Type 6 winter energy theme in a Goetheanum window

General themes in Rudolf Steiner’s Goetheanum north green window, include type 6 Exile, often double-headed (here two wreaths of heads, left and right panels), or a tree (here growing and flowering energy petals), or fire (here a bonfire in the central panel). The four ‘elements’ are unusually symbolised. The subconscious polar marker (pc /summer) and the horizontal plane place ‘summer’ between axes 14-15 or Cancer-Gemini, thus ‘spring’ and the cultural time-frame in Age3-4 Aries-Pisces. The usual symbolism is: Spring Aries Earth (here Air) v 10 Autumn Libra Air (here Fire), and 6 Winter Capricornus Fire (here Water), 14 Summer Cancer Water (here Earth). Semi-conscious symbolic correspondences seldom interfere with archetypal features, since the seasons are fixed, but the four elements are interchangeable.

Steiner’s sketch motto of ‘Love of the world causes human kindness, giving and receiving’, confirms the virtue of charity, a kind of sacrifice. The mottoes are read from centre, to left, to right panels.

The First or former Goetheanum north green window engraving design, subconsciously expresses archetype 6, Exile or Scapegoat. Steiner’s rough sketch was detailed by Hilde Boos-Hamburger, and engraved by a team (typology labels and axial grid here identified by E Furter). Steiner’s correspondence tables of seasons and classical ‘elements’ were unusual (see an extract about the floor plans and stage dome cupola artworks on http://www.stoneprintjournal.wordpress.com).

Characters in the Goetheanum north green window sketch (noting archetypal features):

1 Builder; Earth (build) magus (hero) over a flower, under two stacks (tower) of twelve magi heads (cluster).

2c Basket; Wreath (weave) of magi heads (head).

3 Queen; Air angel under the sun (spring).

4 King; Two (twins) magi (kings?) in a wreath of king heads.

5a Priest; Water Magus (priest) over drooping leaves (‘sash’) or wings (winged), counter to (inverse) of the opposite panel.

5c BasketTail; Magi heads (head) wreath (weave).

6 Exile; ?

7 Child; ? (Need not have a visible eye).

7g Galactic centre; Corinthian capital top (juncture) under stream (water).

8 Healer; Corinthian capital (pillar, strength) or acanthus medicinal herb (heal) leaves.

9c BasketLid; Pillar base (disc, lid, instrument, revelation, pillar).

10 Teacher; Fire person (metal), arms up (V-posture).

11 Womb; Lower angel’s midriff (womb).

12 Heart; Lower angel’s chest (heart, angel).

14 Mixer; Earth woman, far from the axial centre (egress).

15 Maker; Central Air angel (winged) of three (churn group).

Axial centre; Unmarked as usual.

4p Gal.S.Pole; Shoulder (limb joint).

11p Gal.Pole; Shoulder (limb joint).

Cel.Pole; A hand (limb joint).

Age; The polar marker and the horizontal plane, place ‘summer’ between axes 14-15 or Cancer-Gemini, thus ‘spring’ and the cultural time-frame in Age3-4 Aries-Pisces, confirmed by the top central and top right characters. The five structuralist layers of expression are subconscious to artists, architects, builders and members of all cultures.

Goetheanum timeline

1499 July 22; Dornach Blood Hill battle, Swiss confederates beat 3000 Swabian invaders. The Peace of Basel recognised Swiss independence.

1907; Steiner decorated Munich Tonhalle for the European Theosophical Congress with architect Schmid-Curtis. Steiner soon broke from Theosophy.

1910 -1913; Steiner rented Munich State Theatre to stage his dramas. Munich blocked his building plans.

1912; Eurythmy dance developed as a gymnosophy (yoga) ritual, using legs as dynamic ‘pillars’.

1913; Dornach hill near Basel donated by dentist Emil Grosheintz of Zurich.

1913 -1914; Steiner planned a wooden hall, built by 200 volunteers from 17 countries, including architect Ranzenberger; artists Aisenpreis, Kemper, Bay; sculptor Dubach; engineer Ebbell. Nicknamed ‘Johannes Building’ after a character in Steiner’s dramas, perhaps named after John of Revelation.  Steiner kept ‘complete control over form and function’ by his skills, elaborate scheme, and charisma (Adams 1990. Paull 2020).

1913 Sep 10/30; First foundation stone. Steiner invoked spirit guides and protectors by a ‘cosmic picture of the human soul’ (Schwarz 1983).

1914 April 1; Top-out ceremony.

1914 June 28; WWI events caused delays and team changes.

1919 -1920; First hall used for lectures, though incomplete.

1922 Dec 31; First hall burned down. Member Jakob Ott, 28, a watchmaker of nearby Neu-Arlesheim, suffocated in the dome, fell into the basement, his skull smashed by roof tiles, his deformed spine of an earlier accident recognised (Paull 2020).

1923 -1924; Insurers paid 3.8-m franks for the loss, and 0.5-m for furniture and equipment. Steiner planned the second Goetheanum.

1923 Dec; foundation stone laid.

1924 -1928; Goetheanum built.

1925; Rudolf Steiner died.

1928 Dec; Goetheanum completed.

1928 Sep 29; Opened by poet Albert Steffen as ‘a spiritual home’.

1950; Goetheanum remodelled.

1957; Architect Schopfer chosen by competition to complete remodelling.

• This post is an extract from Stoneprint Journal 9; Subconscious archetypes in Steiner’s Goetheanum, August 2023. STONEPRINT Journal Series is a supplement to Stoneprint, the human code in art, buildings and cities. Order the book, or journal editions, or contribute articles, on edmondfurter at gmail dot com

Back editions:

1 Pictish Beasts are not a ‘zodiac’

2 Crop circles are natural artworks

3 The Stoneprint tour of Paris

4 The Stoneprint tour of London

5 Culture code in seals and ring stamps

6 Rennes le Chateau stoneprint tour

7 Hercules, Arcadia, Greece myth maps

8 NASA and SETI space cosmograms

9 Archetypes in Steiner’s Goetheanum

Some sources for Stoneprint Journal 9 edition

Adams, D.J. 1992. Rudolf Steiner’s First Goetheanum as an Illustration of Organic Functionalism. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 51:2, 182-204

Blaser, W. 2002. Nature in Building: Rudolf Steiner in Dornach. Basel: Birkhauser

Boos-Hamburger, Hilde. 1910. Experiences in painting cupolas of first Goetheanum. Anthroposophic Press

Burki, Karin. 1923. Goetheanum. Heartbrut

Fant, Å., Kingborg, A. and Wilkes, A. J. 1975. Rudolf Steiner’s sculpture in Dornach. London: Rudolf Steiner Press

Furter, E. 2014. Mindprint, the subconscious art code. Lulu.com

Furter, E. 2016. Stoneprint, the human code in art, buildings and cities. Four Equators Media, Johannesburg

Furter, E. 2017a. Stoneprint Journal 2; Crop circles are natural artworks. Four Equators Media, Johannesburg

Furter, E. 2017b. Recurrent characters in rock art reveal objective meaning. Expression 16, June, p54-62. Atelier Etno, Italy /Also in book form

Furter, E. 2018a. Stoneprint Journal 3; Paris stoneprint tour. Four Equators Media, Johannesburg

Furter, E. 2018b. Stoneprint Journal 4; London stoneprint tour. Lulu.com

Furter, E. 2018c. Stoneprint Journal 5; Culture code in seals and ring stamps. Lulu.com

Furter, E. 2019. Blueprint, cultural structure in four media. Researchgate /Academia /Edmondfurter.wordpress.com

Furter, E. 2019a. Stoneprint Journal 6; Rennes le Chateau stoneprint tour. Lulu.com

Furter, E. 2021. Stoneprint Journal 7; Hercules, Arcadia, and Greece myth maps. Four Equators Media, Johannesburg

Furter, E. 2023. Stoneprint Journal 8; NASA and SETI space cosmograms. Four Equators Media

Goetheanum Archive, Dornach; Rudolf Steiner Archive, Dornach; Verlag am Goetheanum

Kasser, R., Meyer, & Wurst 2006. Gospel of Judas. National Geographic

Paull, J. 2020. First Goetheanum: A Centenary for Organic Architecture. Journal of Fine Arts Vol.3, Iss.2

Steiner, R. 1925c. Goetheanum windows. Rudolf Steiner Press, UK