sendbrief advent 1935 - english aug2014 32pages - 231kb

8/11/2019 Sendbrief Advent 1935 - English Aug2014 32pages - 231KB

1/32

Eberhard Arnold

His Life for the Bruderhofs. His Mission for the Imminent Kingdom

of God and the Building of Full Community among Mankind

Publishing House of the Almbruderhof registered Society Silum

Post Triesenberg, Principality of Liechtenstein.

A Christmas letter from the Rhnbruderhof and the AlmbruderhofFifteenth Year of Sannerz and Bruderhof Letters

1935

Rhnbruderhof, Post Neuhof, District of Fulda, German ReichAlmbruderhof Silum Triesenberg, Principality of Liechtenstein

Translation by Susanna Alves

August 2014


2/32

In these our extremely serious Advent weeks we have the specially strong inner desire

to send a printed Bruderhof-letter to all our friends. Those recipients of this circular letter

who knew our spokesman Dr. Eberhard Arnold personally will have already heard of

the shocking news, via a printed note sent out in the meantime, that on the 22nd

November of this year our Eberhard was called away from his active life in our

community to the community above. All friends who know how Eberhard dedicated allhis energies and devoted his gifts and whole life for the building of full community will

have an idea of the irreplaceable loss that our Bruderhofs suffered. With this letter we

will be able to say only very little of what Eberhard Arnold meant for us and what kind

of meaning the life that came to an end must also have in todays times, reaching far

beyond our Bruderhofs. All those who know us more closely will realise that our

brotherly life is not about human beings and their importance but has always been about

Gods Cause and His Kingdom which, he preached, must be lived out in our Bruderhofs.

In all our writings it is also expressed that life in community cannot be a work of man

but can only become possible through the gift of Gods Spirit. Yet we cannot concealthat all our 100 adult Bruderhofers were won for the communal life through Eberhard

Arnolds witness bearing, and that after God, it is to him as His blessed tool that we give

our thanks today, for in two Bruderhofs in Germany and Liechtenstein we are fully

united in total community and are filled with the certainty of faith that this path will

remain the same for all our times. With the innermost attitude of our community life it

will be understandable to all that this Bruderhof-letter does not express anything about

how infinitely much Eberhard Arnold meant to each single one of our Bruderhofers, but

that here we can only talk about the Cause for which he managed to live and die and for

which also we Bruderhofers want to live and die.What Eberhard Arnold proclaimed during 36 years in many countries and what he put

into practice in the Bruderhofs with us in daily community work during 15 years were

no new teachings, but the message contained in the four Gospels, as known to all, it was

the message from Jesus who gave witness of the approaching Kingdom of God and

called for the following of a path of loving brotherhood. To the outside observer, the

novelty consisted only in that the profession to Jesus should alter the totality of mans

lifestyle, that the totality of daily life was again seen as one unity, as it was determined

quite exclusively by the future of the Kingdom of God and the imitation of Christ. Quite

logically, such a radical concept had to lead to a breach with the powers of Mammon,with the desire to kill, with the lies and the unchasteness in order to completely and fully

change the personal and public life within a completely new order. It has remained

incomprehensible to many of our friends that the commitment to Jesus should lead to

such a ruthless turning away from the general belief of the autonomous laws of things

[Eigengesetzlichkeit der Dinge]. Thus it was not easily comprehensible for many

visitors, having spent time with us for short hours or a few days only, how our Brothers

and Sisters dared leave behind their past jobs in the world and their earlier properties in

order to exchange them for a life without any security at all in practical poverty as to

accommodation, clothing and nutrition. It likewise remained incomprehensible to them

that Eberhard Arold, with his outstanding gift for scientific work and vivid portrayal of

spiritual and cultural interconnections in the spoken and written word, had not accepted

2


3/32

a professorship, as had his ancestors. Some of our well-meaning friends believed that he

would have found an even more grateful audience at a university than he had found in

the Bruderhofs. How it had to come to a community life in the Bruderhofs, difficult to

understand by many of our friends, will become clear if we briefly follow the course of

Eberhard Arnolds life, the founder and spokesman of our Bruderhofs, in a few words,

pointing as we do this toward the spiritual movements that were the cause for thedecisive impressions in his life.

Eberhard Arnold was born on the 26 thJuly 1893, son of the late Carl Franklin Arnold,

Professor for Church History at the University of Breslau, and of his spouse Elisabeth,

born Voigt, in Knigsberg, Prussia, receiving essential impressions in his family home

of a rigorous belief in God and His awe-inspiring greatness. As a sixteen-year-old, under

the strong influence of the evangelical vicarage of Pastor E. F. Klein in Lichtenrade near

Berlin, he came to have a personal religious experience. From then on he began looking

for ways of following Jesus that would not limit itself only to the saving of the own soul

but would also lead from the love for Christ to the love of Brothers. Already in highschool, a number of seeking pupils gathered around him, and for many of those, that time

was of decisive importance for their whole future life. Eberhard Arnold soon realised

that for a true faith to show its authenticity, it had to be active in love which would

embrace the whole world with its needs. In his search to make real this understanding,

he first came in contact with the Salvation Army which had made the strongest

impressions on him at the time, although he knew many other lively circles. Here, he

found a truly authentic religious life, combined with a strong love for the poorest and

humblest. The old Salvation Army General William Booth and his burning love for the

lost tenth of mankind left a decisive impression on Eberhard Arnold when he listened tohim speaking as an old man in Berlin at the Circus Busch. Since his childhood days our

spokesman had suffered the injustices of class-, caste- and social systems and felt

himself drawn in a special way toward the poor and disadvantaged, ever since he knew

that Jesus had looked out for just those poorest. Through his father and also through

his uncle, Professor Voigt (Halle), the student received very early on the decisive

impression of early Christianity, in which he even already then recognised the most

important period of radical Christ-life. He would also in later years penetrate

scientifically not only this movement but also the times of peaceful Baptist movements

in the 16

th

Century. For many years he also researched all non-Christian spiritualmanifestations and movements, comparing them with the message of the New

Testament. Eberhard Arnolds doctoral thesis which he wrote in 1908-1909 majored on

Friedrich Nietzschess Early Christian and Anti-Christian development

[Urchristliches und antichristliches im Werdegang Friedrich Nietzsches].1) But those

werent the only scholarly works; Eberhard Arnold now tried to get in touch with people

and their needs. At first he saw his special mission among the students. He directed his

particular love towards the German Christian Student Organisation [Deutsche

1) Publishing House Bruns Beckers Buchhandlung (Otto Thon), Eilenburg 1910. Out

of print for many years. A new edition is being prepared by the Eberhard Arnold-Publishing

House.

3


4/32

Christliche Studenten-Vereinigung, D.C.S.V.] and held many lectures and Bible studies

in their circles. Here, he had much to thank for, especially to Count Pckler. In 1907, it

became vitally important for Eberhard Arnold that he came to know Emmy von

Hollander in Christian revivalist circles, daughter of University Professor Dr.jur. Johann

Heinrich von Hollander, and of Monika born Otto, finding in her a partner for life who

from then on participated profoundly in his struggles for an authentic discipleship andimitation of Christ. Eberhard Arnold himself expressed a year ago in the earlier

Christmas Letter to our friends2) what his wife Emmy, our housemother Emmy, means

to him and to our Bruderhofs. In December 1934 there was furthermore a particular

occasion to make an announcement about this to a broader circle of our friends, as

Eberhard and Emmy Arnold were able to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in

the Rhnbruderhof, in great joyfulness also that all their five children, who shall at the

end of this Letter be mentioned again in greater detail, have chosen to follow the way of

community life, for which they had battled during 25 years.

After ending his studies, Eberhard Arnold chose the path of free Gospel preachingwhich he did quite independently of the existing Churches and communities, and which

in various cities, especially in Halle an der Saale, led to the forming of communities

moved by Christ. At all these proclamations, Christ and His significance for the future

was the focal point. During the years 1910-1912, through the works of the Swiss

Hermann Kutter, he was directed once more towards Christian social responsibility, and

from then on the expectation of the nearing Kingdom of God became decisive in all his

proclamations. In the years 1913-1914, Eberhard Arnold had to spend some time in the

Tirol because of a lung disease that had struck him down, during which time he

immersed himself completely in the essence of the Bible. It was a question now ofreading the Bible with new eyes to understand the four Gospels within their great inner

connection. There were plenty of Bible interpretations, the Bible had been taken apart

and meaningful words had been torn away from their innermost context. It was a matter

of recognising the soul of the Bible, its centre-point, from where everything that had

been witnessed by the Prophets, by Jesus himself and His Apostles, must now be given

its correct significance. This was how the book, The Inner Land, a Guide into the Soul

of the Bible [Innenland, ein Wegweiser in die Seele der Bibel], which appeared under

the title The War, a Call to Inwardness [Der Krieg, ein Aufruf zur Innerlichkeit]3),

came to be published during the war that had by now broken out. This book pointedsimultaneously towards true Germanness and the powers of inwardness which had once

brought forth the mediaeval German mystics, while with Fichte came the question of

2) Life of the Bruderhofers [Vom Leben der Bruderhfer]. A Christmas Letter

from the Rhnbruderhof and Almbruderhof. Fourteenth year of the Sannerz and Bruderhof

Letters 1934. Eberhard Arnold-Publishing House G.m.b.H. Bruderhof-Neuhof (Fulda) and

Leipzig. Almbruderhof, Principality Liechtenstein. 32 P. RM. 80. Sfr. 1..

3

) The first edition was published in 1914-1915, by Publishers Paul Ott Gotha, latereditions in 1915, published by the Publishers, Furche-Verlag Belin, in 1923 published by our

Community Publishing House Sannerz. Please see Footnote 12 regarding the latest edition to

appear in the year 1936 (9thto 10ththousand).

4


5/32

mans purpose, which had to be seen as devotion to a higher task. During the war,

Eberhard Arnold had a wonderful opportunity to make available to many people the best

treasures of German literature and art, as he became a member of the newly founded

Publishing House Furche-Verlag Berlin which had made it its task to publish the best of

literature in cheap folk-editions for the German prisoners of war. Only very few know

how many of the most important publications of that Publishing House appeared underthe editorial responsibility of Eberhard Arnold, or through his suggestions. As co-

founder and co-publisher of the periodical, The Furrow [Die Furche], Eberhard

Arnold at the time became well known to the widest circles, more so through his

connection of working as Secretary to the German Christian Student-Organisation

[Deutsche Christliche Studenten-Vereinigung].

The war had come to an end. Shaken severely by the events, everywhere groups of

people formed who began searching for ways to a new more just future for humankind.

Many people of those times were deeply moved, longing for a new Kingdom of God for

this Earth. In this, the witness of both Blumhardts became especially relevant. InEberhard Arnolds house in Berlin, a group came together for evening discussions,

where it was a particular matter of concern that they recognise the Will of God in the

present historical hour. To these seekers, the revelation as to what the Sermon on the

Mount truly signified came very quickly, with a premonition that this unique summary

of the Will of God, as in all times so also in these years of disruption, must be pointing

in the right direction. Jesus message of the new brotherhood among men was

unambiguously clear. In what contrast, though, stood the World War with its dreadful

consequences? During those years, were there not great numbers who were driven to

insanity by the Gospel of Love? Yet what should those do who, even during those timesof need, still confessed themselves followers of the Gospel? The murderous spirit had

revealed itself in all its dreadful reality. Confronted with this, would it be enough for the

desperate to speak of one so different Gospel of Love? Where was a new reality of the

Love of Christ? Those who were more serious searched for paths they could follow that

would lead them out of the terrible distress. For them, what was the use of listening to

speeches about a better future? What could be said to those seekers about possibilities

of a new life that could be taken up immediately? Must not the Love of Christ be lived,

and should it not be offering possibilities to as many as possible? Must it not lead out of

the isolation and contain such a force of community building that all of mans spiritualand temporal matters suffer complete reorganisation in the spirit of the Proclamations

of Christ? During those shocking days, through George Fox, he was shown an example

of glowing Love of Christ and even then he already looked for a connection with todays

Quakers. But the uppermost question discussed during those open evenings in Berlin was

the matter of community in the meaning of Christs disciples. There was the thought, at

first, of living together in the city with an open door for the poor, who by way of a soup

kitchen and similar facilities would at the same time receive practical help. It became

clear to them very soon, though, that such a community life was only viable in the

countryside. The proximity of nature seemed to be the only possibility as regarded new,

healthier working possibilities just as much as for their educational tasks with young

people and children, which seemed particularly necessary to all. Thus it came to pass that

5


6/32

Eberhard Arnold and his family departed for the village of Sannerz in the District of

Schlchtern (Hessen-Nassau) and to the founding of a settlement, and with it the

beginning of practical community life. For Eberhard Arnold at that time to give up his

position at the Furche-Publishing House and in the D.C.S.V.[German Christian

Student- Organisation], which for other reasons had become his innermost desire, was

because the leading members of the D.C.S.V. showed ever less comprehension for theradical demands of Christianity in Action, as represented by Eberhard Arnold, and even

suggested to him that in his speeches and writings he should criticise the present

conditions less forcefully. Thus the search for an independent life in community and

simultaneously a new possibility of life as well as a new basis for the proclamation of

the Word became a given in every sense. There were of course no funds available for this

new beginning. Many well-meaning friends tried at first to keep Eberhard, then also

Emmy, from taking this step into the void. In this sense, among other matters they also

pointed to their responsibility regarding their five children. But as they knew they had

been called by God Himself to this way, they did not let anybody distract them. So thisdecisive new phase in their life with all its consequences was dared merely based on the

powers of faith. Yet with this faith, the biggest might and the only reality had come to

them. In September 1920, the following words were written down as the basis for their

settlement, which still today remain determinant for the direction of our life:

We need Christians.

We need persons who work.

We need persons who emanate the Christ-Spirit, persons who will work

with missionary zeal.

Reborn persons, Christians who have taken upon themselves the life of theSermon on the Mount.

Persons who are capable and willing to work.

They must be persons with personalities whose mission bears witness of

Christ.

We are a working community of disciples of Jesus who leave everything

behind in order to live totally for love and productive work. We must

profess to being the Community of Christ, the Community of the Lords

Supper.

The life form of this circle achieved its shape through the Youth Movement whichwould simultaneously determine the totality of Germanys young generation. Eberhard

Arnold visited the most diverse conferences of Youth Movement circles with great

interest, in particular those of the Free Germanness [Freideutschtums] of the times,

which attracted him and the Sannerzers mightily because of the demand for a more

truthful life. Eberhard Arnold gave his testimony also at the religious-social conferences

of those years, where Karl Barth became evident for the first time. What the

Brotherhood-house [Bruderschaftshaus] in Bilthoven near Utrecht in Holland

witnessed became very important too. There are records in our archives in the

Almbruderhof of many speeches and discussions of those times, which maybe could be

published later by the Eberhard Arnold-Publishing House. But for the founders of

Sannerz, more important than these oral and written testimonies was the fact that the

6


7/32

community had become a reality. The community group found accommodation in a

rented house, work possibilities offered themselves on rented fields, in a vegetable plot

and in new schoolrooms in which the children of the Arnold family together with

fostered children from the city were being educated and taught by their own teachers.

The main work area was nevertheless the publishing house (Neuwerke e.G.m.b.H.),

which in a manifold book production sought to take a stand to all questions of the times.With those publishing tasks, Eberhard Arnold had a particularly important helper in his

sister-in-law, Else von Hollander, who as his secretary from 1913 until her death on the

11th January 1932 played a profound part in all his written works but also in the

communal life in Sannerz and in the Bruderhof. In the meantime, Emmy Arnold

compiled the Songs of the Community [Lieder der Gemeinschaft].4) The Songs of the

Sun [Sonnenliederbuch], which is still being used daily in our Bruderhofs, has also

become indispensable to many of our friends in the country. Daily, large crowds of

people from all directions and confessions flowed through the house. The days were

dedicated to work and the nights to discussions. The periodical of those days, The NewWork [Das neue Werk], not to be confounded with the later New Work

[Neuwerk], maintained the connection with all the friends. After just over a year the

circle of the house community had grown to around 40 persons. In 1922, a separation

came to pass. It was the time when the Youth Movement began to wane; there were

attempts to come to terms again with the present facts of bourgeois professions and the

Church, and most of the revolutionary starry-eyed idealists returned again to normal life.

At that time, money, which for a long time had been despised, became once more the

reality and many of the Sannerzer members too found themselves unable to summon the

strength to live a life without security, totally based on their faith. All but 7 adultsjumped the ship of community life. It is from this period that many untrue rumours

originated about Eberhard Arnold and his faithful followers who held onto the communal

life. They arose mainly from those who once had been stimulated to live the life in

community, but who in those decisive years were unable to grasp that the community

could survive only with the enormous faith that could move mountains, and that this

faith was such a reality, that something could be started even without existing funds, in

the certainty that what was to be started was the Will of God and was all being done for

His Cause. It is for us a sad memory today, as it has been over the years, that this for us

so decisive attitude of faith was at the time misinterpreted by erstwhile friends whototally misjudged reality, and that from those friends emanated an enmity which was

particularly painful to Eberhard Arnold, as he often attempted, in vain, to facilitate a

factual clarification of all that occurred during the time of this separation, as he loved

those friends until the end despite their denial of the work of faith. One can best

understand these now very different paths by reading Emil Blums book, The

4

) Songs of the sun [Sonnenlieder]. Songs for friends of nature, peace amongmankind and Gods community. Published by Emmy Arnold and Gertrud Dalgas. Cart. RM.

3.60, sfr. 4.50. Half linen. RM. 5.40, sfr. 6.75. Linen RM. 7., sfr. 8.75. Regarding the second

volume of the Songs of the Sun [Sonnenliederbuch] published in 1933, see Footnote 16.

7


8/32

Habertshof.5) Now came a few quieter years which were intensely dedicated toward

an inner deepening of the remaining circle, until from around 1924 the circle began to

register a steady increase in numbers, remaining constant until the present day, that is,

until 1935. In the year 1924, the National Institute of Berlin for Publications and Art

[Vaterlndische Verlags- und Kunstanstalt Berlin] commissioned Eberhard with

publishing a series of works about Christian testimonies during the course of allCenturies. Of this source material, which intends to portray all Christian witnesses and

movements in their uniformity, only 14 volumes could appear until now,6) which have

in part found broadest distribution and wont have remained completely unknown to our

friends. The creation of these books enjoyed the most lively participation of the whole

community household. This is valid particularly for the first volume of the collection

which contains the sources of early Christianity compiled by Eberhard Arnold himself.

For the Sannerzers, those testimonies were a significant discovery. Did not those of the

Christian confession, in the years after the Apostles deaths and up to the end of the

Second Century, refer to the same expectation of the Kingdom of God and to the samecommunity moved by the Spirit, as did the circle around Eberhard Arnold, for whom this

became just as determinant. Soon the conditions at Sannerz had become insufficient for

the constantly growing circle of the community household. So it came about that in

November 1926, a property was purchased, at two hours distance from Sannerz, in the

District of Fulda. This is where our present Rhnbruderhof was built. The founding of

this Bruderhof happened in exactly the same circumstances as during the departure of

the founding family for Sannerz. This, because for the purchase of this so vital property,

no money at all was available, yet still the circle, united in faith, signed a contract which

contained the commitment of a down payment of 10'000 Mark, for their then existingsituation a quite enormous sum. Once again, faith proved to be their security; the

required sum could in fact be paid on the due date. With the purchase of these 150 acres

(37,5 hectares) of land, a busy construction activity began, which continued until 1933,

as it was necessary to create accommodation for the constantly growing circle of co-

workers. Those of our friends who visited us in the course of those years will have

noticed how the appearance of the Hof changed from year to year and how from a

decaying property a completely new Bruderhof was created. In fact, to date we could

mostly rebuild or recondition some 7 family houses and 5 working quarters. In every

building project, even in the smallest, Eberhard Arnold showed his heartfelt interest.Everything that they could build was for him only the smallest part of what he had in

mind. In a detailed letter which Eberhard Arnold wrote eight days before his death, and

5) A supplement to this book, which described matters in a very one-sided way

regarding the later Neuwerk-Movement, was written by Eberhard in 1930 under the title:

Marginal Note regarding the History of the Habertshof by Emil Blum, 1930", which is

planned to be published in connection with larger works about our Bruderhofs.

6

) An exact index of all titles can be found at the end of this booklet. Since 1932,these books are sold exclusively by the Eberhard Arnold-Publishing House [Eberhard

Arnold-Verlag G.m.b.H.], which will gladly make available detailed catalogues to all those

who are interested.

8


9/32

of which we will speak again later, he reminds us of his not forgotten building projects

which encompassed among others a large community building of 40 rooms and a large

hall, but mainly there had been the idea of building a round, tower-like construction

which would establish the connection between the present main building and the planned

largest community building. Since 1928, the building of this tower was being

reconsidered year by year and, just as the whole expansion of the general Bruderhofinstallation, was so well thought through in its finest detail, that we Bruderhofers

sometimes saw it as already made real in our minds eye. With all these projects,

Eberhard Arnold intended much more than the erection of an estate; what he had before

his eyes was a city on the mountain which will become the meeting point of all those

who, united in the anticipation of the Kingdom of God, will now also be united in a

brotherly life, in accordance with this future expectation. Our spokesman often said that

this brotherly life in our times, just as it did in the 16thCentury, might lead to a new

spiritual movement which could possibly unite some additional hundreds and thousands

of men for a life in community. As with all Bruderhof plans, therefore, there was thethought of a greater future. This did not concern only the building of houses and the

installation of the various work departments, but also establishing the norms concerning

all matters of community life, where Eberhard Arnold foresaw a much greater future of

the Cause in Faith with which we had been entrusted than even his closest collaborators

had managed to grasp. At times it appeared as though Eberhard, with his insights into

the future, completely overlooked the current livelihood problems of the Bruderhof. Yet

again and again it was shown that what he meant was no empty delusion and that these

could not be human illusions; that it rather had to do with the simple childlike belief of

which Jesus had prophesied that from it would come greater things than even hisdisciples had experienced. With this comprehensive insight of what faith makes possible,

it still remained clear to the founder of our Bruderhofs at all times where the most

obvious tasks lay that had to be taken on with the building of the Bruderhof. Houses had

to be built in order to provide modest but healthy accommodation for the continuously

growing circle of co-workers and the many Bruderhof visitors who at all times came

calling. At the same time, workshops and offices had to be created for the Bruderhofs

craftsmen and intellectual workers among them, for in the Bruderhof, there should be

space in equal measure for the work of the mind as for the work of the hand.

Nevertheless, only such work departments were to be created as would serve theoverriding purpose and which at the same time would enable the livelihood procurement

of the means required for those who had made a lifetime commitment to the task to

which we had been directed. Due to the special spiritual publications for which Eberhard

Arnold had been commissioned, the communitys publishing house had already been

created in Sannerz, as mentioned earlier. Under Eberhard Arnolds guidance, researching

the Centuries, assessing world events and holding debates about spiritual trends past and

present had become a daily communal task for all of them during the Bruderhofers daily

meetings. Because of their isolated life on a remote farm, this intense spiritual exercise,

involving the whole community household which, apart from the practical days work,

filled and determined not only the evening hours but also the communal meals, had

become vital for the Bruderhofers, as without such a joint immersion they were exposed

9


10/32

to the dangers of becoming spiritually stunted. Still, with this, the most important task

of the community would get lost, a task which was understood as going beyond the

clarity of life in community to arrive at a much stronger spiritual penetration of all

movements and manifestations of the times as would ever be possible for those who

lived in isolation in the restless cities. Thus community life became a comprehensive

educational community. There was nothing more unbearable to our Eberhard Arnold asthe sad fact that sometimes, through overemphasizing the practical work, the grasping

of spiritual interconnections and with it the sighting of greater events would get lost to

the Bruderhofers. Right up to the last days of his life, it was the Bruderhof founders

innermost desire that the work of both Bruderhofs should be for the greater Kingdom

and for the greater community task, and that the uber-cosmic significance of Jesus and

the universal future of the Kingdom of the Spirit should remain for all, at all times, that

which was most important. In no way should life in the Bruderhof lead to an

irresponsible separation from the world, but rather, faith in Gods future should open

up perceptions regarding happenings in all worlds. Understanding history as being theevents of the past, recognition of the present, and grasping the historical world hours

commandment, as well as premonition of the future as fulfilment of the prophetic

testimonies, should lead the community to the clear missionary task of a renewed going

into the world. It was important for Eberhard Arnold to educate even already the

children for the understanding of these great connections and, within the Bruderhof

school, to lead them towards the most essential questions. In our school, religion was

never taught as a subject, at the same time no school subject would be taught without

connecting it to the Will of God. Thus, for the long-term relationship of the older

Bruderhof children as well as for the youngest ones, Eberhard Arnolds all encompassingwitness and education became the all encompassing thought and direction of significance

and will remain so for the entire future of our Bruderhofs. Yet life in the Bruderhof

should not only be concerned with such intellectual work but must now also become

reality converted into practical expression. It was necessary now to create work and

livelihoods for all those who knew themselves called to this life. It was mainly farming,

with wide ranging plantations that should warrant feeding the community members. Out

of love for the Cause, Eberhard and Emmy Arnold had occupied themselves to such a

high degree with all matters agrarian, that they knew exactly each job that had to be done

in fields and meadows during all seasons. Likewise in all questions of livestock breedingthey had acquired such extensive knowledge at their practice, that they were literally

leaders in these work departments. Apart from the publishing business, for which

Eberhard was well experienced dating back to his activities at the Furche-Publishers, it

was the Bruderhofs handcraft trades departments that needed to be employed for the

communitys own requirements as well as for finding the necessary finances. Our friends

know this and are also able to read about it in our pamphlet7), where we tell of the setting

7) Pamphlet of June 1932, The Bruderhof Working Community, can be ordered free

of charge from the Rhnbruderhof, Post Neuhof, District of Fulda. Despite the fact that bynow much of its contents has become out-dated, particularly since the founding of the

Almbruderhof, this work, soon out of print, is nonetheless of significance for more detailed

explanations about the interlocking of our Bruderhof work departments.

10


11/32


12/32

promoting a multi-faceted education that will awaken a voluntariness

towards the good, encompassing as many big and small people as possible,

while spreading and promoting this truth and lifestyle throughout the whole

world as well as in the Bruderhof, and through it achieving a discipleship

of Jesus which will allow a combination of essential unity, an established

peace, moral purity, simple truthfulness and personal poverty, so thathousehold management, benefits, property and all things are held in

common, that all are of one mind, one heart and one soul and in accordance

with the prophetic and apostolic Word, as it was again revealed by God to

the Hutterian Brethren since 1533, and to actively conduct all work

branches in the service of all mankind who require, desire and accept this

service. The whole of the Organisations acquisitions, installations and

performances shall serve exclusively as alms donations to these communal

purposes. For the totality of this lifes work, everything lies therefore in a

clear differentiation between on the one hand the active and responsiblerepresentatives of these aims and tasks, as members of the Registered

Organisation, and on the other, the helpers, guests and children. The latter

shall not be employed in the sense of profitability or capabilities, but only

in the sense of an education towards working in community. Community

and an open door are the attributes of the Bruderhof.

The agricultural and gardening work begun in 1927 in the Rhnbruderhof became a

basis of livelihood for many Bruderhofers through additional property purchases in the

years 1928 and 1932, which now comprehend 270 acres of land. At the same time, the

already accomplished land cultivation and the work still outstanding became a possibilityof activities for many years to come. Until 1934, since having taken over the property

in 1926 when it was at the brink of ruin, it was possible to build up an agricultural and

gardening business with such excellent results that even the Prussian Minister for

Agriculture, in 1934, had to acknowledge it in a letter. In the Rhnbruderhof, in the

autumn of 1928, a new childrens house with schoolrooms was built; in the meantime,

the Bruderhof had received recognition from the State of its private elementary and

secondary schools. All readers of this letter who wish to inform themselves in greater

detail about the educational aims of our community of children and their schooling, all

now based in the Almbruderhof, are pointed toward two pedagogical essays by EberhardArnold which appeared as pamphlets and can be ordered from our Bruderhofs.8)

It will now become clear to all that since 1927, during the work-intensive foundational

years, Eberhard Arnold found much less time to dedicate himself to his special task of

publishing books and essays and to give talks to wider circles. Still, while Eberhard

Arnold had to employ all his strengths and gifts in seeking to achieve a firmer structure

of our community, those years came to be of irreplaceable importance for our

8) The Bruderhofs Community of Children and the Spirit of their Education [Die

Kindergemeinde des Bruderhofes und der Geist ihrer Erziehung], published 1928 for theRhnbruderhof. The Almbruderhofs Community of Children and their Education [Die

Kindergemeinde des Almbruderhofes und ihre Erziehung], published 1934 for the

Almbruderhof.

12


13/32

brotherhood circle as they had become increasingly clearer since the founding of the

Bruderhof. What became most important in those years was the joining together of our

brotherhood with the Hutterian Brethren in America, of which we shall report in greater

detail, as for this task, our spokesman had employed his most valuable energies during

many years. It is very typical of Eberhard Arnolds innermost attitude that since the

beginning of life in community in Sannerz, he kept a constant lookout for radicalbrotherhoods, past and present, of a similar direction, in the hope of greater unification

with all of them. In no way did he seek his own creation under his own name. Nothing

could be further from his mind than to shape the Bruderhofers into Arnoldists. It was

much rather the knowledge that, over time and in many places since the first Pentecost

in Jerusalem there had been spiritual arousals and brotherhoods had been established,

causing him to believe that in todays times too, elsewhere on earth, there will be men

united in the same Spirit as had led to the union in the Sannerz Bruderhof. And if it were

thus, then without fail a joining together was necessary. It would have contradicted

Gods witness of oneness if the same attitude of faith and the same practical life formwas to be found in various places without an innermost connection. Christs disciples

were to be recognised by their unity, with a most definite faith in that the Spirit does not

contradict itself, and that therefore his established community had to follow the same

path as had been predetermined for the original community in Jerusalem, holding all

things in common through the revelation of their spiritual gifts. In this sense, since the

founding of the Bruderhof, connections with various movements were established: there

were repeated encounters with settlements and communities in the most diverse

countries, with circles of friends from the Youth Movement, where some represented

political beliefs and others had accepted life-reforming views, but also with Christiancommunities of all kinds. Eberhard Arnolds attention was drawn at all times to the

peaceful Baptists of the 16thCentury (not to be confused with the Mnsterers) who had

lived in community in Moravia and had at the same time recognised a strong missionary

duty toward the world of those times. It was a great discovery when Eberhard Arnold

learned that even now in America descendants of those brotherhoods of the 16thCentury

lived in full community of goods. During the years 1928-1930 we had a lively exchange

of letters with the Hutterian Brethren in Canada and South-Dakota. At the same time in

our Bruderhof, the old writings and history books of the Hutterites, sent from America,

were eagerly read, whereby it became obvious that at the Hutterian Brethrencommunities, their attitude of faith as well as the practical organisation of their

communal life painted the same picture exactly as it had been given to our Bruderhof

community in the Rhn. In August 1929, Eberhard Arnold wrote a book titled,

Construction and Guidelines of the Neuhof Fulda Bruderhof 1929 based on our

Guidelines of the Sannerz Bruderhof 1920-1929 [Aufbau und Ordnungen Bruderhof

Neuhof Fulda 1929 mit Grundlage aller unserer Ordnungen Sannerz-Buderhof 1920-

1929].9) This compilation of all the most important records and public declarations from

9) This book was never published, as it is written for our brotherhood members and

novices only. We have nevertheless from time to time made it accessible to those who

wondered if they should join our Bruderhof.

13


14/32

the first nine years of our community life contained at the same time the guidelines for

the services of all those carrying the main responsibilities for the Bruderhof, and the

evidence was so overwhelmingly in accordance with the early-Hutterite community

guidelines that much could be taken over from the books of the Brethren without it

requiring a change of direction in our new beginning. We found at the Hutterian

Brethren the same principles of community living as ours, although theirs, incomparison, already had four-hundred years of proving its worth. Thus our desire

became ever greater to reach a stronger connection with the Hutterian Brethren in

America and if at all possible to be completely united with them. A further proof that

Eberhard Arnold had no intentions of creating something in his own name is the fact that

in 1929, in unison with the then Hutterian brotherhood members, he declared his total

readiness to place the German Bruderhof, including its special community services,

under the community leadership of the Hutterian Brethren in America. He requested that

the Brethren send them a Servant of the Word and a Housekeeper [Haushalter or

Diener der Notdurf], to improve the set-up of our Bruderhof. Uniting with all truewitness-bearing communities past and present was so important to him that for this

possibility he would have joyfully made any sacrifice. In this regard, he sometimes very

earnestly said to our guests: Show us a path on which we may serve Christ and live His

Love even better. We will follow you and give up our Bruderhof immediately. But it has

to be a better path than the one we have followed until now. In May 1930, Eberhard

accepted an invitation by the Brethren and travelled to America in order to visit the then

37 Hutterian Bruderhofs (today there are 40) in Alberta and Manitoba (Canada) as well

as in South-Dakota (U.S.A.), during a trip that lasted eleven months. He also got to know

other communities, such as the Doukhobors. For all of us it was of greatest importanceto find out if todays descendants of the old Brethren continued living together in the

same freshness of spirit as their ancestors did four centuries earlier, or if maybe during

the passing of the centuries something essential was lost. It was shown very quickly in

the most wonderful way that the Brethren in America, still today, lived in full

community in the same faithful manner exactly as we had learned from the history books

of the old Hutterites. Between their community and our new beginning no basic

differences were found. The Brothers in America, during their four-hundred years of

faithfulness to their communal belief and life, often had to leave their homeland, and

many were able to accept the hardest martyrdom for their love of Christ and HisCommunity, while we had to say of our own circle that we still are such beginners on the

path of community life, where to date nobody had offered such proof of this path to his

lifes end. On the other hand, the Brothers in America recognised that the eagerness of

our much younger circle, which came into being through spiritual movements and

historical events, could also become important to the older brotherhood. Eberhard

Arnold was received with great love in all Bruderhofs. The trust by the Brothers was so

great that they totally acknowledged our Bruderhof as a Hutterian Community,

confirmed Eberhard Arnold as a Hutterian Servant of the Word, and put him in charge

of the service of spokesman for Germany. The Deed of Ordination reads as follows:

14


15/32

The Hutterian Brethren

Stand-Off Colony Macleod Alta. March 20. 1931.

To the Bruderhofs

a notification to the Hutterian Communities

1. On 9thDecember 1930, Eberhard Arnold of the German Bruderhof of the

Community of God has been incorporated into those called the Hutterians,on the Stand Off Bruderhof, as per the teachings of Matth. 28, by Elias

Walter, Christian Waldner, Johannes Kleinsasser, Johannes Entz, in the

presence of the Communities of Stand Off and of Joseph Wipfs and Jerg

Waldners.

2. On 19thDecember 1930, Eberhard Arnold was confirmed as Servant of

the Word of God with the laying on of hands by the Elders Christian

Waldner, Elias Walter, Johannes Kleinsasser and Johannes Entz. This took

place at the Stand Off Bruderhof as per the teachings of Titus 1, held by

Johannes Kleinsasser of Buck-Ranch Milford Bruderhof.Therewith, Eberhard Arnold has been commissioned by the Brotherhood

to pronounce the Word of God in Germany, to collect the eager and to

establish in the best way the Bruderhof by Neuhof (Fulda) in Hessen-

Nassau. Signed Elias Walter

Some of the most authoritative American Brothers were thinking seriously that

Eberhard Arnold, who reminded them strongly of their Jacob Huter, ought to be

appointed as the most senior episcopal Elder over all of Americas Bruderhofs and their

4000 souls; but Eberhard himself saw his inner task as lying in the German speaking

countries. Sadly, there is no written work in todays literature which offers an objective,clear picture of the life of the Brothers in America. The brochure translated from the

English and published by our Publishing House, The Hutterite Communities [Die

Hutterischen Gemeinschaften], by Bertha W. Clark10) was written before Eberhard

Arnold travelled to America and could not be confirmed anymore in all its content after

his return. Bertha W. Clark, who had spent only a short time visiting with the Brothers,

had misunderstood much in the life form of the Brothers, in a way that the wrong

impression could easily ensue that this was a sect ruled by narrow laws. It has happened

to the Brothers in America exactly as it happened to us, in that outside observers, after

a short visit to the Bruderhof, felt called upon and enabled to describe the life incommunity while actually knowing far too little about this life and at the same time often

lacking an inner understanding for true community, which was wholly lost on them,

therefore creating a totally wrong image. It was Werner Zimmermann who wrote the

most misleading report about the Hutterians in America. He visited one Bruderhof

among 40 for only a few hours, and then presumed himself to understand the life and

having the authority of passing judgement on the Brothers. His conclusions in his Tau

[periodical]arrived at a rejection, as the Brothers are no vegetarians and take marriage

10

) Bertha W. Clark, The Hutterite Communities [Die HutterischenGemeinschaften], 37 pages, text, published 1929 by the Eberhard Arnold-Publishing House.

The remaining stock of this booklet, which will not be reprinted, are offered at the price of

RM. 2., sfr. 1.25 per piece.

15


16/32


17/32

in the Bruderhofs was held of particularly unique importance. He found his conviction

confirmed, that through this continuous life in large communities, marriage in no way

lost its significance, to the contrary, that in communion of faith, much more strongly

than elsewhere, marriage represents the profoundest symbol of Christ and His

Community, as through it, the totality of life in its oneness became the symbol. With this

essential conviction of his faith, Eberhard Arnold, immediately after his return fromAmerica in the summer of 1931, carried out the marriage of three engaged couples, after

which there followed a further nine weddings in our Bruderhofs, so that, after a further

seven families joined, there are presently 22 families living in our two Bruderhofs.

What touched us all so deeply about the Hutterites was the incredible matter-of-

factness that became obvious to us from their faith and their all-embracing lifestyle. This

should now also gain in importance for our Rhnbruderhof. As Eberhard Arnold with

his far-reaching view had always recognized a truly childlike spirit as the decisive

ingredient, it was clearly given to him to unite the long-standing, much simpler Brethren

with our members who originated from the Youth Movement and were much morecomplicated in their thinking, and to cause this union to solidify year after year. Thus we

were able to grow in the life of the Hutterian Brotherhood in such a way that even today

all daily questions of life within our new beginning belong inseparably with the witness

of the Hutterian ancestors. Through the life of the Brethren it became apparent to

Eberhard Arnold and to all of us that all spiritual and temporal matters must always be

seen by their inner connection. The contents of their teachings are what they live out in

their Bruderhofs; because everything in the Bruderhof life must be consistent with the

preachings. Faith is dead without deeds. Without the right foundations of faith, deeds of

brotherly love are not possible. Thus under the spiritual leadership of Eberhard Arnoldwe experienced new times with Hutterianism in which, equally, a broader perception and

a wider comprehension of the meaningfulness of the nearest everyday occurrences ought

to become apparent. While in the first years of our communal life in Sannerz the

incredible enthusiasm of the Youth Movement, to build a new World, had largely

determined daily life, its expression now sometimes had the character of an extremely

sober task of a Hutterian community in the Rhnbruderhof. This does not mean, though,

that fundamentally something of the moving early times should be forfeited; because we

are and remain grateful to the Youth Movement of the post-war period which shocked

the broadest circles, as in this movement we see Gods powerful call across all times forus to again understand His Creation, giving up the lifeless works created by broken-away

mankind. To the end of his life, Eberhard Arnold was himself so full of the essence of

true Youth Movement that in his capacity for enthusiasm he exceeded by far all those

that were younger and at all times was the best in understanding the special situation of

the young. Another of his last wishes was, that our Bruderhofs never become petty

towards the young.

The Brethren in America, in the period of our unification, were faring well

economically, their Bruderhofs even today are properties equipped in the most modern

fashion and of vast extensions, realised immediately that so far, the economic basis of

our community in the Rhnbruderhof was much too weak and that help was needed if

the work and construction of the continually growing circle was to continue in the true

17


18/32

sense. Thus it was possible, on the one hand through the Brethren themselves and on the

other through newly joining members, that the year 1931 became a year in which the

greatest extensive constructions, not experienced before in our history, came to be

realised in the Bruderhof, because during this year, around 100'000 Mark could be

invested in new buildings, in cattle and machines, in workshop equipment and manifold

improvements in our establishment. At the time, the newly joining members were soimpressed by the brotherly life as such, but particularly by our kind of brotherly

matrimonies, that for them it was a must to be united with us. Eberhard Arnold, who at

all times reminded us that our Buderhofs must never exchange their poverty against a

more comfortable life of security, who again and again presented us with the example

of Francis of Assisi as virtually decisive for our whole Bruderhof life, was in that year

busily engaged in employing the incoming money as quickly as possible in constructing

for the Cause and to spend it all without reservations. In a speech of those times he said

literally: I sense it from day to day more strongly and powerfully that this is our

decisive hour, being much more significant and much more dangerous than a threateningcompulsory auction. So I tried to safeguard the whole household from being poisoned

by the spirit of Mammon. The compulsory auction mentioned here had in fact

threatened our Rhnbruderhof in 1929, but could be avoided at the last moment through

the help of our Swiss friends. We are forever grateful to our spokesman that in all hours

of economic need and in all hours of greatest economic help he was a real guardian and

leader of his community, as he always recognised the great dangers that threatened the

life of faith. Throughout the centuries, how many brotherhoods became unfaithful to

their purpose because of Mammon! The danger indicated here was particularly serious

because in those years, larger numbers of friends from countries of greater wealth, as forexample from Switzerland, began arriving, that is from countries that had not been

affected so directly by the dreadfulness of the war and the post-war period, that therefore

these third-comers did not get to know poverty and want as had the founders of our

Bruderhof who had come just when Germany suffered its greatest times of need. Whilst

probably all newly arriving friends had already searched for something in their earlier

lives which for us Bruderhofers had become our destiny, even so there was the danger

that with such an influx, a new bourgeoisie was moving in, more so as the Youth

Movement, decisive for the founding of our communal life with its far-reaching rejection

of the bourgeois life-form, did not exist anymore. Right up to his death, Eberhard Arnoldfought tirelessly against the great dangers that could come about with the growth of the

Bruderhofs. So he also turned his greatest attentions towards the dangers of creating

bigwigs by persons being put in charge of those services and tasks that are necessary in

brotherhood life. It was always also very important to him that everybody who had

brought wealth with them into the community should accept exactly the same poverty

and shoulder exactly the same kind of work as those members did who had come to the

Bruderhof without temporal possessions. In June 1931, in a printed circular letter

[Sendbrief]11) to the Hutterian Brethren in America, Eberhard Arnold mentions many

persons occupying themselves with the question of life in community and with whom

11) Sadly by now out of print.

18


19/32

he immediately after his return from America took up an active exchange of letters,

faithful to his special task of collecting those who are of good will. Very many people

received letters from Eberhard Arnold which would become decisive for their lives. As

Eberhard possessed the rare gift of being able to empathize with the most diverse people,

he could say the right words to them at the right time. So it was that he gave identical

importance to the building up of the Bruderhof with all its practical consequences, as hedid to his responsibility towards all men who to date still live outside and whose call is

true community. He always felt it very painfully whenever sometimes the second

responsibility had to be moved a little into the background because of the big demands

of the first one.

In early 1932, the whole Bruderhof household had the shattering experience of the last

days of life and the death of our Else von Hollander, sister-in-law and closest co-worker

of Eberhard Arnold, mentioned earlier. Together with the other founders, she had lived

through the most difficult times of the Sannerz and Bruderhof beginnings, and had

sacrificed all her strength for the construction of the task to which we had been directed.Due to the lack of community members who could shoulder responsibilities early on,

she, who had been called to serve as the most precious co-worker in the special spiritual

task of giving her services towards books and writings, had to also handle the collecting

of funds for all the small and smallest matters regarding daily life in community. Her

agonising last days of suffering and dying gained deepest significance because it was

still given to our Else to bear witness of that which is eternal by offering a profound

inner mystical vision. In truly prophetic manner she spoke of the battle and victory of

the community, of coming great needs and of the coming of an even greater building up

of the Cause. It is very strange that Else, who during her lifetime spoke little, could bearsuch powerful witness prior to her death, while Eberhard Arnold, who during his lifetime

had borne witness tirelessly of the truth in word and writing, had died in deepest silence,

as will be mentioned later. Else von Hollander was the first brotherhood member of our

circle who went to eternal rest, the first grave in the cemetery specially established in

1932 for our Bruderhofers, next to which our Eberhard Arnold has now also found his

final resting place. In May of 1932, when Eberhard Arnold had to spend time at Bad

Liebenstein in Thuringia because of a worrying eye disease which during his trip in

America had also forced him to long rest-cures, he wrote a second printed circular letter

[Sendbrief]

12

) to the Hutterian Brethren in America about the last days of our Else von

12) This writing, printed as a manuscript, appeared under the title, Another printed

circular letter from the Bruderhof near Neuhof, Kreis Fulda, Hessen-Nassau, Germany. To

the Community of God in the Bruderhofs in America, that are the Brethren which are called

the Hutterites, in South-Dakota, Manitoba and Alberta [Ein anderer gedruckter Sendbrief

vom Bruderhof bei Neuhof, Kreis Fulda, Hessen-Nassau, Deutschland. An die Gemeinde

Gottes auf den Bruderhfen in Amerika, als an die Brder, die man die Hutterischen nennt, in

Sd-Dakota, Manitoba und Alberta]. 70 pages in folio format. We still have a small number

of this circular letter in stock, which we will make available at the price of 1.50 RM. or 2.

sfr. to friends who already know our work more closely. As this circular letter also reports onour economic situation of those years with exact details in numbers, we have so far made this

circular letter available only to closer friends. The processing of each incoming request will

continue to be considered from case to case.

19


20/32

Hollander and also mentions many of her last sayings which she still had to offer. At the

same time, this printed circular letter contains a description of all our additional

experiences of those times. All of the brotherhood members of that time are mentioned

extensively, and from those who came to join, extracts from their letters are quoted in

which they announce their decision to give up their earlier positions and from now on

to live fully for the love of all mankind.This mentioned writing by Eberhard Arnold tells us that the circle of the Bruderhofers

united in full community had by now grown to 100 persons and that from then on all

ages and the most varied gifts were equally represented in the Bruderhof. The image of

a small village community could be clearly seen even already then, just as had been

Eberhard Arnolds vision over many years. Eberhard had learnt in America that in a

correct Bruderhof set-up there ought to be around 200 large and small persons, at the

time contemplating that because of the constant growth of our Bruderhof community in

the Rhn we might soon be united in community with 250 persons, although he

considered that only once this number was exceeded, would he take into account thefounding of a second Bruderhof.

The year 1932 united all Bruderhofers in quietly continuing the task in all work

departments which was important after the extensive building activities of the past year

that had caused much restlessness. In the summer of that year, Eberhard Arnold began

to totally rewrite his book, Innenlandbuch [lit. transl. Book of the Inner Land]for

a new edition. All published editions totalling 8000 volumes were out of print. He

therefore took the Innenlandbuch which he had first written in 1913, supplemented

with each new edition, as being the book of the Bibles soul, making it into the

foundation that accounted for our faith and life which had now become necessary,intending with it to compose the profession of our community that should contain all that

had become important to Eberhard Arnold and to us Bruderhofers in the course of the

years and particularly after the unification with the Brethren in America and which

should now comprehensively be brought home to those on the outside. The comparison

of all editions proves clearly that for Eberhard Arnold, nothing had changed in his

fundamental faith during the decades that lay in between. So in the years 1932-1933, the

new fourth edition of Innenland appeared with the new subtitle: A signpost to the

soul of the Bible and to the battle for reality [Ein Wegweiser in die Seele der Bibel und

in den Kampf um die Wirklichkeit]. This books intention, as the author writes in hispreface, was to offer a stronger relationship with the real character and with the

practical determination of the Kingdom of God based on progressing events and

experiences. Sadly, the manuscript of this work, of which so far 448 pages were printed

in our Bruderhof, remained unfinished. The cause for this can be found in the new

conditions that emerged from 1932 onward in Germany and which temporarily

threatened the existence of the Bruderhof. Because of it, Eberhard Arnold had scarcely

any time to write, although at the same time he saw the inner necessity to take a public

stand about the events in question, based in the communitys faith. Shortly before his

death, the writer gave his co-workers directions to close the book by using the already

existing material and for the time being, due to the size of the work, to sell the single

20


21/32

chapters in booklet form.13) As in the book Innenland the message of the Gospel,

contained in the witness bearing of the early Christians and the reality of the peace-

loving Baptists, is connected and represented in such a unique way that, simultaneously

with all decisive questions of our times, a stand is taken based on community of faith and

of life, the new edition of Innenland should be of importance for all those friends who

have shown an innermost interest in Eberhard Arnolds path and in his Bruderhofs.In November 1932 it was possible to purchase the Source Books [Quellenbcher]

from the publishers, Vaterlndischen Verlags- und Kunstanstalt (Hochweg-Verlag),

which meant that for our book publishing business and printing shop this year offered

undreamt-of new prospects! Regarding the year 1932, a printed eight-page Bruderhof

letter issued as a new series of the Sannerz Letters [Sannerzbriefe]14) and the

Wegwarte [transl. bot. Chicory]15), had also been sent to our friends as an Advent

greeting. Today, the latter is out of print. In this letter, it was reported that towards the

end of 1932, 108 members and children lived in the Bruderhof, that in addition, 275

persons had been our co-workers during a longer period, that is to say, for weeks andmonths, while 2600 persons stayed with us for a shorter time, that is, only during a few

days, to get to know our communal life.

On the 26thJuly 1933, Eberhard Arnold was able to experience his fiftieth birthday in

the Rhnbruderhof, which was a real day of celebration for the whole community. A

short time earlier, our spokesman had begun to compile the history of our Bruderhof.

Each year is bound in a handsome tome in lexicon format. Its contents hold all our

decisive speeches, records and letter exchanges, saving them for the future of our

Bruderhofs. Our housemother Emmy compiled a second volume of our

Sonnenliederbuch [lit. transl. Sun-Songbook]for this day, to which we would liketo point our readers in a very special way, as within its contents there are many texts of

13) The new edition of Innenland has been structured as containing following

chapters: The Inner Life. The Heart. Soul and Spirit. The Conscience and its Testimony. The

Conscience and its Healing. The Experience of God. The Peace of God. Light and Fire. The

Holy Spirit. The Life of the Word. So far appeared in pamphlet form the section, The Holy

Spirit (presently out of print), and the chapter, Light and Fire. The Last Judgement of the

World History and the collecting Light of the Community of Christ. 66 pages. Price 80RM. In the course of 1936, all parts of the Innenland book will be published in brochure

format which will be available at the price of RM. .80 to RM. 1.60 or sfr. 1. to sfr. 2.. We

recommend that all our friends place their subscriptions already now for the Innenland

brochures which will be sent to them as they appear.

14) The Sannerz Letters were issued in the years 1920-1921. Three brochures

appeared, which during those beginning years kept our friends on the outside fully informed

about our work in progress. All brochures are now out of print.

15) Die Wegwarte was the Bruderhof periodical in the years 1926-1928. At first it

appeared monthly, later quarterly, but then had to stop appearing, as little time and even lessmoney was available for this publication. A few numbers of the Wegwarte containing

important essays by Eberhard Arnold are still available. An exact list of the remaining stock

can be requested from the Eberhard-Arnold Publishing House.

21


22/32

mediaeval songs but particularly many songs of the Hutterian Brethren of the 16thand

17thCenturies that are quite unknown in todays times.16)

As to the section that follows here regarding our history during the years 1933-1934,

the explanation is contained in the Christmas Letter to our friends mentioned on page 7

[p.7 of original German Sendbrief] under footnote (2) of todays letter, written by

Eberhard Arnold himself and which appeared during the Advent period of 1934 underthe title, Of the Life of the Bruderhofers. As this letter is known to our closest friends

and can still be ordered from our Publishing House by anybody who might be interested,

we shall at this point only briefly touch on the happenings of those two years full of

changes which have been described in much greater detail in our last years Christmas

Letter. Because of certain events during the months of October and November 1933, it

became necessary to move part of the Bruderhof operations to another country,

particularly the school and educational work. This brought with it the founding, in March

1934, of the Almbruderhof, in the Principality of Liechtenstein. This second Bruderhof,

whose founding until then had been unintentional, nevertheless became quite significantfor our task. Now we had places of brotherly life in two locations that would be a witness

to all mankind in our times. In particular, friends in England felt themselves called to

community life, joining in the course of the year 1934. At the same time it was given to

us that in regular weekly missionary activities our Brothers had deepest contacts with the

widest circles in Switzerland, selling books and artefacts for the upkeep of the

Almbruderhof, while at the same time winning new friends in many places for the Cause

of our Bruderhof. It was furthermore mentioned in the 1934 Christmas Letter that in

connection with the disruptions in the months of October-November 1933, Eberhard

Arnold broke a leg and had to be operated on. As we will report later, the leg neverhealed fully and Eberhards death was directly related to a second leg operation. Last

years Christmas Letter to our friends outside also reports for the first time something

of our inner experiences in our brotherhood, for example the yearly innermost collection

and clearing of all our Bruderhofers at Easter, and of how it becomes apparent in those

times that for all questions in our personal life as well as all matters of our communal

work, the same attitude of faith is necessary and decisive. The preoccupation we

transmitted to our friends in that Christmas Letter was that the possession of one part of

the Rhnbruderhof property, for which a property transfer had not yet taken place, would

possibly be questioned by the new inheritance law [Erbhofgesetz] that had come intoforce in the meantime, but that on Christmas Eve 1934, this situation was remedied when

the Rhnbruderhof received a message from the Court of Law for Inheritance Matters

[Erbhofgericht] which once again acknowledged and emphasized the Rhnbruderhofs

16) Sonnenlieder Volume II. Songs of community life, written and published as

inspired by the Spirit and to be sung as such. Eberhard Arnold-Verlag G.m.b.H. Bruderhof-

Neuhof (Fulda) and Leipzig. 1933. 88 pages, in the shape of the widely known first

Sonnenliederbuch. Price in calico: 4. RM., 5. sfr. The relatively high price in relation tothe size of the book can be explained in that at first only an edition of 300 copies was printed

for use of our household and for our nearest friends. There are only very few copies still

available for sale.

22


23/32

cultural work, and how it now became quite obvious that also this third part of the

property would remain consigned in an undiminished way to the work of the Bruderhof.

In the New Year meetings of 1934-1935, in which we rendered account to ourselves

in the Bruderhof about the events of the year gone by, Eberhard Arnold still enjoyed

learning that sales by the Almbruderhof Publishing House of the Source Books

[Quellenbcher] had enjoyed a significant rise and namely that stocks of his book,The Early Christians [Die ersten Christen], had reduced substantially. We would like

to draw the attention of our readers once again to this book, so often mentioned before,

as it will presumably be out of print by Easter 1936 and a new edition will most likely

be available only by Christmas of next year.17)

The last year of 1935 was particularly strenuous for our spokesman, as it demanded

many trips of Eberhard that were absolutely necessary for the Cause but which due to

his leg condition caused him great difficulties. Already at the beginning of the year,

Eberhard travelled to the Almbruderhof, as important discussions had to be held there

regarding the further building-up of this Hof, which had become urgently necessary.Soon after, in mid-March, a large group of young families and single young Brothers and

Sisters moved from the Rhnbruderhof to the Almbruderhof. Now it was a matter of

looking after this second Hof and creating better installations and a livelihood for them,

equally caring for and maintaining the Rhnbruderhof. Based on a wish of the

brotherhoods of both Hofs, at the end of March 1935, Eberhard undertook a longer trip

to England, Scotland and The Netherlands. It was his great wish, as it was ours, to arrive

at an inner exchange with our closest friends of the Cause, to help them understand the

whole Bruderhof situation, and beyond that to understand the total embracing of the

early Christian witness. It had to be his and our matter of particular concern to receivefrom those friends if at all possible their assistance for the preservation of the

Bruderhofs, in particular that of the Rhnbruderhof. So the English Quakers helped

considerably in making possible the construction of a greenhouse and the purchase of

additional wood turning lathes for our arts and crafts workshop, as well as the

installation of further needed workshops in the Almbruderhof. Eberhards additional

hope to obtain the necessary funds for the Rhnbruderhofs improvements has not been

fulfilled so far, but there are still great expectations for further help from other English

friends. It was for Eberhard a very great joy and an essential experience to be among our

English friends who over the last years had shown us so much love. The oldest son ofour spokesman, Eberhard Heinrich, who accompanied him on these trips, will be able

to enjoy remembering those weeks of joint work with his father for the rest of his life.

He had studied in England during three semesters, speaks the English language quite

well and was also well known in the circles of those friends. Eberhard experienced great

joy and received much encouragement also in The Netherlands, visiting with the various

friends, particularly with the Mennonite circles. He particularly liked telling us

17) The Early Christians after the Apostles Death [Die ersten Christen nach dem

Tode der Apostel]. Compiled from all sources of the early Centuries, translated andpublished. 452 pages. Price RM. 6., sfr. 7.50. Eberhard Arnold-Verlag G.m.b.H. Bruderhof-

Neuhof (Fulda) and Leipzig. Almbruderhof Silum, Post Triesenberg, Principality of

Liechtenstein.

23


24/32

repeatedly about the Gemeindetagbewegung [lit. transl. Community Day

Movement]. His witness was heard with so much joy and gratitude in those countries.

Thus on a visit to Switzerland it was very painful for him that an understanding was not

arrived at with the religious-social circles, to the contrary, that the leader of those circles

bluntly refused the offered hand of understanding. This has now made it very clear that

we will have to follow separate paths. In the meantime, the latest publications from thosecircles have confirmed that the faith and the path of our brotherhood are different from

theirs. The constant active expectation and experience of the comprehensive, absolute,

that is breaking into our times, stands in irreconcilable opposition to the sadly repeated,

confused idealistic deception, as if with one battle for a partial victory a step towards the

absolute final goal of Gods Kingdom could be taken. So-called partial victories are to

be expected from the movement of the political, pacifist, democratic-human-power

League of Nations [politische, pazifistische, demokratisch-menschenherrschaftliche und

Vlkerbunds-Bewegung] which in the political battle for the provisional results, create

exposure to the dangers of slowly but surely losing sight of the future of GodsKingdom. Yet it was exactly the all-embracing expectation of the Kingdom of God that

had been our union with them in earlier years. Our brotherhoods had great hopes of

having Eberhard back among them by Easter of this year; but sadly he was kept away

because of the enormous tasks of his trips and could only return at the beginning of May.

But then we were allowed to experience decisive weeks with him. Our two communities

will never forget the Pentecostal time of 1935. Twelve new members could be taken into

our brotherhood. Among them were the first three English members and one Scottish

woman. After Eberhard first travelled to the Rhnbruderhof, he went a few days after

Pentecost to the Almbruderhof so that this decisive time could be experienced in anequal manner in both Hofs. What Eberhard said to us during that Pentecostal time and

how vividly he pointed out all dangers of community life that arise if it isnt again and

again stimulated and awakened by the all-encompassing Spirit of God, this will be of

importance for our future history. It was as if he wanted to hammer into us how world-

embracing and significant Christs message is for exactly our present times and for

todays mankind and that our congregations life in community is destined for that which

is highest and broadest! And how Eberhard did also, during this year, continue to take

interest in everything happening in the whole world! How during 1935 he still searched

for circles and groups of people who were being led by the same Spirit as our Bruderhofsand were attempting to turn their visions into practical life! The brotherhoods sensitivity

for Gods interests in the whole world was what Eberhard preached to us again and again

also during this last year! His greatest joy was a united lively brotherhood circle among

which he felt indescribably well and where he often lost a sense of time during evening

hours whenever he had an opportunity to talk things out. His greatest pain was un-

liveliness, pettiness, weakness towards oneself and others! How often did he not beg us

with ardent heart to think of Gods greatness and of His Cause whenever we got

entangled in the petty things of daily life, of oneself and ones own needs. It seemed

often during this year as if he had to hurry up and still say all those things for our future

which God had specially requested him to say during his lifetime. Thus in the last weeks

he still put before his beloved Rhnbruderhofers the basics of Faith, he did so asking

24


25/32

fervently that they may realise Gods greatness: the Sermon on the Mount, the History

of the Apostles 2-4, the Revelations of John and in the end he still spoke with innermost

feeling of the witnesses of the 12th to 16th Centuries, particularly of the peaceful

mediaeval Baptists and our beloved Hutterian Brotherhood. The last Sunday he was to

experience in the Rhnbruderhof, the 10thNovember, he spoke insistently for around

three hours in the morning and again just as long in the evening about the witnessesmoved by God and His Spirit. Eberhard also took a lively interest in all personal

experiences of each single member in our brotherhood! During weeks in summer we

feared for the life of a young mother who had fallen ill with puerperal fever and a

thrombus after the birth of her first little baby. By day or by night, Eberhard gathered the

brotherhood together, united in a battle of faith against the powers of death and disease

that were threatening this life and we experienced time and again after such hours of

faith that an immediate improvement took place, after it had felt quite hopeless a number

of times before.

Because of the great inner and outer difficulties caused by the separation of thecommunity in two Hofs and the necessary building up of two locations connected with

this, Eberhard could never look after his diseased leg in the way required. When he had

the last plaster cast removed at the beginning of October and had it X-rayed, our house

doctor recommended that he undergo another operation which would restore him to full

health. So our brotherhood decided to ask Eberhard to do the necessary for his diseased

leg and also for his eye disease, allowing him thus to be less inhibited and limited in his

work through the constantly recurring pains. Therefore, on the 12thNovember of this

year, he travelled to Darmstadt to have his leg examined. The immediate treatment was

urgent; there were two operations required in a time span of 6 days. On his bed of pain,Eberhard did not speak much anymore. But what he did say was always the same, and

on the eve of his first operation he also wrote to his co-worker and son-in-law Hans

Zumpe, who had represented him already in the years 1930-1931 during his one-year trip

in America. We shall offer here an extract from this legacy from which once again it

becomes clear how far he was from sectarian narrowness:

The Bruderhofers must all be won for the greatness of the Cause.

The Rhnbruderhof ought to be kept in Germany for a strong testimony of

the life.

The Almbruderhof may be moved elsewhere as soon as its location can bereplaced with a more permanent and secure one as well as with a better

means of livelihood.

I hold the innermost and outer unification of early Hutterianism together

with the attitude of faith of both Blumhardts and the attitude toward life of

the true Youth Movement as a truly wonderful blessing for your future,

whilst I would look upon a fusion of Hutterianism with modern Pietism as

a disaster.

We have not yet managed true missionary activities; it has become ever

more urgent for us to ask for it.

The main thing is and remains faith in Gods greatness, in the uber-cosmic

significance of Jesus and in the universal future of the Kingdom of the

25


26/32

Spirit. There and nowhere else belong penance, forgiveness, faith, certainty,

the giving of ones life, etc.

That is why we should always respond to all movements of our times

parting from that which is greatest without us having the slightest doubts.

That is why our brotherhood members must be educated in concentrated

intellectual work.I ask of you yourself, though, to maintain the clear line, the unaltered

direction of faith and spirit.

Take always care in the lovingness that is of Christ of all those who are

feeble and infirm, particularly those who suffer in spirit, soul and mind.

Avoid their participation in decision making, resolutions and actions, in the

distinguishing of spirits, of thought and deed, as well as in the important

step of founding a family. Consider all the more those who are healthy, all

who are sound in faith, body, soul and spirit to join together in matrimony.

Therefore I wish from my heart for the future that our Bruderhofs maynever become narrowminded against the young, that to the contrary they

help the young to a joyful new beginning of a true life.

For the work, dear Hans, it is obviously as clear to you as it is to me that on

both Bruderhofs we must have 2-3 money earning businesses pursuing best

manufacturing quality besides the agricultural work without which no

Bruderhof can exist, and furthermore that the work with the children and

the school must in comparison become of very great concern to us.

I could continue forever like this, also regarding the Rhnbruderhof and the

preservation of its forests, of wind-protection, houses, moveable andimmoveable assets, the cemetery wall, and of Georg and my not forgotten

building projects and Heinis agrarian projects, also of the tasks in The

Netherlands and England; but I must come to an end. I ask of you to take

charge of the work of both Bruderhofs, as the tasks of the greaterKingdom

and the greatercommunity, if one day I wont be among you anymore.

At the end of his letter, after Eberhard refers to a few personal matters, he continues

and writes:

I wish you and everybody just this: the Path the Direction!

From a last letter by Eberhard Arnold to the housemother of our Bruderhof, his wifeEmmy, we shall still reproduce a few additional sentences:

God and His Kingdom are the most significant for all that is significant.

God and His Will are of such significance for everything that there is

nothing equally significant that could be compared, yet nevertheless in this

light they gain significance for the first time. How small is the life of the

individual himself, how small family life for man, woman and children of

their bloodline, how small also the circle of friends and their personal,

sendbrief advent 1935 - english aug2014 32pages - 231kb

Documents