Bahá’í World/Volume 3/The Bahá’í Movement in German Universities
THE BAHA’I MOVEMENT IN GERMAN UNIVERSITIES
BY MARTHA L. ROOT
WHEN are great German scholars, a German Count Gobineau, a German Baron Rosen and a German Professor Edward G. Browne going into the Near East and Persia to bring back more truths illuminating Bahá’í history and who among these wonderful scholars of the German Republic will translate the works of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. from the Persian and Arabic languages directly into classic German? Some of them will surely do it, for no people in the world are greater seekers for truth than are the Germans. No nation is buying so many books on all religious modern thought today, as is this commonwealth. No people work more indefatigably, for to them no labor is too strenuous, no hours too long to devote to search and research, and what they discover and prove, they send forth to the farthest shore washed by the farthest sea.
The writer, in her travels to Northern lands, saw how the religious thought of Germany has influenced Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. How many statues of early disciples bear German names! Later when Martin Luther thundered his reformation, apostles of Luther took his teachings to Scandinavia and the fruits are the State churches in those strong Northern countries, where this summer an International Congress of Lutheran churches is being held. So often, too, the Bulgarians in southern Europe asked the writer: “What does Germany think of the Bahá’í Teachings?” What is the religious trend in Germany? The Bulgarians are spiritually inclined, they are seekers for truth, they are truly called “the Germans of the Balkans.” The Germans also have tried to understand the Chinese. Such institutes as the Chinese Institute in Frankfurt-am—Main, where Chinese culture, art, music are brought to Germany and where Chinese are cordially welcomed and made to feel at home, is only one of many instances. Professor Richard Wilhelm, its founder, was the one, too, who created the good relations so that China has a German Institute. No nations in business take more infinite pains really to know Oriental Nationals than do earnest Germans.
Therefore, to visit most of the universities of Germany and to lecture on “The Bahá’í Movement” in many of these leading institutions, and to speak with the Professors, some of whom make a profound study of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings, was an extraordinary privilege. Let the fliers explore the air and race over the seas, but to see a universal religion developing before our very eyes and in the same period when we can prove all statements, and when we see a few rulers, some great scholars and statesmen and millions of other people stand in their places doing their part to usher in a new spiritual civilization—this is charting the spiritual seas for the next ten or twenty centuries!
The Bahá’í Movement, too, has great need for true and unprejudiced scholars who will study the movement and give it a deep and scholarly presentation. Some of the Orientalists who know Persian and Arabic well and are versed in eastern religious movements and who have attained renown for their famed translations in kindred subjects, will find that the words of Bahá’u’lláh have a wonderful creative influence especially when they are read in the original Persian and Arabic.
Fair Leipzig University, with its seven
thousand students, has a Professor who is
making a most careful study of the Bahá’í
Teachings. He is Geheimer Hofrat Dr.
August Fischer, Professor of Oriental Philology,
Director of the Semitic Institute of
the[Page 301]
University and President
of the Leipzig Branch of the world-famous
German-Oriental Society. A number of distinguished
Americans are members of this great Oriental
Society, and students from the United
States chose the Leipzig Oriental Seminary
for their studies of Semitic and Islamic
Languages. Professor Fischer has also given
lectures on the Bahá’í Teachings in Leipzig
University: he is a deep thinker, a brilliant
and eloquent speaker. When the writer
lectured in this university in June, Professor
Fischer spoke first, outlining the history of
the movement in a very friendly way. He
also told of the first appearance of the
Bahá’í Movement in Germany and from the
Hamburg Oriental revue, “Der Islám,” he
read the following paragraphs from a
Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to a German clergyman.
Historically it will interest you:
“Dear Sir,
“Your letter has arrived and I have read it. You ask about the creed of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My creed is the unity of all human beings which means that the whole human race is God’s fold and God is the good shepherd. All people whatsoever religion or creed they may have belong to this fold. We oppose no religion whatever, but we call upon them all to join in union of the human race. But all men must drink of the well of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh so that war and struggles and quarrels and differences may cease. The whole human race is similar to birds of different colors and qualities, but they must unite and quench their thirst at this well and this well contains the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh: (1) The search for truth. (2) The union of the human race. (3) Religion must create love and unity; if it does not do so it is useless. (4) Religion must be in agreement with science. (5) Fanaticism in religion, in cult, in race and in nationalism destroys the whole construction of the human race. All men belong to the fold of God, are one race and the earth is one home. (6) Man must free himself from the belief in any authority and keep only to the principles of the religion of God. (7) The unity of language. One language must be chosen or a new one found to be the universal language, so that misunderstandings between religions, races and nations may cease. Furthermore: equal rights for men and women; science and knowledge for everyone; co-operation of all religions and nations; right and justice; political unity and other teachings. All men must drink of this well so that the flag of the unity of the human race may be hoisted.
“The heavenly teachings of Bahá’u’lláh belong to the world of ethics and attack no religion whatsoever. The Teachings are spiritual, heavenly, give freedom of conscience, they are light and save man from the dust of darkness, they are the breath of the holy spirit, of everlasting life, of truth, and they make the world bright.
Greetings and praise! ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbás.” Haifa, Dec. 6th, 1919.
Several Orientalists and theologians took part in the discussion which followed this lecture in Leipzig University. One young man present was writing his thesis for his degree on “The Progress of the Bahá’í Movement in Europe.”
Invited to the home of Professor Fischer, the writer saw his magazine, “Islamic,” an important European review with excellent articles. He spoke of the German Oriental Society and it is an interesting coincidence that it was founded at almost the same time that the Báb declared His mission. Its library is now at Halle, and from there religious and cultural books in all Oriental languages are loaned and sent to Orientalists throughout the world. Mr. Hippolyte Dreyfus’ French translations of Bahá’u’lláh’s works are much sought from this library (and in all German universities they are well known).
The celebrated Bonn University with its
seven thousand students is the institution
where the ex-Kaiser, the Crown Prince and
many other members of Royalty have
studied. It is famous for its law and
medicine and Oriental departments. This
beautiful city of Bonn, birthplace of Beethoven,
is so picturesque and its wide Poppelsdoffer
Alee, lined with immense shade trees each
a specimen of perfection, is one of the lovely
thoroughfares of Europe. Professor
Paul[Page 302]
Kahle, Professor of
Arabic and Turkish and
a renowned Hebrew scholar, arranged the
writer’s lecture on the Bahá’í Movement.
Her exhibition of Bahá’í books was arranged
in the Oriental Library of the university
earlier in the day so that students could
look it over before the lecture. With this
collection were also shown the Bahá’í books
belonging to the Bonn University Oriental
Library.
Professor Kahle, who had been a friend of Professor Edward G. Browne of Cambridge University, presented the lecturer that night and in his introduction gave an account of the meeting of Professor Browne with Bahá’u’lláh and Bahá’u’lláh’s Words to this occidental scholar; he also read a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to a German pastor; it had been published in a German magazine. After the speech and discussion, a group of twenty-five Professors and their wives and a few students working for special degrees, went to a restaurant near by where our conversation was continued until midnight. As we rose to leave, the Professor of Comparative Religions put his arm cordially on the shoulder of his companion beside him, a great Professor of Islamic Literature, a Muḥammadan from India, and said smilingly: “You are Muḥammadan and I am Christian. I have such a feeling of love for you, a feeling you are in truth my brother! Therefore, we are both Bahá’ís. For Bahá’u’lláh taught this!” And we all laughed. Underneath the charm and joy of that happy evening, their “deeds” proclaimed them all “Bahá’ís” (Light bearers). Another Professor gave the writer his card and said: “Send me some of Bahá’u’lláh’s books in Arabic; I shall translate them into German.” Then these twenty-five friends all walked with the lecturer back to her Hospice.
Frankfurt—am-Main University also has a Professor who has studied deeply the history and Teachings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Professor Joseph Horovitz, Professor of Semitic languages and Islamic civilization, has not only studied the Cause, but three years ago, on his way to Jerusalem, he went by way of Haifa and called upon Shoghi Effendi. He asked the Guardian of the Cause this question: “If people wish to join the Bahá’í movement are they expected to leave their own religion to unite with this?” He said he was very pleased with Shoghi Effendi’s clear statement. Before telling you what Professor Horovitz has said about the Teachings in a little conversation we had the day before the lecture in the university, in June, it would be well to say that he, in addition to being Professor of Semitic languages and Islamic civilization in Frankfurt University, and Director of the Oriental Seminary there, is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He organized the latter and has been there twice and may continue to go at intervals. He knows the East very well too, for he was during eight years Professor of Arabic in the Muḥammadan Anglo—Oriental College in Aligarh, United Provinces of India. It is the greatest educational institution of Muḥammadans in India and has in the meantime been transformed into the “Muslim University” of India.
He kindly lent me a copy of the new edition of Professor Edward G. Browne’s book, “A Year Amongst the Persians,” which tells a good deal about the Babis and Bahá’ís. Professor Horovitz was a friend of Professor Browne. Then we spoke together about Bahá’u’lláh and he said: “Bahá’u’lláh’s plan for bringing religions together is excellent. But I see just one difficulty in the Bahá’í claims for European scholars. It is this question of Revealed Books. He says many are not believers in any Revealed Book in the literal sense. Average people are more likely to believe in the ‘Book’ if it came thousands of years ago, but if it comes now, this is something that it is hard for Europeans to assimilate.”
Continuing he said: “In Bahá’u’lláh’s day His followers claim he was a Revealer. Whatever high opinion one may have of his extraordinary Writings, one can hardly admit they are the Word of God.” Professor Horovitz then mentioned the German who wrote about the Bahá’í movement in Württemberg, Dr. Hermann Roemer, whose book is "Die Bábí Bahá’í.” He says the latter gives the history principally from a missionary’s view, and Mr. Roemer has asserted one could not get around the fact
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Bahá’í Celebration, on the twelfth of Ridván, in a garden of Shíráz with Martha L. Root as the honored guest.
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that Bahá’ís believe
in this Revelation of Godhead as a
cardinal point, Professor Horovitz said,
“and this is the point where attacks
would come. One could not attack
the Teachings; they are very sound, very
high.”
The writer said to him: “What would you call it, this that Buddha received under the bo-tree? What would you name this that Moses received from the burning bush and the Tablets of Stone, those Commandments which to this day are standard? What did Muḥammad receive when he heard the voice of the Angel Gabriel say ‘Stop! Thou art the Prophet of the Lord!’ If one receives a Truth, a Word of God, what would we call it today?”
He replied: “Instead of saying it is inspired and the Word of God intellectuals would give it as the results of Bahá’u’lláh’s thinking. In a noble sense, divine things come to one who is pure in his thinking.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, son of Bahá’u’lláh, in speaking on this same point once explained: “The Bahá’ís believe that the incarnation of the Word of God, meaning the changing of the nature of Divinity into humanity and the transformation of the Infinite into the finite, can never be. But they believe that the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are Manifestations of a Universal Order in the world of humanity. It is clear that the eternal can never be transient, neither the transient Eternal. Transformation of nature is impossible. Perfect Man, the Manifestation, is like a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality is apparent and evident, reflected in its endless bounties.”
Granted that this source of the Báb’s and Bahá’u’lláh’s great Teachings are hard to be believed, then lay that question on the table for a moment. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: "When you speak, speak as I spoke in America, speak on the principles. Then people will begin to ask themselves, “Was Bahá’u’lláh a prophet?” This point was illustrated, for when the writer lectured in Halle University, a group of five eager students came to the platform later and inquired: “Was Bahá’u’lláh a scholar? Had he studied in many schools or was his knowledge innate? Do you really think he could have been a Prophet?”
Professor Horovitz, as well as some other great Orientalists, may not care for the old doctrines about Imáms and special Manifestations of Godhead, but he has a very high opinion of the humanitarian teachings and the spirit of religious toleration in Bahá’u’lláh’s principles. His belief is that people who are living up to the highest ideals in their own religion, agree as to essentials found in all other religions. Differences lie only in the dogmas and rituals. Personally he thinks there is a great deal to be said for people holding to the forms of worship and life in which they have been brought up. “There is something strengthening in this,” he says, “but they must never go so far as to say that others are not right. One religion may be as good as another if one holds to its spirit. People who are really religious understand one another,” he thinks. A saint in one religion is often looked upon as a saint by people of other faiths. “How often,” said Professor Horovitz, "in the East does one see people bow in reverence at the tomb of a saint—even though the latter be not of their belief—for they have a feeling that God must be somewhere near where a holy man is laid to rest.”
Professor Horovitz spoke very highly of
the Bahá’í Teachings and their effectiveness
for twentieth century needs. Commenting
upon Professor Browne’s book and Dr.
Roemer’s account that a few Bahá’ís have
not “lived” these Teachings, the writer
said because this is a universal religion,
every type of person comes into it, they
evolve to higher spirituality. No
one is perfect in a day in any religion.
Then Professor Horovitz gave the following
as his opinion: “One cannot judge of the
spirit of Bahá’ísm or of any other religion
by whether all people live up to it.
That is not the test of religion. The tests
are: what are the highest ideals accepted
by the community? One can run down any
religion or any nation by
criticizing what a few do, but one must
consider the ideals. Those who try to keep
these high ideals are good. In the East and
in the West I have found people for whom
I had great respect among the Jews, the
Christians, the Hindus, the Muḥammadans
and the Bahá’ís.” If people could get away
from Names and seek the essence of
Truth,[Page 305]
all World Teachers
have taught the same,
each according to the capacity of the people
in His epoch. The terms, "Manifestation,”
"Prophet,” “Revealed Word” may be
variously defined by different religionists and
even by non-religionists, but let them stand
the test—do they confer upon humanity a
moral, spiritual education universal in scope?
The sun by any name one may call it pours
forth its light and life and heat; if it
doesn’t, then it is not a sun!
When lecturing in Hamburg University, in the Oriental Seminary, Professor Strohtmann, Professor of the Islamic Cultures and Languages and present editor of “Der Islám,” and he is a very ardent Christian, said: “The Bahá’í movement is good, it teaches Christians how they ought to live the life of Christ.” That indeed was a very high compliment, and it is what Bahá’u’lláh came to do. Bahá’u’lláh taught that it is the Christ Spirit in all religions, therefore “one must consort with all religions with joy and fragrance.”
One very fine Professor in one splendid university had not heard much about the Bahá’í Teachings when the writer called on him to ask about giving a lecture. He listened intently, but suddenly said: "Let me tell you something, Miss Root, you are wasting your time in Germany. Europeans would never accept such a Teaching.” He was so sincere, so noble! And later this Professor and his friends did arrange a large lecture in their university and they sat in the front row. Other conversations followed and the visit to that beautiful university and the wonderful spirit of this Professor and his colleagues stands out as one of the highest lights in true German culture and goodwill. It shows you too, O reader, how open-minded the German scholar is to investigate truth.
Berlin University with its twelve thousand students is the largest university in Germany and it is situated just next to the Staatsbibliothek, the second largest library in the world. The British Museum is first, but the Staatsbibliothek is second in the library world. In all the university lectures the writer had an exhibition of Bahá’í books in different languages. Professor G. Weil and Dr. Gottschalk of the Staatsbibliothek were interested in this exhibit which they saw at the lecture in Berlin University, on February 28. They asked the writer’s permission to take the exhibit to the Staatsbibliothek for three days to look it over. They did this and afterwards ordered from different publishers a copy of each book in every language which they do not already possess. They have a fine collection of Persian and Arabic Bahá’í manuscripts and it is their intention to make the collection of Bahá’í books as complete as possible. Professor Weil said that when he went to Palestine last Spring he had sought ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s garden in Haifa and walked up and down in it for an hour enjoying its beauty and thinking of the progress of the Bahá’í Teachings.
Professor Dr. Mittwoch, Director of the Seminary for Oriental Languages, had arranged the Berlin University lecture. He presided and gave an excellent introduction. Professor Dr. Kampffmeyer, Professor of Arabic Language, also spoke most interestingly. Professor Dr. Franz Babinger of this university is bringing out the third edition of “Vorlesungen über den Islam” (“Lectures on Islam”), written by the late great Orientalist, Professor Goldziher of Budapest who personally knew ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and had written about the Bahá’í Movement in this book. Professor Babinger is adding twenty pages to include recent Bahá’í history and is giving the lists of books in different languages.
A cousin of Professor Babinger is Dr. Oscar von Niedermayer, the expl orer, who wrote about Persia and Afghánistán, and in one of his writings he tells about meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The writer had hoped that Dr. von Niedermayer, who at that time was passing from Moscow to Munich, would stop over a day in Berlin and say a few words about his visit with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at this university lecture, but he did not have the time.
Some professors in Berlin University have written about the Bahá’í Movement in books and in encyclopatdias. A number of Professors have lectured on the Bahá’í Teachings, and the Bahá’í Cause is well known there. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s picture is hanging in one of the halls of Berlin University, the writer hears, and from other
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Bahá’ís of Stuttgart, Germany.
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universities come letters saying:
“We thank you for the photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
we have framed it and put it in our seminary
so that our members may enjoy it too.
Six universities have expressed the wish to
use one of Bahá’u’lláh’s Arabic works for a
textbook in seminar reading next year.
Munich University is the second largest university in Germany with about eight thousand students. Dr. F. R. Merkel, Professor of Comparative History of Religions, was arranging a course of lectures on modern religious movements and he graciously planned that one of these could be a Bahá’í lecture. Frau Consul Schwarz of Stuttgart was in Munich on this date, December 12, and she spoke brilliantly and with deep love and insight on the history and principles of the Bahá’í Cause and the writer spoke on the progress of the Bahá’í movement in the five continents. Mrs. Schwarz is editor of Magazine, “Sonne der Wahrheit,” and she and her husband, Kemmerzienrat Consul Schwarz, knew ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; they had visited him in Paris in May, 1913, and entertained him in Stuttgart, and they have visited Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause in Haifa; she knows the Teachings well. There was much enthusiasm at the Munich lecture; by invitation and “footstamping” applause it was decided to continue the lecture and discussion for a second hour. In this second hour the Professor also spoke and many questions were asked and answered. The next morning a few students deeply interested came to the hotel where conversation was continued for three hours. Mrs. Schwarz also came and the students were so happy to speak with her again.
Certain questions have been brought up in the discussions in nearly all the universities, namely, more details about how many Bahá’ís there are in the world today. What are all the scientific Bahá’í Teachings on the life after death? What is the Bahá’í administration? and what is the relation of Bahá’ísm to Bábism, Muḥḥammadanism and Christianity and Judaism?
Breslau University, situated in the extreme east of Germany, the gateway from Poland, Russia and the East, is also one of the large and very interesting universities of Germany, enrolling about five thousand students. Professor Carl Brockelmann arranged the lecture there in the Hall of the Oriental Seminary. Among those present were Professors of Arabic, Persian, Turkish Languages, Professors of Theology, Professors of German, students from the East, the Near East and the United States as well as the German students. In almost all universities the audiences have been more or less cosmopolitan, for to the German universities come students and Professors, too, from many lands. The writer observed that some of the very advanced German students working for a special degree had studied for a term or two in Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Students with scholarships from the United States were represented in nearly every German university the writer visited.
Gottingen University interested me because in Gtittingen lives Professor Dr. Friedrich Karl Andreas, a Persian scholar, Professor Emeritus, now a man over eighty years of age, who formerly had resided for seven years in Persia and had written a little book about the Bábis. He was very kind and pleasant, and he said he would be glad to translate some book from Bahá’u’lláh into the German language; he also said he would tell his pupils. The well—known Professor of Semitic languages, Professor Mark Lidzbarski, had recently passed on and his successor had not yet arrived; therefore a public lecture was not arranged in June.
Americans may be interested to know
that it was to Gottingen University that
Benjamin Franklin came as early as 1766 to
investigate the equipment of different
schools with the intention of using this
information in the founding of the University
of Pennsylvania. George Bancroft, Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, John Lathrop Motley,
B. L. Gildersleeve, Albert Harkness, J. Pierpont
Morgan are only a few of the distinguished
men in the United States who
studied in this beautiful university right in
the heart of the Harz and Weser Mountains
and Thuringen Forest region. It was
here, too, that Bismarck received his
university training, and here that Wilhelm
Weber with Gauss invented the electric
telegraph. The university library with its
700,[Page 308]
000 volumes contains a
few of the best-known Bahá’í books. Every
library in Germany has Bahá’í volumes and
university circles have been enthusiastic
over the “Bahá’í World,” a book out this
year which gives the progress of the Bahá’í
movement throughout the world in the last
two years.
Professor Jacob Wilhelm Hauer of Tübingen University said that his attention was called to the Bahá’í Movement when a friend of his wrote a book somewhat against it. In 1912-13 Professor Hauer studied in Oxford University and a friend there was a Bahá’í from Hamadan, Persia. “He was one of the finest men I have ever met in my life,” said this Tübingen Professor. “Then the war came and he went to Europe and I was imprisoned in England. I began to read about the Bahá’í Teachings and in that time Professor Edward G. Browne was our great authority.” Professor Hauer later went to Egypt, Palestine and Syria; he said he was very attracted to a young man in Beirut University who was a Bahá’í. Coming down from Palestine to Syria, Professor Hauer went by way of ‘Akká and saw the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh. In Egypt and Syria he searched and gathered a fine collection of Bahá’u’lláh’s books and manuscripts in Persian and Arabic, which he says is the finest collection in Germany today. Professor Hauer is a great spiritual force and practical adviser and helper in the German Youth movement. Last year he met a number of Bahá’ís in Geneva and since then he has read a good many books about the Bahá’í history and Teachings.”
Now Professor Hauer is collecting as many Bahá’í books and Mss. as possible for the Oriental Seminary of Tübingen University which he founded in 1922. He is professor of Indology and Comparative History of Religion. In this Seminary he and his students work together and it is possible that they may translate directly from their original sources some of Bahá’u’lláh’s great works. The writer admired his fire and enthusiasm when he said: “We wish to get a big collection of all sorts. We desire to get the sources of all religions collected in this seminary. I wish to study the Bahá’í Movement not second hand or third hand, but from its fountain-head, from its source, the writings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”
It seems important to explain in this article that a German University is not quite the same as an American University or as a French one. The Professors (and they are appointed by the government, but recommended by the university) announce their lectures for the year and fix the time and place. Each student selects those which he wishes and communicates his choice to the registrar of the university and pays to him the necessary fee. The lectures, excepting those on science, are all held in the public halls of the university, but these lectures are only the introduction to the study carried on in seminars. (Seminars are institutions of research.) For example, Professor Hauer lectures in the great aula perhaps to two hundred students who hail his entrance with tremendous “stamping applause”! At least it was like that the day the writer visited his lecture. But in his seminar, twelve or fifteen students come and they work together translating, discussing.
The main stress in a German university is the ability to do independent work. A German university is essentially a place where a student may find the highest specialists engaged in research in their particular fields and interested in making men and women capable of independent work in chosen fields, such as law, theology, professorship and others.
Kiel University can boast a glorious
campus fronting the sea. One Professor
there had read Mr. Dreyfus’ books, some
have lectured on the Bahá’í Teachings.
After the lecture in the university in June,
Professor Mandel, Professor of History of
Religions, Professor Schrader, Professor of
Indology, who has spent several years in
India, these two with their wives,
entertained the writer at one of the
restaurants. Professor Jacob, Professor
of Semitic Philology, could not come but
he had been very gracious. O the charming
and the close intimate talks about inner
religion and world conditions and the
hopes of humanity and
much about the Bahá’í movement we have
had in those after-lecture conversations in
all the German university cities!
The[Page 309]
going to the
restaurant for a cup of tea or
an ice came to be a part of every university
lecture visit. And to know the heart, the
soul, the cultural ideals of the German
people makes one wonder if out of
this commonwealth of Germany may not
come those who will yet lead the world
to a new humanitarianism!
The lecture in Rostock University was not given in the university, to use an Irish bull. The lecture was arranged by Dr. Frederic Witte, President of the Peace Society, in a hall near the university. A number of professors and students were present. Professor Arnold Pöbel, Professor of Assyrian and Arabic and the great Sumerian scholar who was leaving the next week to teach in Chicago University during the summer term, said he would go out to see the Bahá’í Temple at Wilmette. Another Rostock University Professor is teaching during the summer in Maine not far from Green Acre, the summer headquarters of the Bahá’í community of America. Dr. Witte gave out nearly fifty very fine German Bahá’í books that night, and he and Mrs. Witte gave a reception to which they invited professors and pastors, Quakers, Rabbis, and other peace workers.
Greifswald University is one of the smaller delightful universities in the North. The morning of the lecture we took a long walk out along the pleasing canal to the shore of the majestic Baltic Sea, where the students came for water sports. The writer had dinner with the young Professor of Semitic Languages, Professor Erich Braunlich, and tea with the Professor of English, Professor Liljegran, who is from Sweden and taught formerly in Lund University. Professor Braunlich introduced the speaker that evening with a graphic account of Persia just before the coming of Báb, when the seers were expecting the Twelfth Imám; expecting a prophet and then like a meteor in the spiritual sky arose the Báb. After the lecture the Professors of Arabic, Law, English, German, Russian Languages and their friends came down to the hotel for a long talk.
Giessen University is another of those smaller splendid universities and this is situated in Hesse. The time the writer was there only a Robert Browning could have described the loveliness of that memorable June day. The lecture there was given in the Arts Hall of the university and it was well attended. It was arranged by Professor Fischer, Professor of English, who has taken one of his degrees in the University of Pennsylvania.
The writer did not give a public lecture in Marburg University, though she visited some of the Professors. Mr. Mountfort Mills, an international Bahá’í of New York and Paris, who has been made chairman of the Program Committee of the World Conference for International Peace Through Religion, which is scheduled for 1930, will visit Marburg. He and Professor Otto, Professor of Comparative History of Religions, are on the same committee and one meeting will take place in Marburg. Several German University Professors hope to meet Mr. Mills when he visits western Germany in August.
These are not all, but only the majority of the universities in Germany. Also, this brief account does not include the magazine and newspaper articles and later visits which formed the aftermath. And from now on, certainly news of the Bahá’í Cause, new books about the movement, new translations in all tongues will be communicated to these German universities. A Bahá’í Persian young man, in New York City, even while trying hard to make his own living, saw an item in the newspaper about these lectures in Germany. He had never seen the lecturer, never been to Germany or met a German Professor, but he sent ten dollars to the Bahá’í Publishing Company and asked that a few Bahá’í books be put into German university libraries. Some women read and said: "Let us send the Bahá’í Magazine, each send it to one university!” Bahá’ís in the Orient will send some new books—and people who really understand this great nation make no mistake when they believe that in German University soil
“Where the acorn fell, The oak tree grows.
Studying closely the affairs of this Continent for the past four years, the writer
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Bahá’ís of Dresden, Germany.
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feels that Europe may lose her
civilization or lift it to a much higher plane,
according to the stand which Germany takes.
Germany’s sixty millions of people wish
universal peace, a brotherhood that is real. Go
out and be a brother to them and you will
see their friendship as Absalom saw David’s.
If Germany studies and accepts these Bahá’í
Teachings, her name will stand high in the
list of nations that helped usher in a new
divine civilization; for in the Words of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
“Verily, I declare that these Teachings constitute the illumination of humanity; that this is the spirit of modernism; that this is the hour everlasting; that these are heavenly Teachings, and the cause of life never-ending amongst men.”
