Franz Hartmann Rudolf Steiner

142, Wardour Street, London, W. · 17 March 1906

My dear Hartmann,

I just received a card from you (without a date) wherein you say: “and as you have nothing to do anymore with the signing of diplomas etc. etc ...” — now this is the most extraordinary bit of news in these last six or seven months, which certainly were not wanting in startling news, that I received! Let me at once clear your mind on this point. Whoever has told you that I have nothing to do anymore with the signing of diplomas — he or she of course meaning the diplomas of the Memphis and Mizraim High-Grade Freemasonry for which your signature was given — has told you a downright lie! And you can tell him or her to be more careful in future.

Your signature, however, has not been used since months back, and I return you the woodcut [?] of your signature as a registered parcel. I do not know what more lies of the same quality may have been written to you; if you want me to give you explanations you must kindly send me these letters you have received. One explanation only I can give at once, namely, last September (1905) I wrote you a postcard and letter and diploma to the address at Muskauerstrasse in Berlin which you had given to me in August 1905. Postcard, letter and roll had been forwarded to Florence and after some time came back to me!! I had asked the Princess to get you to write to me, but you did not write. At the same time Bro. Zavrel [?] told me you had dissuaded Baroness Bleichroeder from joining our Adoption Lodges, and further that you had spoken about me to Herr Last in Vienna in terms which caused Herr Last to warn people against me. From all this I concluded that you had withdrawn from my M. + M. F. M. Order and I have ever since discontinued to use your signature or your name in connection with my order! No stamp of the Princess’ name has ever been made and her name has never been used for diplomas. I hereby return her signature and her permit.

Yours very truly,
Theodor Reuss

[Handwritten remark:] Copy to Dr. Steiner, Berlin, for reference — Theodor Reuss

Memphis and Mizraim Rite of Masonry · Order of Oriental Templars and Esoteric Rosicrucians · London, 11 February 1910, E.V.

Dear Bro. Steiner:

There seems a conspiracy brewing against you! After a dead silence of four years, I suddenly receive about January 30th 1910 a postcard from Dr. H. (which I enclose) asking me how I am doing and that he would like to see me! I reply by card on February 1st: I shall be glad to see him, but at the end of May I shall be in Germany.

Now today I receive the enclosed letter from Dr. H., asking me: “How the Masonic Movement is progressing!”; whether: “Dr. Steiner has anything to do with it”; and concluding: “It seems to me that certain people are making a farce of it!”

These questions after four years’ silence, coupled with the final statement, are patent proof enough that somebody is pulling Dr. H. to make mischief; for Dr. H. has not been inside a Masonic Lodge room since he saw mine at Berlin in 1904, and in fact he is no authority on it anyhow. Moreover, he has, in so many words, disassociated himself from all Masonic work for years past. Therefore his questions are suspicious! I have not answered Dr. H.’s letter, nor do I mean to. And I beg to add for your information and guidance: that nobody (except Heilbronner & Klein), not even Dr. Lauer, is in my confidence as to our actual relations, or as to our written agreement of January 1906. Please return the enclosures and oblige.

Yours in the Bond of the Order,
Th. Reuss