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This Week in History
November 8-14, 2015

Helga Zepp-LaRouche on the Birthday of Friedrich Schiller,
November 10, 1759

Presented at the November 7, 2015 Schillerfest Musikabend in New York City


Friedrich Schiller

Transcript

This week, we celebrate the birthday of Friedrich Schiller, born November 10, 1759, and died May 9, 1805,  after whom our Institute is named. The Schiller Institute was founded in 1984 in the US And Germany, and has since evolved to become an international force for creating a New Paradigm for Civilization, based on the Common Aims of Mankind. Famous for our campaigns of Peace through Development, economic justice for all nations, "The New Silk Road Becomes the World Landbridge, " the fight for the Verdi Tuning of C 256 Hz, A 432 Hz, and much more, the Schiller Institute's work around the world has inspired musicians, artists and citizens everywhere to "Dare to be Wise", and organize. Indeed "the most beautiful of all works of art, is the construction of true political freedom."  

This video was presented at the 2015 Manhattan Project Schiller Birthday Celebration. Read the transcript of this presentation here: http://schillerinstitute.org/educ/hist/eiw_this_week/2015/1109/hzl-schillerfest-transcript.html

You can see the entire event here: http://schillerinstitute.org/highlite/2015/1107-ny/schillerfest.html and you can see the Schiller Institute biography of Schiller here: http://schillerinstitute.org/biographys/schiller_bio.html

The following excerpt was the opening of the 1984 Founding Conference of the Schiller Institute, and it is ever more relevant today. 

For only can a great and noble cause
Arouse humanity's profoundest nature.
In smaller spheres, the mind of man contracts;
But with a nobler purpose, grows the greater.

And as this century is gravely ending,
And even what is real to fable turns,
When we behold huge forces locked in battle
And our portentous goal is hov'ring near,

And war is waged for man's most noble causes,
For domination and for liberty--
So now, let art attempt to soar yet higher
Upon the shadow-stage; indeed, she must,
Lest she be put to shame by life's own drama.

What would Schiller say, were he to see us today?

The great causes of mankind seem all but overwhelming; world peace and freedom hang in the balance; the less favored part of the world is threatened with extinction for lack of development; rabid Jacobinism is raging in the southeast regions of the world; indeed, our entire civilization appears to be in danger.

Would Schiller today pass the same judgment he reached upon witnessing the Jacobin terror of the French Revolution, that "a great moment has found a little people"?

Because we must find a better answer to this question, the international Schiller Institute has been founded. Its members in many nations share a fundamental belief in the reason of man, and in man's ability to solve even the greatest of crises. In order that those who do not know this great poet should understand why the institute bears his name, we offer here a brief sketch of the history of his life and work.

Let us establish the extraordinary example of beautiful humanity, so that we may orient ourselves thereto, and, with more joy and confidence, devote ourselves to our urgent goals.


Friedrich Schiller, Poet of the American Revolution