“Encountering Novalis” / 2026 Pentecost Conference / Dornach

Opening Words from a poem by Novalis ***

Liebe Freunde,

As reported in previous Section meetings and announcements, the Section for the Literary Arts & Humanities of the School for Spiritual Science has sponsored this Pentecost Conference on Novalis at the Goetheanum. The conference is almost entirely in German, but here is a PDF of the conference schedule in English. (For the complete conference announcement in German, click here.)

*** The words at the top of this posting are from a poem by Novalis that we find in the novel Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Rudolf Steiner read the complete poem at the founding of the first anthroposophical society in Cologne, Germany in 1912. At that time, Rudolf Steiner praised this poem by Novalis a kind of “motto for the anthroposophical movement.” Rudolf Steiner repeatedly hailed Novalis as the herald of Anthroposophy and praised Novalis as the guiding star for the anthroposophical movement . . ., and of course he pointed to the importance of Novalis in his Last Address. (For more about Novalis, click here.)

Here is the complete poem. 

5.20.26