The history of the Section for Mathematics and Astronomy is told in the following through a longer excerpt taken from the book Biographien und Bibliographien (Biographies and Bibliographies) by Renatus Ziegler (MAB 24, P. 9f). The concluding overview of the leadership of the section complements the current state.

Historical Overview of the Section for Mathematics and Astronomy

The Section for Mathematics and Astronomy was founded by Rudolf Steiner at the new foundation of the General Anthroposophical Society during the Christmas Conference 1923 as a section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum, which was under his leadership (GA 260). This Section came about because Steiner had found an approved associate in Elisabeth Vreede, who could represent the fields of Mathematics and Astronomy.
 
In the year 1912 Rudolf Steiner published «The Calendar 1912/13» with the additional title «1879th Year of the Self» without naming an author. It included, after a preface «What is meant», pictures by Imme von Eckardtstein, a calendar with name days and historical dates as well as the «Calendar of the Soul» (today GA 40). An extensive review and appreciation of that Calendar with a further literature list is to be found in the supplement to the «Star Calendar Easter 1989 – Easter 1990» by Suso Vetter: «Imaginations of the Zodiac and Commemoration Days in the Course of the Year» (Dornach: Verlag am Goetheanum 1989).
 
About 1928 Vreede calls the assistant Joachim Schultz to her section and starts to publish a new star calendar together with him, with its first volume 1929/30, on the basis of the first star calendar by Rudolf Steiner.
 
After Vreede had been excluded from the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum and her coincident release from the leadership of the Section for Mathematics and Astronomy  at the General Assembly at Easter 1935, Hermann von Baravalle was elected to look after the affairs of the Section in November (Das Goetheanum – Nachrichtenblatt 12(1935)(46): 185). He took over the publication of the Star Calendar, too.
 
Because of his emigration to the USA in 1937, Baravalle gave the leadership of the Section to Louis Locher for the time of his absence (Das Goetheanum – Nachrichtenblatt 14(1937)(47): 183). Locher also took over the publication of the Star Calendar from 1942 onward with the agreement of Baravalle. The leading of the affairs of the Section, especially the calculations and drawings for the Star Calendar, lay in the hands of Joachim Schultz. In the year 1948 Schultz took over the publication of the calendar until his death in 1953. Afterwards the publication was transferred to Suso Vetter, first together with Mario Howald; both lead affairs of the Section until the end of 1962. Locher stayed as the unofficial leader of the Section, until he was elected into the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at Easter 1962, which coincided with the overtaking of the Leadership of the Section for Mathematics and Astronomy.
 
Locher’s death in August 1962, before his actual taking office, led to an interregnum for the Section, that stayed until Georg Unger was elected during the exceptional General Assembly at Christmas 1963 (Das Goetheanum – Nachrichtenblatt 41(1964)(1): 5).
 
Unger resigned in 1990 for reasons of age and was replaced by Georg Glöckler, who was confirmed as the Leader of the Section at the General Assembly at Easter 1990.

Overview of the leadership of the Section

The dates until 1990 are taken from the glossary (P. 1005) of Anthroposophie im 20. Jahrhundert. Ein Kulturimpuls in biographischen Porträts (A Cultural Impulse in Biographical Portraits) (Bodo v. Plato, Verlag am Goetheanum, Dornach, 2003).

Christmas 1923 - April 1935Elisabeth Vreede
November 1935 - November 1937  Hermann von Baravalle
November 1937 - 1953
Louis Locher, substituting for Hermann von Baravalle
1953 - August 1962Louis Locher
Christmas 1963 - Easter 1990Georg Unger
Easter 1990 - April 2003Georg Glöckler
April 2003 - August 2005Johannes Kühl, temporarily
since August 2005Oliver Conradt