Anni - The Perfect Wisdom Web

9.ConsequenceThe year 1932 was difficult not only for Anni and herfamily. The German economy was in shambles, withindustry at a standstill and over six million unemployed.The Weimar Republic was disintegrating, and althoughHitler had been defeated in a bitterly disputed electionwith President Hindenburg in May, his angry rhetoricwas whipping up emotion at ever larger rallies.For the members of the Sparhof community, apprehensionabout the political future of Germany wastempered by confidence in the cause to which they werecommitted. There was also an abundance of work at thegrowing community; most of Anni’s attention was takenby her work with the children. The foster children, manyof whom came from broken families, could be difficultto care for, and education was discussed repeatedly atmembers’ meetings during the spring of 1932. EberhardArnold wrote an article summarizing these discussions.“The aim of our education,” he wrote, “must be to awakenand strengthen in every child all that is good, pure, and176