The Theosophist Franz Hartmann
Harald Arjuna van Jostenoode (Brüssels). [Dr. Paul Harald Grävell][1]
Translation from German by Robert Hutwohl
“Franz Hartmann, a theosophist and mystic, is introduced as a man of profound experiences and insights. His life, marked by a thirst for adventure and a deep exploration of spiritualism, led him to become a prominent figure in the Theosophical movement. Hartmann’s works, including “White and Black Magic” and “Karma,” offer valuable insights into the metaphysical and theosophical principles.” Robert Hutwohl
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“He who lacks energy may lead a comfortable life of bourgeois mediocrity; but where creative power is at work, the urge for the sublime sometimes lifts the person up, and then passion pulls him down again; the soul swings back and forth like a pendulum; but every victory over the base gives him a higher foothold, and the next downward swing is less profound.”
THESE words of Hartmann’s in his recently published “Memorable Memories” [Notable Recollections] could serve as the motto of his biography. From his earliest youth, he aspired to the sublime; he was a born mystic and explorer of natural laws. If his writings have not yet become as well known as they deserve, this is due to the fact that today’s generation is less metaphysically inclined and clings to the dust like never before. And yet I believe that Hartmann, the theosophist Hartmann, will find a grateful public in the next century, when little more than the titles of his books will be known of the philosopher Hartmann. Only Tolstoy, perhaps, can compare with him among the living in terms of depth of vision and power of style. There is an elemental force in his writing. Anyone who wishes to penetrate his spirit should read his “Denkwürdigkeiten” [Notable Recollections] (Friedrich Verlag, Leipzig). I can’t think of a more interesting read for anyone who craves the truth and refuses to be fobbed off with empty phrases and obscure riddles. What Hartmann provides is his own personal experience. But rarely has a mortal experienced such things, internally and externally, as he has. One often feels like reading a fairy tale when reading his adventures. The saying that the truth is often the best novel applies here. And the most improbable often becomes reality. If I hadn’t met Hartmann myself 10 years ago and heard from his own mouth a number of the phenomena he recounted, I might sometimes harbor doubts. But I consider him a thoroughly honorable, serious man, incapable of lying. What purpose could a sixty-year-old have in fooling the world?
For those who may not have heard of this remarkable man, I would like to introduce him. He was born on November 22, 1838, in Donauwörth. His mystical nature stirred within him from an early age, and he decided to become an alchemist. To this end, he devoted himself first to apothecary, then to medicine. After completing his studies, he took a pleasure trip to Paris. From there, he went to Le Havre to see the sea, intending to return to Paris the next day. But fate decreed otherwise. By chance, he was offered the position of ship’s doctor on an American packet boat, which he accepted without hesitation, out of a thirst for adventure, unaware that his stay in America would extend to 18 years.
An old Russian book on astrology claims that people born on November 22nd will have no fixed abode throughout their lives. This seems to hold true with Hartmann. The urge to get to know the world led him to the most diverse places in America: Texas, Mexico, to the Native Americans; everywhere he had the strangest adventures, but he never stayed anywhere for long. His wandering life bears much resemblance to that of the great Paracelsus. Like Paracelsus, he gradually recognized the great riddles of the world. He saw that truth is grasped sooner by the great poets than by the men of cold science. “Poetry shines ahead, science lags behind. A science or philosophy without poetry has no taste.”
Above all, he studied spiritualism at its source. There is probably no other person with such practical experience in this field as he did. However, he also saw through its true nature and therefore soon turned away from it to delve deeper into “spiritualism,” the religion of spirits. According to him, spiritualism has the purpose of pointing out to the blind materialist, who denies everything he cannot grasp with his hands, that his megalomania is a delusion and that he is far from knowing everything. It serves to dampen his conceit and make him understand that Shakespeare is right when he says that there are things between heaven and earth of which our school of thought can never dream. Of course, spiritualism, as long as it is not understood, is a dangerous thing, and one is best advised not to become involved with it.
A spiritual revolution occurred in him when he read H. P. Blavatsky’s great work, “Isis Unveiled.” The Russian woman lived in India after years of wandering the world seemingly aimlessly. In 1875, she founded the Theosophical Society in New York, and then lived at Adyar near Madras, as its secretary. Hartmann decided to visit her. He made the following assessment of the Theosophical movement:
“Just as water flows wherever there are channels through which it can find its way, so does the light diffused by divine wisdom, which is the sum total of the highest intelligences in the universe, flow into all hearts where it encounters no insurmountable resistance.” It penetrates all churches and systems and brings, albeit slowly, ever greater enlightenment everywhere. The Spirit of Wisdom is therefore not a monopoly in the possession of any society, but the driving force of that movement that is now spreading throughout the world and making itself felt in all branches of science, art, and social relationships. This movement can rightly be called “theosophical” because it is based on the knowledge of truth; even if this knowledge has not yet become conscious everywhere, but is only felt as a dim feeling in human hearts. The “Theosophical Society,” however, was called into existence by H. P. Blavatsky to be a powerful center of this movement.”
I will not report here on Hartmann’s remarkable stay in the Land of Wonders. For the Theosophist who has studied the person of Blavatsky, I will only mention that Hartmann’s judgment of that remarkable woman, “the Sphinx of the 19th century,” is, on the whole, quite favorable. However, her work, “The Secret Doctrine,” the second edition of “Isis Unveiled,” offers the person seeking knowledge ample material for reflection in the coming century.
Hartmann left India with Blavatsky and stayed in various parts of Europe, particularly Austria. Trips to England and America frequently interrupted his studies. The fruits of his studies lie before us in a series of volumes. He decided late in life to write in German, as English had gradually become more familiar to him. We hope that his works will soon be made available to the public in an inexpensive popular edition, as the current price certainly deters some. Christ gave the water of life freely; there is no reason why it should be any different today.
His most important work is “White and Black Magic,” first published in England and now available in German in a revised form: “White and Black Magic or the Law of Spirit in Nature.”
This is supplemented by “Karma or Knowledge, Action, and Becoming.” He also publishes his own journal, “Lotusblüten,” which features important articles by him and translations from the Indian language.
We are approaching an era that seeks to understand the metaphysical background of things. Until now, the urge for such knowledge has been developed only in a few. And that is a good thing. For, as Hartmann rightly says: “As soon as something becomes universal, it becomes common.” As long as Christianity remained in the catacombs, it stood high. As soon as it took hold of the market, it declined. Thus, the community of theosophists lives quietly, in isolation, like the first Christian communities or the Rosicrucians and other mystics. Everyone is like a star from which spiritual rays emanate, illuminating the dark night. Whoever beholds such a star will be led by it to clarity, as the wise men of the East once were. Authorities, leaders, and dogmas are necessary for the blind and immature. But true faith is attained only through love, for love is the fulfillment of the “law.” It is a ray of that highest light that shines from eternity to eternity.
Note
[1] The Theosophist Franz Hartmann. [Der Theosoph Franz Hartmann] By Harald Arjuna van Jostenoode (Brüssels). Wiener Rundschau 3, No. 13 (May 1899), 313–315 [Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2026]