Today (I wrote this yesterday!), August 25, is the day that in the year 1900, Friedrich Nietzsche’s suffering body gave freedom to his magnificent soul.
Since there are a few different assumptions about his death, I believe this by Rudolf Steiner would be a detailed portrayal of the deranged Nietzsche. After several strokes, also consistent with a diagnosis of nervous syphilis, Nietzsche was partially paralysed and unable to stand or speak. On August 25, 1900, at the age of 55, he died of pneumonia and another stroke in Weimar. He was buried at the Röcken village church in the family grave. (He only lived 55 of age! Like the other geniuses, his genius didn’t stand as long in his body.)
Nietzsche says, “It is not a lack of love but friendship that makes unhappy marriages”, and it is a remarkable thought. I clearly understand Nietzsche’s challenge to romanticise versions of love and friendship. According to him, erotic love is often driven by selfish desires of possession. At the same time, friendship is the enduring bond that truly withstands the test of time, claiming that love “may be the most ingenuous expression of egoism.” He proposes that love is close to greed and the lust for possession, and if we look more closely at love in history, most of the time, this is the case. Because love often burns too fast to the ashes, but a true friendship remains strong forever. Although, as I wrote once about my opinion on true love, I contended that genuine love and companionship are interconnected. However, I resonate with his perspective on love and find his disillusionment quite comprehensible.
As I perhaps mentioned once, he wasn’t evil, egotistical, or selfish. Instead, he was whole-hearted, gentle, and loving. He had a distaste for German arrogance and damp weather and gravitated towards the warmth of soul found in Italian and Greek cultures and landscapes. False judgments are often made about him, likely due to his books, which exude a sense of self-importance. For instance, in his work ECCE HOMO, he discusses why he writes good books or why he is destined for fate, etc.
He writes in ECCE HOMO:
The good ones – They can’t do it, they are always the beginning of the end…
They crucify the one who writes new values on new slates, they sacrifice the future, and they crucify all human futures!
The good ones – They were always the beginning of the end…
And whatever harm the world-slanderers might do, the harm of the good ones is the most damaging harm.
By Eandré, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
This explanation of his final days was published in the local newspaper:
“His way of life follows the doctor’s prescription, which regulates his diet and service. For the rest, he sits quietly, lost in himself; he only utters incomprehensible sounds when the noise of the street or children reaches his ears, but he calms down again when someone reads to him, although without understanding what it’s being read. His appearance is by no means unhealthy; only it is somewhat difficult to dress and undress him because of a certain clumsiness of the limbs which has been noticeable lately.” Jenaer Volksblatt vom 28. Juli 1897, S. 1.
Carl Jung said: The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me. That is a supra-personal task, which I accompany only by effort and with difficulty. Perhaps it is a question which preoccupied my ancestors and which they could not answer? Could that be why I am so impressed by the problem on which Nietzsche foundered: the Dionysian side of life, to which the Christian seems to have lost the way? (Jung, 1965 [1961], p. 350)
He was and remains an unconventional genius!
Here, I am sharing two short videos. The first is a silent footage of his last moments, during which his sister cared for him. The second one explains his illness in his final years and his passing. Thank you for being here. 🙏💖
The image at the top: Friedrich Nietzsche Poster by SH Visuals
lampmagician 
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🥰🙏🌹
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💯
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Thank you!🙏
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Although I’m not knowledgeable with Nietzsche at all, I agree with this statement, wholeheartedly! For if one is not friends with their lover, it makes for such a miserable experience for both people involved, especially if they’re together in a long term relationships. Yes, we need to be friends with our lovers!
In my work with couples who positively ‘dislike’ each other yet opt to stay together, the misery is deep and dark, a shadowy existence as such bitterness creates lives of arguments, depressions, jealousies, affairs, etc. In essence, they’re living with their ‘enemy’ and battles ensue, often daily!
Thank you for sharing these thoughts and reflections Aladin, there’s much to muse on! Love and light, Deborah.
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That is absolutely right, my dear friend, as I see it in my acquaintances circle. Love and friendship are two unseparated things.
Thank you, my angel, for sharing your precious feelings. Take care and blessing.
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By not becoming a formal student in Marion Woodman’s BodySoul program, I missed her classes on Nietzsche. On the other hand, I feel like I learned so much from her about Rilke.
Vic and I were lovers first but also lifetime friends. The loving part stayed, but there was a deep honesty and mutual interest in Jung and the spiritual quest. We were fortunate and I miss the depth of trust and connection we shared every day. As I’ve said before, I also miss a companion who put up with my dark side. Thanks again. I smile every time your write about your dear wife. (The second video is blocked at youtube.)
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Dear Elaine, I love it when you talk about Vic and yourself. It is always precious to have such a supplemental relationship. Thank you for this. (The second video is blocked on the other sites but available on YouTube. You might push the link “watch on YouTube.🙏💖)
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Why any self respecting woman would fall for him beats me???
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He’s never been a macho, my friend. For example, he showed great respect for his sister.🤟
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Just last night I watched a documentary about psychiatry and found that Nietzsches stomach objection on the subject of eugenics and experimentation on animals and humans during Hitlers Reich revealed his genius and compassion for humanity.
I definitely agree that friendship is essential in relationships, though there may be wavering moments. 🥰🙏
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If Nietzsche had lived during the Hitler era, he would have organised a significant uprising against him! He distanced himself from Richard Wagner, the composer, those days because of his racist ideas. Thank you, Rene, my lovely, beautiful friend, for reviewing my posts, and heartfelt thanks for our friendship.🙏🤗💖🌹🥰🙏
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It’s mutual dear Aladin. Thank you for your though provoking posts! 🤗🙏❤️
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You are such a lovely and appreciated friend.🙏💖🤗🌹😘
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🌹🤗
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