I have already now felt like breaking this fetter, but out of love to my father I have always desisted and remained obedient. When he wanted to take me away from Lichtenstein, everything within me rose up against it. His reasons were all too paltry. But when he wanted to hold Peter Classen responsible for his daughter’s disobedience to her parents (due to the Youth Movement), I gave in out of love to him and all the companions of the way. And now I have to do the same!

At present I am spending 8 weeks at the house of the Karl Osthushenrichs well know also to you. And after that my father is going to have another place ready for me, where I shall have to go. My sister Leni suffers exactly the same way. She has to leave what God has made important to her; being not allowed to go to people her heart is longing to be with. She was here with me yesterday and shared her woes with me. And this fettering is done in order to keep us out of harm’s way!

I am very much looking forward to your coming to Dresden; there I can talk to you much better. Would you be in a position to then visit my father? He doesn’t know you at all; from what is printed in the Wegwarte he can in no way form an opinion about all your work on behalf of the Kingdom of God! I think such a visit would be good. I don’t yet know all the friends in Dresden; but according to what Peter Classen has told about them, they are bound to be a lively bunch.

Warm greetings to all of you from Leni!

Precisely now when this little door to you folks stands open, I am made aware of the heaviness of this yoke. I really need a lot of divine strength in order to subdue my inner rebellion against it.

I feel closely united with you all even though unable to be with you in the flesh. Maybe one day it will be possible.

My warmest greetings to all of you, old and young! A special greeting to Adolf; I am going to write him a special letter later.

For you, Eberhard, a hearty “Hail”!

Maria Adler

Please send me a copy of “the quiet revolution” for a God-seeking rambler (Wandervogel) boy who works here as a gardener.

Address: Maria Adler

c/o Osthushenrich

Wahnsdorf, P.O. Reichenberg

District of Dresden

- - - -

POSTCARD

Sunday, January 12, 1925

Hearty greetings!

Very quietly our witness has shown an effect! Various individuals and groups that had hitherto kept at a distance are drawing closer to us. Full of inward unrest as they are they share with us what concerns them. Keep thinking of us! Jesus is victorious king!

Greetings to you from

Roland and Irmgard [Keiderling]

- - - - -

Volksbildungsheim (Center for People’s Education)

Frankfurt on Main

January 12, 1925

Dear friend Emmy Arnold,

I have just now received your registered letter and forwarded it to England together with a copy of this present letter.

E.F. Howard and Gertrud Giles, who this week will be together, can consider it, but but I do not regard it as possible to lend so much money.

At present in England money is collected for the miserable refugees in Macedonia, as well as for orphans in Russia where there is such urgent need quite generally.

You will perhaps understand how hard it is to always know how best to use the small sums one has available.

I am sorry I cannot express myself better in German; I hope you will understand what I would like to say.

The lovely Christmas time and New Year’s Eve were surely a great joy, and hopefully things will go well in this new year.

Your friend

Marion Fox

- - - - -

Halle on the Saale

January 12, 1925

Dr. Arnold

Sir,

I have just read the Allianzblatt [paper of the “Alliance” movement] where I share something from my own article entitled “Discipline in the believing church”. Here a few extracts: Above all humility must not be forgotten. Proud punishment embitters; humble discipline liberates. Ezra first bows down in deep penitence together with the whole congregation. Only after seating himself on the sinner’s bench together with the guilty ones does he administer church discipline. The necessity of church discipline because of a fall into sin reveals that the congregation does not possess the full strength of the Spirit. That is why the congregation as a whole has to repent, so that it may gain the required position for administering church discipline: lowliness of heart. And wisdom must not be forgotten! There are plenty of unwise educators!

The above excerpt from the Allianzblatt shows that when somebody sins and has to be excluded from the congregation, this is brought before the whole church. You and your brothers did not do this; instead you did it on the quiet in Bündel’s apartment. You with your two brothers did not sit on the sinner’s bench with the others. For you did not kneel down with me in Siedel’s [identical with “Bündel’s”?] apartment and bring the matter before the Lord’s throne of grace. Therefore test yourself if you carried it out in humility—the exclusion from church service, from meetings for prayer and Bible study. For in this, too, you did not act as prescribed in church discipline. I am in correspondence with a traveling preacher from elsewhere, and he wrote me that exclusion from the church only applies to the church members; they are the ones exclusion is meant for. But as regards public gatherings, meetings for prayer and Bible study, from them the ones that have sinned are not excluded; those they can attend. You, however, forbade me to do that.

I am also in correspondence with another preacher—he, too, from elsewhere, (and he writes that) persons under demonic influences should quite particularly find a place in meetings for prayer and Bible study; they are in special need of God’s word.

Yet another traveling preacher from somewhere else writes to me that he would never forbid a person under demonic influences to attend our meetings for prayer and Bible study. Mark reports that the Lord Jesus did not even turn a man possessed out of the synagogue but rather healed him.

For the next time (I wish you) even more blessing, for the Lord needs workers--instruments capable of doing ever greater things for the Savior.

In the next days I am going to get in touch with a preacher from England. It truly is a great grace from the Lord, also because of this present matter, that I, too, have been provided with his name and address.

When you excluded me, I was not under demonic influences; I just have to accept it (as true) because of your assertion.

[Scribbled anywhere along the margin and in the middle:]

I have still not received an answer from you. How did the demonic influences show themselves during meetings for prayer and Bible study .I do not belong to any church circle but do work for the Lord and invite (people) to the Baptist Church.

With divine greetings

Luise Zollmann

[26 Ludwigweiher Street]

Addr. Miss Kretschmer

- - - - -

Fidaz, January 13, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

I have just now received the children’s letters, and they have made me very happy. I have often thought of you all, especially around Christmas. Maybe it was often more than just thinking, for it’s being asserted here--and I am also getting accused on that account--that it has made me more unfriendly.

What is the matter with Else? Let us hope she will soon be well again! By the way, I must congratulate you for your heroic little daughter Emi-Ma who, as Hardy writes me, is representing Else. One cannot help loving her for her decisiveness, which ought to be the hall mark of every Christian.

The plan I brought to expression in that letter may well have sounded bombastic and high-faluting, but this mode was more a youthful storm of enthusiasm springing from my recognition of the tremendous significance of such an undertaking. I can of course in no way expect being in the leadership of such a work, being still much too young for that. My concern is to work through and digest the idea right to its utmost limits—Förster, Saitschik, Ragaz, Ceseak [? most likely P. Cérésol], to pass it on to others and thereby to possibly initiate its realization.

In short, the matter is this. To begin with, a committee should be formed consisting of experts in the different areas concerned—experts on universities, on the home, on building and settlements--Cérésol because of his special work section—and in addition mainly financial experts.

Then a general proclamation ought to be issued in which the scheme is explained in detail as well as the design of the buildings, and for the beginning –say, the first quarter year--a contribution should be requested—in Germany perhaps 5-10 marks per month. The League of Nations ought to be tackled on providing liberal support for this cause of peace.

Should the financial means prove insufficient and the contributor in case has provided no other directive, accurate bookkeeping would make it possible for the amount contributed to be transmitted back to the donor, after deducting expenses,.

The mere fact of everybody contributing something would be conducive to a drawing together and to going forward jointly. And the local working together would lead to a better mutual understanding and to deepened relationships among those eager to work for peace.

I believe that the whole breadth of the pedagogic effect produced by this inward educational work can now scarcely be grasped in its full extent.

When you have a chance, please let me have back the enclosed letter from Mrs. Peter. I have hopes of her becoming a financial coworker in our publishing house. It’s a very dear family

With warmest greetings to all I remain, in friendship close-bound together with you, your Curt [Breitfeld]

Please forgive me if I should have hurt you in some way.

- - - - -

Fidaz, January 13, 1925

Dear Emmy,

You will have to tell me about Christmas in Sannerz! I have behind me a partly very difficult and stormy Christmas time, during which I was really longing to be home.

It was the same question as on that morning with Roland in the barn, and there was the same adamant insistence as with him. From this arose a misunderstanding, and since my youthful impetuosity got me deeply involved in everything, it gave rise to deep inner need and maybe did me a lot of harm so that I now have to keep absolutely silent, seeing that this incident might have bad consequences for my lungs. At the same time, though, I could draw from it many a useful lesson for myself. Never in my life have I felt as homesick as I do now, so that I joyously greet every new morning that brings me nearer to May.

Letters to the children will follow in a few days. Greetings to Mö! How is she doing?

With warm greetings to all

Your Curt [Breitfeld]

- - - - -

POSTCARD

Hamburg, January 13, 1925

Dear brother Arnold,

I am in receipt of your friendly lines of January 10, and I expect you on Monday, January 19 between 3 and 5 o’clock PM. I cannot yet say whether I shall be here on Sunday. With warm greetings from house to house I remain your

[Paul Wetzel].

- - - - -

St. Fromhausen/Lippe

January 14, 1925

You dear ones,

8 days ago I was still with you; since then a whole eternity seems to have passed. Many, many thanks to every single one of you for all the love you showed me.

On the journey I had pleasant hours with Karl Wilkers’ “Lindenhof” and especially with the second part of Johann Seitz, your Christmas present for me; and also through many a momentary experience with fellow travelers. However, from the arrival on nothing seemed to go right.

In Detmold they feel offended by Hortula in the “Legends” booklet and seemed a few degrees cooler than formerly. Mother was excited and unhappy because they want to move her from her present room to a much smaller one in another house, with no sun and with unhealthy air. So she was agitated and joyless right until we separated on Sunday evening.

Since Monday evening I am now working as I did formerly. To begin with at Horn, a very old town, and among teachers representing quite opposing attitudes. In the classroom and with the children it was nonetheless nice and refreshing, and so it was outside, in clear, frosty weather and among mountains, not far from the famous Extern Stones.

Speaking generally, I simply experience how “the world is such a perfect thing if man does not his torment bring”.

And now it’s on to the next village! All the best to all of you! Let me have news about Else at Mother’s old address, please!

Your Suse Hungar

- - - - -

Greiz, January 15 1925

Dear Eberhard Arnold,

We two people from Greiz have been ever so happy about that last evening [of the conference]; for us it represented after all a positive conclusion, with sparks apt to waken faith in the Freideutsche Werkbund (Free German Work Alliance), even though the latter may have little to do with it directly.

All the way back to Schlüchtern we had to contend with a lot of storm and rain around and against us, and yet we would not want to miss even that night.

Now you definitely are to come to us for a lecture and discussion as part of our free evening for young people. Please give us the exact date for it; a second evening might well prove necessary, especially for the discussion, but that will still become clear. And what exactly will your subject be? Please let us know quite soon about these two things so that we can prepare.

On the outward side we can definitely guarantee an amount sufficient to cover accommodation and food but quite likely more, for the benefit of your house community.

As regards the lecture, it ought to include an elucidation of the subjects “religion” and “church’ –see my letter. But this could still be talked about orally, if necessary.

Please let me soon have the exact date of the meeting, and later your time of arrival.

Greetings to you and Gertrud Dalgas!

Martin Hetzeheim.

Greiz, Marienstr. 5.

- - - - -

Society of Friends

Council for International Service

Devonshire House

136 Bishopsgate

London E.Cl. 2

16th January 1925

Emmy Arnold

Neuwerk

Sannerz (Schlüchtern)

Cassel (Germany)

[original English]

Dear Friend,

Your letters from of 7th and 11th January addressed to Marion G. Fox have been forwarded on to us for consideration.

We are very sorry indeed to learn of the difficulties in which your work now finds itself and wish it were possible to help you. I am afraid, however, that under the present circumstances we cannot promise any help at all. We are finding it very difficult now to raise money for Germany, and we do not know of any Friends who are in a position to give you the financial assistance required. We earnestly hope, however, that some way may be found out of your difficulty, and that it will be possible for you to continue your work in Sannerz.

Yours sincerely,

FRED J. TRITTON

- - - - -

Berlin-Steglitz

January 18, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

Yesterday I was together with Klara Kühn, who asked me to take on the final negotiations with respect to your visit.

So we shall expect you on Wednesday, January 28, at 8 o’clock PM in the Landesgemeindehaus (regional church meeting hall). The choice of the subject has been left to you. Lotte [Lange] wrote me that you intended to speak about something like “community in the big city”. Contrary to Lotte’s views I would emphasize that yesterday’s work circle declared in favor of this subject. However, we completely entrust the choice to you. Please let us know when you can come to Berlin—the exact day and train arrival and also how long you can remain here. We need that information to keep that time free for you.

It’s not yet clear where you are going to stay. If Lotte is still in Steglitz when this letter arrives, ask her if she can accommodate you. As regards the distance from town that would really be best. Otherwise you will find lodging with Klara K(übn) or with me. At any rate you will hear about it in good time, and you will also be picked up at the train.

Please thank Trudi Dalgas für her letter; it had a lot to say to me. I would so like to put into our circular letter the middle part of your letter, which expresses something of great importance in a very simple way. Would you allow me to do that, Trudi Dalgas?

It seems that the meeting [probably referring to the New Year’s conference of the Freideutsche Werkbund] has meant a lot of fulfillment for the individual participants; I, too, am happy about this.

And now I hope that all of ou are doing very well.. How is good old Curt Breitfeld getting on?

All the best to you, [Eberhard] and greet them all!

Your Ulrich Wolf

- - - - -

Fidaz, January 18, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

I scarcely need to assure you that your letter [of February 10] has made me very happy. Out of every line speaks the deep friendship joining us, and that was most welcome to me at precisely that time and strengthened me in what is final and ultimate.

I have but the one wish that the two of us may be allowed to work shoulder to shoulder for that which is to come—you as the teacher, I as the pupil. Only he who never had friends can fathom what it means to know there is one.

As regards [Friedrich Wilhelm] Förster, he is actually closer to us than we may think.I have perused quite a few of his writings and exchanged more than one letter with him, and that has made me made me more and more certain that at bottom we are at one. I think my visit with him on my journey home [to Sannerz] in May is going to confirm that. By the way, I hope I can come home sooner, for the doctor has told me that I made considerable progress lately. Next time I am going to ask him when I can go home.

I shall need that report about our publishing work. J think the best thing will be that Mr. Peter joins us in that work with the highest amount possible and that any interest on that capital is made available to our children’s work. This. however, is in no way settled yet. I shall only broach the subject when being with the Peter family in Zurich fo0r a few days in May.

What do you have to say about my letter [of January 10]? What it amounts to is that should be possible for people to really rally for such a step Once that is assured, no doubt more will be given, and we can then also let Förster and others play a constant part among us.

I consider it tremendously important for the whole Christ-based peace morement to have its literature published in a fitting unified style, thus greatly increasing its impact. We, though, e must absolutely come to the point that our agriculture can support the entire publishing house as well as a later required print shop. For as soon as our cause attains to some significance, we have to be prepared for nobody wanting to print for us.

For Suse Hungar it might be best for you to turn to Mr. G. Senn, Sta. Maria, S/A and to ask him to kindly receive and take in Suse instead of me. Has /Suse written to you lately? Has she done something for the children? Did anything arrive there from Zurich or Geneva? I sent the two sets of forms to both places.\--to Förster with the request to pass it on to people for whom it would be a joy to do something for our children. As regards Suse Hungar, you ought to act quickly and write straight away.

I know quite well what all of you meant with ”loyalty” and ‘trust”, and you all know that I take my stand wholly with this sacrificial love. [See Eberhard’s letter of January 10\.]

What I wrote [in my last letter] I regard as a mere sketch, to be amplified and filled in later. I jot down, in the sense of diary notes, ideas that come to me with respect to closely connected areas. These as well as underlined passages in books can serve me as clues for a more comprehensive treatment later

You most likely forgot to enclose news about Roland and Irmgard. And did you receive the two contributions—one of 15 marks in a registered letter, the other a money order for 55 marks” Please let me know so that if needed I can inquire at the post office.

The Free German conference [at the turn of the year] is of exceptional interest for me. Perhaps you or Gertrud could write to me about it.

If only I could be back home again! Please greet Ilse von Seckendorff and Ferdinand Scholl from me and specially also Adolf’s wife and children. I look forward to getting to know them later.

Many greetings also to Emmy, to Else (with wishes for a speedy recovery), and little Emi=Ma!

In faithful friendship and with many greetings to all

Your Curt [Breitfeld]

Please excuse the ink blotches on the other side.

Have you folks already been skiing? I can’t at the moment for here the snow is all gone. Back to you with many thanks

- - - - -

Nordhausen, January 21, 1925

Hohekrenzstr. 15

Dear friend [Adolf Braun],

We herewith send you a small token of our friendship. Unfortunately many of the friends named are unemployed. We would have gladly sent more, but a lot was given away here before Christmas.

How are you and your dear family? Tomorrow Hemprich is scheduled to speak here.

With friendly greetings to you all your

G. Temme

The overcoat came from Mrs. Müller. Mr. F.K. M. has enclosed a letter of his. The apron was brought by Miss Lange.

- - - - -

Presently Bielefeld

January 18, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

In the autumn we had agreed that for the time being I was to leave any public activity. Now I would like to let you know that I feel urged to call together here in Bielefeld all the young girls who had at one time been pupils in our school and to tell them about our work. I have invited them for Friday, Jamuary 28 at 4:30 PM, and my subject is to be: The secret of mutual help. The goal is to rouse them to share in some form in our work. And in the evening I shall continue the topic by speaking in the Salvation army hall about “struggling for sunshine and happiness for our children” There will be invitations in the newspapers. If some of you are able, please be with me!

Suse [Hungar]

Dear Emmy,

How did you get accustomed to all the new people? Has Maria Adler come? Will you let me know how the colloquy in Schlüchtern went? [On January 16, referred to in Eberhard’s letter of January 10 to Emil Blum.] Has Mölein’s hoarseness got better? How are all the children doing? Every “thinking of you” means a “thank you”!

As for the rest, I practice how to really fight and I try to make good use of the time. For one standing afar off individual things and matters always remain the same.[?] The work with my school class always fills me with the same joy., otherwise all the stuff that hangs together with it would be unbearable.

Faithful greetings to all the house members!

Your Suse.

Trudi, please put Betty Krause’s letter with the children’s files; for the moment it’s really more than I had dared hope. As to the 5 marks, I saved those. You see, I had been given money for going to Duisburg third class in the train but I actually went fourth class! And the enclosed things were given to me in Kaiserswerth. Next week I might once again make my way to the Rhine. Did you have a nice time with your brother?

Greet Ludwig and Ferdinand [Scholl]! Is Lotte Lange still there? I haven’t done a lot of arithmetic work so far, but it’s stlll coming. [?]

Thanks for all the love!

Huggi [Hungar]

Greet Mö and little Hans, your two youngest ones!

The pastor in Nied (district of Höchst) now wants me to be there by the end of March. For Else: The belt you wanted to weave me for my corduroy dress should be 95 cm long

As a greeting for you on your sickbed Mum ((Mutti) sends you the enclosed paper with a face on it.

Dear Monika, I wanted to specially thank you for being so kind to walk with me to the station on that last morning. Were you a bit put off because I didn’t have any more time for you at the end? Please forgive me! As at that time you no longer needed the shoes, I will now try sending gloves, which hopefully will not again arrive late and will also not disappear so quickly! There is also a bit of darning wool in it for Mö’s [stockings?], which most likely are beyond mending by now. As the marzipan had been missing for Christmas, I will now put some in for you and greet you and Trudi very warmly. I would so like to know how dear Else is doing.

Address: Mrs. Hungar

Bethel near Bielefeld, House Bethesda

To our great distress Mum had to move to another house and room.

Greetings to all the children! Huggi

Bielefeld, January 18, 1925.

Little Ruth, I am still waiting for the birthday book!

Enclosed 20 marks for the publishing house; please confirm.

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January 18, 1925

Dear Adolf,

Ever since I once again started facing children in the classroom, being away from Sannerz has not been quite so bad any more. Part of the time I had to face contrary winds from the teachers. That drains away strength even when they just sit there and never say a word. In between, though, I experienced help and recuperation in another school with an abstinent headmistress, and in a nearby village with a continuation class for young farmers, whose teacher, a “monist”—I don’t know what that is, but I felt something of Christ’s spirit in his life and work—is a dedicated person who for four years has been practicing a community of work with his boys, without a stick! *) How refreshing those two hours have been, amidst all that dullness!

Today is Sunday; I am writing in bed, which is fine, seeing that I have no heating here. I once again woke up with a hungry heart, and at the Salvation Army’s “hour of sanctification” I discovered the same hunger among the others. This evening I am going to help there again, but now I only do that when I feel an inward permission.

Greetings to Martha!

Tomorrow it’s off to Lemgo, but unfortunately not out into the countryside. I miss the lonely paths; they are such a help to set things right.

Think of me and the work to be done as you walk your paths.

Suse H.

*) I gave him Eberhard’s Ründeroth address to read, and he wants to order the book.

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Fidaz, January 20, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

I can’t help it; I have to give all of you an account of what’s happened here. I can scarcely put into words how terrible it is that I have to write this and what suffering this matter causes me. What I find most awful is that my own person is right in the center of it, and that even though I had always been far from living for myself (and also kept myself under close observation just because of this).

When I arrived here I was warmly welcomed. Up until Christmas we would converse daily about the deepest things, and people were happy to hear me speak about them and assured me (e.g. Mis Arbenz) that it had brought her much clarity, and the fact that I was allowed to help others brought me joy, and from that I gained healing and strength. I was well aware that my talking was underpinned by an exaggerated self-assertion, and I put up a hard fight against this. What always worried me most was that this might cause hurt to the cause itself. I had already determined to stop talking; however, I was asked to go on with it. Suddenly after Christmas I was accused of megalomania on account of my assertiveness. That really hit home, and I thought I had to defend myself. This would lead to one thing after the other, and that’s why I am guilty of the whole matter, for I was too weak not to reply to an attack by a counter-attack.

One thing, though, gives me joy now: the cause and Sannerz have remained unsullied in everybody’s sight, so on that account I am glad to be the scapegoat.

I believe it is God’s will that I return home to Sannerz earlier, and He will also give me healing. That’s why I ask all of you there to let me know if I may come. I cannot go to Arkona. I shall come, even if I have to walk, seeing that 15 centimes is all I own.

With cordial greetings to you all your

Curt [Breitfeld]

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Berlin, January 22, 1925

Dear Emmy,

Today your friendly way of expressing remembrance and good wishes is earning you my warmest thanks. How lovely that our fellowship, by now enduring for 27 or 28 years, is continuing even after we have completely lost sight of one another! For an even longer time have I been closely associated with Miss Bussenius, and on he first Sunday of this new year the Lord called this exemplary disciple, who suffered severe physical ailments but whose soul was full of victorious joy, to the upper church. Last August she had still paid us a visit with Miss Brook. So now this delicate and mostly infirm old lady stands totally alone, but her rich life of faith brings forth especially now an admirable strength, including also victory. I am still faithfully keeping close company with the Meinhofs. The superintendent and his wife have been lodging with us ever since thein Käthe was called away to China to work there as a mission teacher. Last year we met at Göttingen and Sooden, and there he suggested we use the brotherly Du (thou) between the two of us.

My birthday revealed to me great love coming from my dear Emmaus, right until evening, at which time the brass band (14 members) I had founded the previous year presented a musical offering, uplifting and sounding beautiful What added to the joy of the feast was that Auntie, after being bedridden for so long because of her varicose veins could once again get up.

With my 58 years I still feel reasonably young, however, due to the rather taxing work I do, sleep will often refuse to come, as already happened when I was putting up those churches in Stappenbeck and Protzier. In this recent time we repeatedly had dear visits from there. We. too, joyfully remember the time out in the country when our children were able to grow up on natural soil, under their teacher’s direction built a little house, worked on their garden beds, etc. How vividly the picture you sent me reminds me of that—many thanks for it! My heartfelt wish is that your little crowd growing up in that rural idyll may get well prepared for life in all its seriousness. Our son had trouble finding the way from the one sphere to the other. And now you would like to get him a visible birthday joy! A most welcome help for his study would be the collected essays about Luther by Holl. He is totally engrossed in his chosen field of study but also helps in the Sunday school (so does Renate, too) and with the young men’s association.

The pamphlet you enclose gives an excellent picture of Sannerz—many thanks! .May the Lord bless your venture and guide you according to his counsel! Yours is after all not the first such attempt! I am happy to hear you speak about oneness in the spirit. That is what we need today more than ever, and it has to become active in clear-cut, large organizations.

Still another small item of news, because it will interest you: Fritz Garz from Buchwitz, who has been a missionary in South Africa for two years, is asking me to stand godfather to his first baby son.

There would be so much to tell about the growth of Zion in the very midst of that Babel Berlin! Faithful greetings to you and all your dear ones from your old uncle H.

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Crefeld, 23 January 1925

[Sannerz] house community,

Best greetings to all of you from here! You must not hold it against me that you did not hear from me earlier! Now I want to tell you how things are with me. As regards job possibilities here, there is nothing doing, of course. The government has now issued a decree which says that all those who have received unemployment relief for 52 weeks are no longer part of the state’s social welfare system. Naturally most of them have been getting unemployment benefits way beyond that time. So you can well imagine how most of them are making big efforts to market their working strength. It would have to be by sheer accident that one gets hold of a job, and it’s most unlikely to happen.

If God wills it, my fortunes will yet take a turn for the better, for I don’t want to go on being a burden to my parents. Until a week ago I sold in Crefeld and surroundings the paper we published for unemployed and part-time workers. The proceeds are used for political prisoners under arrest and for their court expenses.

While I was on my hiking trip, many things changed here in Crefeld; e.g. there is a strong decline in the youth movement. Among our, say, 200 young people here there are now just about 30 that still take a stand for love and non-violence. A large part of the youth has turned toward the Communist Party and have by now become out-and-out adherents of violence. The others have gone back into bourgeois life. I have to admit that Eberhard is right in maintaining that the true spirit or creative strength is simply not there. But we have to assign the chief guilt to the severe economic depression. The overall picture thus shows us that man is a product of his economic condition and in the end becomes its victim.

On Sunday we are going to have a Rhenish youth convention in Düsseldorf, where also us Crefelders will be present. I would so much like to find out if the same development has taken place in the other cities along the Rhine.

I have to confess that the days I experienced with you in Sannerz are still very much in my memory. Not one day goes by without my recalling that lovely time. I had already heard a lot about the theoretical building up of a community but I had never seen the practical side. Oh, how I look forward to seeing all of you once again in Sannerz! Maybe I, too, shall find a new home there in Sannerz and jointly with you take part in, and help build up, the work of love. Let me conclude with the hope to one day meet all of you hale and hearty. With many greetings

Jakob Klöckes

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Sannerz, January 24, 1025

Dear Maria Adler,

It is a great joy for us to know that you are with folk both of us know and in whose wellbeing we take a constant interest. You will already be aware that in the first week of February I shall speak at four public meetings in Dresden, and you will also know that I very much look forward to once again meeting all our Dresden frineds.

It is very much my concern that on Sunday morning we meet n a closer circle of friends and together with them prepare for the public work in quiet readiness and a mutual meeting of hearts. That is something I specially wanted to also let you know about. Information about any details is to be obtained from Fritz Beichler or Carl von Prosch, who are in charge of all the preparatory work.

Looking forward to a good reunion!

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Sannerz, P.O. Sterbfritz

District of Cassel

January 26, 1925

To Prince Schönburg

Waldenburg Castle, Saxony

Dear Prince Schönburg,

On February 9 I am scheduled to be in Lichtenstein for an evening lecture. It would be a great joy to me if I could use this opportunity to pay you a visit in Waldenburg to discuss with you the different branches of our work and also personally express to you the thanks of our whole house community for those wonderful Christmas hares.

I hope you have by now returned from Rumania, and I would be very grateful for a reply addressed to our common friend Carl von Prosch. It so happens that I have to give lectures in Dresden (in the YMCA and in a public meeting hall), which will keep me there for one week, February 1-7.

My friend Gotthold Schneider from Chemnitz has just been here and told me, full of gratitude and enthusiasm, about a lecture Count Keyserling had given in Chemnitz. It naturally made me think of you, and I have newly determined to look up Count Keyserling in Darmstadt, as soon as my way leads me there.

Our whole house community with all the children thinks of you in joy and gratefulness and hope that before long we can pick you up at the train station with the same little lanterns that had lit your way to the station at that earlier time.

Respectfully and feeling closely united

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Berlin, N. W. 87

January 27, 1925

8 o‘ clock in the evening

Dear Eberhard Arnold,

I have just received the friendly invitation for Wednesday, January 28, at 8 o’clock in the evening. I would ever so much have liked to come. But I am afraid I can’t manage. Would you perhaps be personally available at another hour on a different day? Together with others I was in April 1924 dismissed from my job. I was unemployed until October. The financial situation forced me to find a job with the Berlin Tramline Co. as a conductor. Tomorrow evening I am on duty, and it’s too late to change my hours of duty. If your card had come one day earlier, I could have gone off duty. Here I experience the truth of Karl Marx’s dictum that what is primary in men’s life is the material.

The above hurriedly penned comments may suffice for today.

Greeting all of you most warmly and faithfully

Your Erich Sewekow

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Dresden, January 27, 1925

Dear Eberhard,

Have just received simultaneously your letter and three parcels of books from Wallmann. In the meantime you may have received my postcard. I assume you have now resigned yourself after all to Saturday 7:30 PM. It would be so difficult to rearrange everything. As I wrote, we shall be with Carl von Prosch, who by the way is once again gladly ready to accommodate you during the days you are here. Unfortunately on Saturday evening it will not be possible--nor for that matter will it be possible on Sunday morning—for every member of our closer circle to be present. Carl, too, is not likely to be there.come.

Please find enclosed sample of a handbill, 2000 of which have been printed and, apart from perhaps 100, have been distributed in various circles we have targeted. Then, too, here is the first announcement of the lectures Carl von Prosch has released to the press. I cannot see it as a shining success and, sorry to say, have not yet managed to spot it in the daily papers, but, of course, I do not read those all the way through.

On Sunday, January 25, it was for the first time possible to get a glimpse of the (previously hidden) financial basis of our venture. With 11 marks printing costs deducted, we have presently at our disposal 47 marks (about half of the amount to be expected). On Sunday the meeting hall was being scrutinized by others, and my estimate of a seating capacity of 300 persons was seen as too conservative. So there will be sufficient room! If you really can’t manage to come Saturday evening, please write immediately. Efforts will also be made to get hold of a. stenographer.

Wiesenhütter’s themes are here, too—well, you know him, I think. There is reason to have questions as regards the YMCA. And once again one of our own circle will be involved in the new course steered by the Habertshof!

Now that’s all can think of.

With my best greetings and a hearty Hail!

Your Fritz Beichler

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Fidaz near Films, January 28, 1925

Highly esteemed Doctor Arnold,

Many thanks for the letter from the whole house community at Sannerz!

For some weeks now I have been seriously concerned about Curt Breitfeld. Since receiving embrocations with tuberculin serum he has been greatly agitated. Nor has he gained any weight as he did during the first three months; in fact, he has lost two pounds in January! His excitements are of a decidedly neurotic character. So far I have off and on managed to calm him down, so that things are somewhat better for a few days. But the talks will often take a course that is worrying. The least difference of opinion will make him lose his temper so that e.g. yesterday he was in an out-and-out rage. Several times already he had been thus agitated in his room, but yesterday evening he was downright terrifying, so that I can no longer bear the responsibility just by myself and have to ask you for advice if I should get in touch with a physician I know who is experienced in the treatment of neurotics and has a dedidedly religious orientation. Or do you think Curt Breitfeld had better return to some work with a favorably distracting effect? For unless his inner state improves, his residence here will not do his lung any good but will on the contrary worsen its condition.

As soon as Curt gets excited, he stops eating and loses condition. He absolutely cannot stomach any discussions or simple exchanges of opinions. But as I also have other guests in the house and myself cannot express consent to his often exaggerated and self-contradictory assertions, conversational frictions are almost unavoidable. After the experiences of the last weeks, though, I have to be afraid of such frictions having very bad consequences for him, so that I would then have to reproach myself for not having informed you in good time of these possibilities.

Curt Breitfeld harbors such unfortunate mistrust of people that he lives in constant fear of being underesteemed. He reproaches me, e.g., with ruining his life by not believing in his calling, his inspiration and mission and with thus taking away the ground under his feet and leading him into madness. And all this only because I could not assent to some of his assertions. The fact is, though, that I took greatest interest in him from the very beginning and was always willing to do for him what I could.

Perhaps, though, precisely this lively interest in his work in Sannerz has harmed him inwardly.; it landed him in a certain hubris, in a religious mania. And when I then tried to make him aware of his exaggerations, he took this as an attempt to undermine his faith, and it made him lose all his inner stability.

Occasionally he has lucid moments when he recognizes that he has adopted a totally false attitude to his environment. However, these moments will grow dark again almost immediately and are followed by all the niore desperate accusations against my guests or myself. He will wallow about in the torment he makes for himself and is so uprooted and blinded that he can no longer find a way out. Maybe he needs a strong distraction—work that would free him from himself. What he definitely needs is a strong spiritual guidance.

I have given Curt lessons in Italian and English in the hope of diverting him from his wearing ruminations. But it does not help him sufficiently nor is he able to focus on reading. Religious books excite him tremendously; and our reading together in the evenings mostly just serves to bring his unhappy neurotic state more to the fore.

When I have time to give my whole attention to Curt, he will, while it lasts, believe in my good intentions for him and is then touchingly compliant; however, my household duties will not allow me to do this the whole time My impression is that his emotional suffering is greater than his physical one—indeed, that the latter stems from the former.

I am not letting Curt know that I am writing to you; it might serve to agitate him. I ask you to feel convinced that only the thought of helping Curt makes me take this step, just as earlier on I had invited him to remain here until spring so as to get well. I find it extremely embarrassing that on account of the above circumstances he cannot now find here the needed recuperation

I ask you to kindly let me have your considered opinion just as soon as possible. With my best greetings to you and your highly esteemed dear wife

Yours truly,

Maria Arbenz

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POSTCARD

Berlin, January 28, 1925

Highly esteemed Dr. Arnold,

My husband very much regrets not being able to see you today. We would be very happy to have you, after a prelininary phone arrangement, call on us tomorrow.

Pnone: Lützow 970

With affectionate greetings from my husband

Mrs. Charlotte von der Trenck

Berlin W-30, 4 Luitpold Street

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POSTCARD

Otto Speck,

Eisenhammer,

Dear Eberhard or [Adolf] Braun,

Many thanks for your letter [of Jan. 10]! However, I cannot come now! In March I shall go back to East Prussia, where I have to see to things with respect to taking over or running te family real estate. I don’t know yet how this will pan out; in any case, though, I shan’t come this year! It might be something for the following year, but I know nothing definitel. Otherwise there is nothing to block my way.

I did have bad experiences in Breitewitz [i.e. Waldmöhle Breitewitz of the neu Sonnefeld work commuity] but hope that it’s [now?] different there [?]. I shall still be very happy to once pay you a visit.

With cordial greetings

Your Otto [Speck]

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Wednesday, January 28, 1925

Cordial greetings!

So far our situation has not changed. Just imagine: Kaesgen has written to Neusonnefeld, if we could perhaps come to Classens, or if in some way they have something for us. Why doesn’t Eberhard come? We can no longer go to Hans Seitz. Do you by any chance know of some place we could go to? We long for a room and for proper work with a bit of income. So far Irmgard is still quite well physically; she works in the Kaesgens’ household and also spends time sewing her baby things.

Our work came to a stop because the man who was always with us upstairs, was suddenly arrested by three detectives as a multiple burglar and jail-breaker. The police were exceptionally friendly and accommodating toward us, although we would actually be most under suspicion as “fences”. On Christmas Eve, while we were so happy, the man had burgled a church. When the house was searched, our things were left alone. However, the [Ritter] gang was in a furious rage, so that the two of us simply walked away, after my wife had been terribly excited. I am supposed to have denounced the man—ridiculous!

We have no idea yet what we are going to do now. Greet Heini and the children! Irmgard sends greetings.

Warm greetings in haste!

Roland [Karl Keiderling]

I have made hair bands for Emmy, Trudi, and Else, but have no money to send them.

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Crimmitschau, January 29, 1925

Highly esteemed Doctor Arnold,

While forwarding to you the book you have asked for I also wish to thank you once again for your valuable September Bible and for your support of the Auerbach Bible

Transcription (Paraphrase)

For your lectures in Dresden and elsewhere I wish you from my heart God’s very special grace. Sorry to say I shall most likely not find time to see you again during the first week in February. Right until Easter my days will be filled with finding my way into urban pastoral care and hospital work, for it was only on December 16 of last year that I could begin to move into the Lutherhof premises here.

Greeting you with deep respect

Pastor Alfred Zenker

Church of St. Lawrence

Crimmitschau

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TELEGRAPY OF THE GERMAN REICH

To: Arnold, Sannerz

P.O. Sterbfritz

Received: January 29, 1925

11:10 AM

Telegram from Gräfenhainichen

Immediate action as regards Roland. Message by return.

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Leipzig-Anger, Krönerstr. 46

In the Ice Month (January)1925

Dear Eberhard and dear house community,

I wonder what you may be thinking of me, not having heard from me for so long. However, time, this precious, rare commodity, has been in such short supply that my wish could not turn into deed any earlier. We would have so liked to provide a little Christmas joy for your children, but even there difficulties arose and blocked the way. Well, the long winter evenings are not yet past; so maybe it will give them joy even now.

Of course, what demands most of my time and energy is my course of study. And there I actually find myself the whole time in a deep tension: on the one hand I want to faithfully serve my calling and give myself wholly to it, hence locating myself in the reality as it is given to me—yes, but can I actually do this? Do I not in this way end up in dependence on, and servitude to, the earth, whereas in reality I must belong with body and soul to something quite different and want to serve that? I think it is ever again a question of placing myself into that wholly different reality, in order then, totally free from things, to serve the world or rather to serve God in the world.--a free lord of all things and yet subject to everything and everybody.

Since the beginning of this winter term we have regularly been meeting in the Neuwerk circle. The first evenings were filled with hour-long, fierce debates. In particular the opposite: Sannerz—Karl Barth played a big part. What we said was about the following. To begin with, Sannerz was being reproached with being a utopia. I, on the other hand, did not know what to do with the concept of reality and actuality. As Christians we stand in the world as people not of this world—that is our need. While the Sannerz calling consists in trumpeting forth the message “ not of the world”, Karl Barth (and the Habertshof) feel urged to shout ”and yet in the world!” These are truly opposite positions, but it is a case of dialectics a Chrisitian has to work through in his own heart. The two slogans belong together, but in order to be heard they have to be sounded in that extreme and radical way presently being done. Barth calls out to Sannerz, “Don’t forget that you are earthly beings! Remember the Tower of Babel!” Sannerz replies, “Are you not giving up on questioning and on striving for God and the Kingdom?” Each side sees the danger threatening the other one, but they both want to be obedient to God.

A further question was: What are we to do? It’s after all in order to work that we meet one evening a week! At the moment we concern ourselves with questions of ethics and in particular political ethics at the hand of Althaus’ (an old acquaintance of E.A.) booklet on “The Concept of the State and the Kingdom of God” and have already been led deeply into the problems of that relationship. On Saturdays and Sundays we meet in order to chat or sing or do what we feel urged to do. In the summer we want to be out on hikes quite often. Last November we met with the Lichtensteiners at Hans Seiz’s place and had a jolly time together. For Easter we are planning a Neuwerk gathering in Saxony, but first have to get in touch with the different people concerned. Are you going to be at the Leipzig Fair?

I am not quite clear yet on what to do during the next semester holidays (March-April). Quite a few times the thought has come to me to learn a trade (say, cabinet making) so as to possess at least some manual skill. On the other hand, I would love to come to you—in fact, very much indeed. Just recently I felt vividly reminded of you when I played the SALVE CHRISTI and then in the evening once again took hold of your INNER LAND. Has “The Love Life and Love” been published yet? Of that I must get a copy—no question!

When writing these lines during the first days of this month, I had no idea that so much time would go past before this letter is on its way to you. Maybe I now add a bit about what is presently occupying us fully: our ”Saxony” convention. The second and third day of Easter strike us as the most favorable time. The locality is still undecided; the Rochsburg on the Mulde River is under consideration. Yes, and now we would be happy if you. Eberhard, and Schafft had something to say to us. But will you two be able t come? Perhaps you, Eberhard, might kindly let me know it you can come. The subject we have in mind is: “Proclamation and Deed” but that is not yet quite definite. Our Leipzig circle wants to present the play of the prodigal son. We are full of joy and are even thinking of taking the play also to other places. If you still have other Saxon addresses in your card index, please let us have them.

But now I have written only about myself and us. How are you Sannerzers getting on? Through Peter Classen we found out that Roland is no longer in Sannerz. With him you have lost a mighty working strength. We would all be very happy to hear from you once again or to see one of you.

Bound together with you in faifhful brotherliness, I greet all of you most warmly!

Hans Kupfer

Many greetings to all of you from my parents and sisters (especially Hanna), and also from our Neuwerk circle!

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