/Nexus - 0303 - New Times Magazine/pages/0013/image.png)
Page Content (OCR)
Max Planck, the great physicist who brought an end to the pure- ly materialistic world view of the late 19th century with his quan- tum theory in December 1900, was another who, bereft of ade- quate clothing, food or other means of support, died alone in extreme poverty and cold. Viktor Schauberger's life followed a path similar to those of his illumined predecessors, for in his life, too, he was met with deri- sion, slander and deceit in a long confrontation with the Establishment in its various forms. He was a man of enormous strength of purpose; he was warm and encouraging, particularly to young people in whom he took a great interest, for he saw in them the possibility for the restoration of a secure and bountiful future. But to those whose view of life he considered irretrievably per- verted spiritually and intellectually, he was absolutely uncompro- mising, seeing them as obstacles on the path of human evolution and in the rehabilitation of the environment. Naturally he made many enemies in the process, but on the other hand a certain balance was achieved by a very few encour- aging and loyal friends such as Prof. Philipp Forchheimer, an hydrologist of world repute. Another was Prof. Werner Zimmermann, a Swiss, who published articles by Viktor in his ecologically oriented magazine, Tau, between 1935 and 1937. Werner Zimmermann frequently entered the lists in Viktor's defence against the narrow-minded, self-interested attacks of acad- Max Planck, the great physicist who brought an end to the pure- emia and entrenched bureaucracy which on occasion were very ly materialistic world view of the late 19th century with his quan- intense. More often than not, Viktor's discoveries totally contra- tum theory in December 1900, was another who, bereft of ade- dicted established theory, and in their flawless functioning and quate clothing, food or other means of support, died alone in _ practical implementation seriously threatened the credibility and extreme poverty and cold. reputation of scientist and bureaucrat alike. Viktor Schauberger's life followed a path similar to those of his There are many more such individuals who have given them- illumined predecessors, for in his life, too, he was met with deri- selves wholly to the betterment of their fellow human beings. sion, slander and deceit in a long confrontation with the Without exception, they were endowed with extraordinary percep- Establishment in its various forms. He was a man of enormous _ tive and intuitive abilities which afforded them fresh insights into strength of purpose; he was warm and encouraging, particularly to the way in which the world functioned, enabling them to under- young people in whom he took a great interest, for he saw in them stand phenomena hitherto inexplicable to their contemporaries. the possibility for the restoration of a secure and bountiful future. © They were aware of another dimension of reality, that ‘dimension But to those whose view of life he considered irretrievably per- of comprehension’ which makes sense of the whole—just as the verted spiritually and intellectually, he was absolutely uncompro- __ third dimension makes a two-dimensional world understandable. mising, seeing them as obstacles on the path of human evolution Some of these great teachers were born with this ability, while and in the rehabilitation of the environment. others fought long and hard external and personal battles to Naturally he made many enemies in the process, but on the acquire it, their struggles fraught with hardship and ridden with other hand a certain balance was achieved by a very few encour- disappointment. Often assailed by doubt, they nevertheless coura- aging and loyal friends such as Prof. Philipp Forchheimer, an _geously persevered, urged ever onward to finish the task they had hydrologist of world repute. Another was Prof. Werner _ set themselves to complete. Zimmermann, a Swiss, who published articles by Viktor in his If ever there was a true exponent of the person described in ecologically oriented magazine, Tau, between 1935 and 1937. Rudyard Kipling's poem, /f', it was Viktor Schauberger. He was Werner Zimmermann frequently entered the lists in Viktor's one of those rare human beings, those explorers in human thought defence against the narrow-minded, self-interested attacks of acad- and endeavour, whose chosen path was to throw light on the future. It is therefore inevitable that he, too, will eventu- ally take his place amongst the ranks of these exalted, self-sacrificing beings. In the years to come he will be acknowledged as one of the principal guiding spirits of the 21st century and beyond, who brought about a funda- mental shift of Copernican proportions in humankind's appreciation of Nature and natural energies. There can be very few of his contemporaries whose comprehension of the sublime energetic interdependen- cies, upon which life at all its levels is founded, was so profound. Nor, apparently, has any other person had Viktor's deep understanding of that living substance so vital to all life processes—water, which he viewed as the blood of Mother Earth—for, like James Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia hypothesis’, Viktor too saw the whole Earth as an organism and expressed this view in his early writings of the 1930s. Viktor Schauberger was born on 30th June 1885 in the parish of Ulrichsberg in Upper Austria. He was descend- ed from a long line of foresters who had devoted their whole lives to the natural management and administration of the forest—a dedication mirrored in their family motto, Fidus in silvis silentibus ("Faith in the silent forests"). With this as his background, and much against his father's will but with the support of his mother, at the age of 18 he flatly refused to follow in the footsteps of his two elder brothers and attend university, having seen how it had affected his brothers’ thinking. Apart from his earnest desire to become a forester, the main reason for his refusal was that he did not wish to have his natural way of think- ing corrupted by people he considered totally alienated to Nature. He did not want to be forced to see things through other jaundiced eyes, but through his own. For, as he later wrote: The only possible outcome of the purely categorising compart-mentality, thrust upon us at school, is the loss of our creativity. People are losing their individuality, their ability to see things as they really are and thereby their Viktor Schauberger, 1885-1958 connection with Nature. They are fast approaching a Ber, . state of equilibrium impossible in Nature, which must APRIL-MAY 1996 12 * NEXUS Viktor Schauberger, 1885-1958.