Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the Wind11Balthasar Hubmaier: 1480?–1528. Hans Denck: 1495–1527. In 1923 Eberhard edited a book by AdolfMetus Schwindt, published by the Neuwerk Verlag, titled Hans Denck: Ein Vorkämpfer undogmatischenChristentums [Hans Denck: a champion of undogmatic Christianity].12German title: Lebensbeweise lebendiger Gemeinden.13In 1929 Eberhard revised the chapters “Die Liebe zu Christus” (“Love to Christ”) and “Die Liebe zu denBrüdern” (“Love to the Brothers”) (new edition 1934, reprint 1973); cf. chap. 13, On the Trail of thePast.14This section of chap. 5 highlights Eberhard’s preliminary steps toward his book Innenland (publishedin English as Inner Land ; Rifton, NY: The Plough Publishing House, 1976), which he would ultimatelyrewrite several times over and which would constitute one of the major achievements of his life.Eberhard took the words “inner land” from a poem by Friedrich Lienhard (1865–1929), first published in 1912. In translation it reads:If Germany forgets her mission,If Germany, after roaming the seasIs no longer guide of the peoplesTo the inner land of the unseenTo God and Spirit –If Germany neglects her holy missionAnd no longer leads the way in zeal for perfectionWhen she no longer pointsAway from hate, which holds the iron worldtense and divided,No longer points the way toward new love –Then know: Your happiness and rule are dashed to pieces.214It is very likely that Eberhard only discovered the words for his title during the war. Apart from the unfortunate first edition (1914), which bore the title Der Krieg: ein Aufruf zur Innerlichkeit [The war: a call to inwardness] (cf. chap 6, n. 5), all later editions of the book carry the title Innenland. Moreover, the original series of articles were written completely in the sense expressed in Lienhard’s poem, and therefore the heading “inner land” seems suitable for this section (though some may regard it as premature).15Cf. Eberhard Arnold, Lebensbeweise lebendiger Gemeinden, 57.ChaptEr Six1Eberhard Arnold to Emmy von Hollander, June 20, 1908, BA.2On August 18, 1914, the Arnold family was alarmed by news – afterwards proven false – that Italyhad declared war on Austria. Concerned by their proximity to the Italian border, they left Oberbozenstraight away. The journey home was very difficult. The only available passenger train had to stop oftenand be rerouted to allow emergency military and hospital trains to go straight through; cf. Emy-MargretArnold’s Kindheitserinnerungen [Childhood memories], unpublished manuscript, BA. Italy remainedneutral at first and did not enter the war until May 25, 1915, when it joined the Entente.3“We sometimes asked ourselves where our duty lay and whether Eberhard should voluntarily go to thehelp of our nation in its need.” Emmy Arnold, Aus unserem Leben bis 1920.4German title: Das inwendige Leben.