On 3 April ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave many interviews until 3 p.m. when Albert Schwarz, the Consul for Norway, and a devoted Bahá’í who later served as Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Germany and who was described by Shoghi Effendi as ‘Germany’s outstanding pioneer worker’, drove Him to the famous Castle Solitude. This was followed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first public talk at the Burger Museum that evening attended by over 500 people.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had four hours of interviews with people at the hotel on the morning of 4 April. When finished, He said, ‘I was most happy to see the believers of Germany so holy, so pure and so united. They are the Angels of the Paradise of Abha’.
At four o’clock in the afternoon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left for Esslingen, about ten kilometres away, where a large meeting for children had been arranged.
The Bahá’ís in Esslingen had secured a hall which they had decorated with greenery, plants and flowers. The hall was filled with about 50 children and 80 adults. To welcome ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the children, each holding a bunch of flowers, formed two lines in the entry hall through which He passed. Each child gave the Master his bunch of flowers as He greeted them. In return, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave the children small boxes of chocolates and bon-bons. Everyone was radiantly happy.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá moved into the main hall, Ahmad Sohrab had to clear a path through the eager crowd. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a short talk, during which he said, ‘These children are of the Kingdom, they are illumined with the Light of God. . . I love them very much. They are mine . . . May God guide and protect them, make of them useful men and women for the advancement of the Kingdom on earth’.
Then everyone shared tea, chocolate and cake. The group then gathered in front of the hall and a group photograph was taken. Finally, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá climbed into His car to leave. Ahmad Sohrab wrote that the children were ‘crowding around and waving their flowers. Then one after another stepped up and handed their fragrant tokens. O, it looked really beautiful; I cannot describe it, so wonderfully sweet! The children waving their dear little hands, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the auto, covered with flowers, waving his blessed hands to them’.
Next morning, back in Stuttgart at the Hotel Marquardt, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said of the children’s meeting:
"The effect of last night’s meeting will be put on record in the world of eternity. The mentioning of it will be throughout the centuries and will be recorded in the countries of the Orient. Because these children are tender plants, their hearts are clear and transparent. They have not yet come to the dross of the world; that is why Christ said: “Blessed are the children, for they are of the Heavenly Kingdom.”
Later in the day, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had a tour of the Royal Palace of Emperor Wilhelm and in the afternoon gave a talk on women at the specific request of Alma Knobloch, at a Unity Feast hosted by the Frauen Club. About 160 people were present when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived at 4 p.m. Everyone was delighted with the results of the Feast, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said of it, ‘The Supreme Concourse of Angels were pleased and rejoiced. It was an illumined meeting, giving eternal life to mankind’. In the evening the Master gave yet another talk, to the Esperantists.
On 6 April ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had a pleasant trip through the cherry blossom district, with the trees in full bloom, then continued on into the Black Forest. On several occasions the Master remarked how glad he was to have seen Germany in the spring. ‘Truly’, He said, ‘it is worthy to become a paradise’. The party visited Mr and Mrs Schweizer in Zuffenhausen before returning to Stuttgart for the evening meeting at the Obere Museum. This was the largest public meeting given in the city and was organized by the Bahá’í women. Alma Knobloch wrote:
The Master asked me to select a subject for the evening and I asked Him to speak on ‘Woman’. Smilingly he questioned, ‘On the German Woman?’ I answered, ‘No, on Woman in general’. His face beamed with that radiance that brought divine fragrances and He said, ‘Very well, very well’ . . . His address was highly appreciated, especially by those noble, esteemed ladies who had so marvelously assisted us in our early work. After the talk he went through the hall shaking hands and giving words of cheer.
On 7 April ‘Abdu’l-Bahá travelled to Bad Mergentheim, about 60 miles north of Stuttgart, at the behest of Consul Albert Schwarz, who was later named a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi. Bad Mergentheim was a small, quiet town known for its health spa and hotel, both of which Schwarz owned. They drove up in Consul Schwarz’s automobiles, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent the rest of the day and that night as his guest. The Master commented that he had not heard so many nightingales singing in such a beautiful setting since He had left Persia.
In 1916, the local Bahá’ís commemorated the Master’s visit through ‘the dedication of a handsome monument . . . It consisted of a life-sized head of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in bronze on a granite stone about six feet in height. It was placed next to a rose arbor and thus had a mass of exquisite roses for a background’. The Nazis removed it in 1937, but it was replaced in 2007.
Before He left the next day, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke with the people working at the spa and told them they must be very conscientious, pointing out their great responsibility to alleviate the suffering of people. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then left Bad Mergentheim and returned to Stuttgart. He had lunch with Consul and Mrs Schwarz and met many Bahá’ís before boarding the train at 8 p.m. for Budapest. Wilhelm Herrigel joined the group to act as the Master’s translator for German.
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Wouldn't you love to be described as "the Angels of the Paradise of Abha"? Or visit a cherry blossom district with the Master? Or be part of "an illumined meeting, giving eternal life to mankind"?
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