Erich Gutkind, Magical Jew and Apocalyptic Visions before the First World War

«Spaces and images of the apocalyptic»: the case of the Siderische Geburt
The founding of the Forte-Kreis in 1914 brought together the great minds of the time to take over the spiritual rule over Europe. Feelings of impeding disaster coupled with a grandiose view of a better future prompted artists and religious thinkers such as Martin Buber, Gustav Landauer, the Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden and the esoteric writer Erich Gutkind (Siderische Geburt) to form a «Bund», not unlike the «Blutbund» that the anarchist Landauer advocated. In the wider circle names of Romain Rolland, Rabindranath Tagore and many others are mentioned. In spite of (or thanks to) that, the same year the Forte-Kreis collapsed. The German researcher Christine Holz is convinced that the «Dutch» arrogance of van Eeden caused the problems. Others (among whom myself) were astonished at the belligerent German-chauvinistic rhetoric of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, who revealed himself as an apocalyptic thinker of the war as purification. I will focus especially upon the role of Gutkind. What was the significance of the Siderische Geburt in heralding a new mankind?
Siderische Geburt – Forte-Kreis – Martin Buber – Gustav Landauer – Frederik van Eeden – Erich Gutkind.