The Green Goetheanum Project
By Wiseguy on 04-Jan-08 12:16:50 PM
The following article first appeared in Star and Furrow, the official journal of the Biodynamic Association. It appears here with their permission.
In the article Bernard Jarman, who has worked with biodynamic agriculture most of his life and until recently was the Executive Director of the Biodynamic Association, reports on an initiative inspired by Rudolf Steiner's first Goetheanum. The picture below shows the Goetheanum in c1921, with plan.
.jpg "goetheanum-plan")
The Green Goetheanum Project
Bernard Jarman
During our trip to Germany in August we visited an unusual planting of trees high up in the hills to the north of Frankfurt. It is known as the 'Green Goetheanum' project and is now eight years old.
The first Goetheanum
The first Goetheanum was a large wooden structure which once stood on the hill above Dornach in Switzerland where the present Goetheanum now stands. It was a building designed and commissioned by Rudolf Steiner in around1912. Its size and complexity was such that nearly ten years were required to bring it to completion. An army of craftsmen, artists and builders from all over Europe were employed in its creation. The materials needed (mainly high quality building timber) were brought in from all corners of war torn Europe. It was an international effort carried out while the tragedy of the First World War was playing itself out in the trenches. The beauty and significance of this building expressed in its form and structure a profound spiritual message, and a powerful challenge to the all pervasive contemporary materialism. Within its sculpted forms, mural paintings and glass windows it presented the human journey in its spiritual context. Yet, barely two years after it was completed, in December 1922, the whole building went up in flames. The second Goetheanum which was built in its place some years later is an entirely different structure not least since it is built almost entirely out of concrete. Its glass windows (saved from the fire) and the newly painted ceiling of its great hall offer a glimpse of what once briefly lived in the first Goetheanum.
The first Goetheanum was conceived as a building formed with two interlocking cupolas of different sizes. The size ratio between them has the proportion of the golden mean. Interestingly the ratio is the same as that of the two stone circles on the hills above Penmaenmawr in North Wales. The larger space was to serve as the auditorium and the smaller as the stage. These cupolas were supported by beautifully carved wooden pillars - two sets of seven in the larger space and 12 in the smaller. These pillars representing the seven planetary forces were made using wood from the seven planetary trees (see below). Under the large dome one kind of wood was used to make each of the pillars. Under the smaller dome each pillar was composed of two woods - one inside and one surrounding it. Much could be written about the pillars, the space, the murals and indeed the whole building. Suffice to say this building contained hidden within its form many secrets of human and world development. That building is no more but the plans and photos remain to show how it once stood in the landscape on Dornach hill. These can still be viewed and studied.
For enlarged plan, click here
Green Goetheanum
Some eight or nine years ago the idea was born of creating a living Goetheanum using trees while observing the design principles of the original building. An area of land of approximately one hectare was sought upon which this 'arboretum' could be planted. A suitable site was eventually found high up in the Taunus hills to the north of Frankfurt. The land was purchased by a wealthy benefactor and placed into a trust. Christian Hitsch, an architect who had made a special study of the Goetheanum building, worked together with German-Michael Hahn, a biodynamic forester, to create what will one day become an outdoor 'building' formed by growing trees. The ground plan follows exactly that of the first Goetheanum and its aspect too lies west to east. The walls confining the space are planted with a closely set single line of alternating hornbeam, lime and cherry trees. Beyond it is an outer wall made up of various fruiting trees and bushes. The planetary trees are planted as 'pillars' and spaced exactly as the wooden pillars that once stood within the original building. They will eventually grow over and form a roof. Leading in to the entrance of the larger dome space from the west is a passage hedged on both sides with yew while at the entrance stand two copper beeches.
At the eastern end of the smaller 'stage' space is where in the original building, the sculpture of "The Representative of Man" stood. This sculpture shows the human being poised in a dynamic balance between the powers of Lucifer on the one hand and those of Ahriman on the other. These two beings represent the dual temptations which humanity faces - Lucifer who inspires pride and arrogance and Ahriman who brings fear. In the struggle to resist them the representative of man with divine support maintains and nourishes what is truly human. To represent this sculpture in the planting was very difficult. In the end three trees were chosen to represent something of the archetypal qualities present in these three beings. These qualities form the dynamic of life and are linked to the fundamental polarities of light and dark, warmth and cold. The trees chosen were holly, a b ringer of light into a forest and yew, a tree with a continuous dark, still shade. Between them is the elm, the mediator.
When the Goetheanum was built new building techniques had to be researched. It is similar with this planting too. The big challenge in this 'construction' is how to form the pillars in the small dome space. Would it be possible to incorporate the idea of having one type of wood with another surrounding it? The decision was taken to try it. For each 'pillar' six trees have been planted closely together about a metre apart - five of one species surrounding one tree of another species. Will this work, how will they grow together? It remains to be seen but after 7 years and with only a little pruning here and there, it looks promising.
In the immediate surroundings of this 'building' between the outer 'wall' and the perimeter fence (also planted with mostly native flowering and fruiting shrubs), a variety of natural habitats are being developed to encourage wild birds and insects. There are damp shady areas and dryer zones and places where the wind blows strongly. Boundaries between one habitat and another always have the richest diversity and these transitions are being nurtured. The whole is sited on the forest edge and is currently being securely fenced to keep out deer and wild pigs. An adjoining field which also belongs to the trust is planted as a wild flower meadow. Here for added interest two labyrinths have been created. Once the trees are large enough to be safe from wild animals, the intention is for the planting to be open to the public and especially to those walking the European long distance footpath which passes alongside it. The whole site could also one day become a wonderful outdoor theatre venue.
.jpg "green-goetheanum-long-footpath")
The seven planetary trees
Many plants have traditionally been linked to one or more of the seven planets (including sun and moon). This draws on an age old wisdom which could experience the qualities emanating from and connected with the planets. Planets have also been linked to the metals the seven cereals, human organs as well as with trees.
The links between the planets and these specific trees have been verified by Maria Thun and also by Lawrence Edwards. In his research Edwards measured the subtle expansion and contraction of tree buds during the winter. He found that their form changed from being slightly more pointed to being slightly flatter and then back again over a period of one lunar month. He discovered however that it was not determined purely by the lunar rhythm since different trees peaked and flattened at different times each month. After carefully observing the phenomenon for a long period he discovered that the monthly relationship between the moon and particular planets was important. Thus bud movements on the oak corresponded to the Moon's position relative to Mars and those of maple to that of Jupiter. Further investigations showed that the so-called seven planetary trees really did have a clear relationship with those planets. With other trees it was found to be more complex with sometimes two or more planets having an effect. See www.vortexoflife.org.uk
Green Goetheanum for UK?
Several years ago this project was described at the first conference of the biodynamic forestry group. Michael Hahn shared the ideas behind the project and showed drawings. This inspired great interest and a wish by some to visit the planting in Germany. It also led a few years later to the idea; could a similar tree planting happen in the UK? The main conditions for this are:
• Interest and enthusiasm to carry it out and care for the trees
• A site suitable for planting and growing these particular trees
• A piece of land held in trust for perpetuity
A few suggestions have since been made regarding a possible site. It was only having visited the
the planting in the Taunus that a new idea emerged. Could a Green Goetheanum be planted and developed on Holy Isle close to the Isle of Arran in Scotland? The island is owned by a Tibetan Bhuddist centre which appears really keen to bring this idea to realisation. Perhaps by this time next year the trees will be planted.
Comments
Posts: 21
Reply #21 on : Fri April 27, 2012, 05:35:55
Posts: 21
Reply #20 on : Fri April 27, 2012, 03:05:14
Posts: 21
Reply #19 on : Thu April 26, 2012, 14:17:04
Posts: 21
Reply #18 on : Thu April 26, 2012, 09:27:54
Write a comment