Increase in Executive Council activities

In agreement with the Goetheanum Leadership, the Executive Council at the Goetheanum has asked Ueli Hurter, the co-leader of the Section for Agriculture, to join its ranks. At this year’s AGM from 2 to 5 April 2020 the members will be asked to agree both to this new appointment and to a further term in office for Joan Sleigh.

Following the unexpected rejection by the AGM in 2018 of the proposal to re-affirm Paul Mackay and Bodo von Plato and the retirement of Seija Zimmermann, the four remaining members of the Executive Council at the Goetheanum have now, in cooperation with the Goetheanum Leadership, restructured the spheres of responsibility at the Goetheanum. One essential step in this process was the appointment of Constanza Kaliks, Claus-Peter Röh and Peter Selg as leaders of the General Anthroposophical Section, a task they will take up at Easter 2020. Joan Sleigh will continue to be responsible for the English-speaking world within the First Class of the School of Spiritual Science which encompasses all the Sections; Constanza Kaliks and Claus-Peter Röh will represent the speakers of Romance languages and the German-speaking world respectively. Up until Easter, Joan Sleigh will also continue to be in charge of the General Anthroposophical Section.

Extraordinary demands

Until the summer of 2019 Justus Wittich, Joan Sleigh, Constanza Kaliks and Matthias Girke thought they could manage all the responsibilities and activities of the Executive Council by themselves. In June 2019 it became clear, however, that they will be facing extraordinary demands: Matthias Girke in relation to the work of the Medical Section, Constanza Kaliks due to her forthcoming co-responsibility for the General Anthroposophical Section and Joan Sleigh because of her increasing travel activities.

In November, the Conference of the 36 country societies voted, in an open but decisive way, that the Executive Council needed strengthening. Joan Sleigh then refocused her plans more on the Goetheanum and the Executive Council opened consultations on a new appointment. Discussions with the members during the 2019 AGM had already shown that it would be advisable to appoint a further Executive Council member now from among the Goetheanum Leadership, because of the successful way this body has been working together. In agreement with the Goetheanum Leadership and following consultation on this matter with the three general secretaries of the extended Executive Council (Marjatta von Boeschoten, GB; René Becker, FR and Michael Schmock, DE), it was then decided to appoint Ueli Hurter, the co-leader of the Section for Agriculture. Ueli Hurter will continue to lead the Section with Jean-Michel Florin but transfer his overall activity to the Goetheanum. After confirmation by the AGM in April, he would gradually change his active and leading involvement in the Ferme-Fromagerie de L’Aubier and the associative enterprise located there (which includes an eco-hotel, an organic restaurant, an organic city café with hotel and eco housing).

Broad experience

With this broad experience in his background, Ueli Hurter was instrumental in the forming of the Goetheanum Leadership in 2012. In 2016 he was actively involved in preparing and organizing the Goetheanum World Conference and in the general affairs of the anthroposophical movement and the General Anthroposophical Society. As a board member of both the International Biodynamic Association (IBDA) and Weleda he was instrumental in the growing cooperation between the Goetheanum and the spheres of life where anthroposophy is applied in practice.

Three of the future five Executive Council members – Constanza Kaliks, Matthias Girke and Ueli Hurter – would also have responsibilities as Section leaders at the Goetheanum (General Anthroposophical Section and Youth Section, Medical Section, and the Section for Agriculture). Joan Sleigh’s tasks will involve extensive travelling and Justus Wittich continues to be responsible for the general and financial management at the Goetheanum.