The beloved Guardian feels that site “C”, Steinbacher-Hohe, appears to be
the most suitable for the Bahá’í Temple and future developments. He feels
therefore that your Assembly should immediately arrange for the prompt
purchase of some of the land.
While it would be desirable of course to buy an extensive piece of
property, the finances of the German National Assembly, and the financial
obligations all over the Bahá’í world, make it impossible to buy a large
piece at this time; and therefore he feels you should purchase
approximately 10,000 square meters, which it is his understanding would
cost approximately $10,000. Should there be available more than the
$8,000. in the bank to your Assembly, the Guardian would see no serious
objection to purchasing a little additional land, so that the entire
expense would not be over $12,000.
It is noted in your communication you state you have $8,000. in the bank
in Zurich; but that pledges made at Stockholm bring the total amount up to
about $12,000. At the Guardian’s direction, I am endeavoring to correlate
all contributions and funds, so we may know the total amount available.
In order to help clarify this matter, will you please send me a statement
of the funds which are available in Zurich, and in Germany, if any, giving
a list of the contributions which have been received. If there have been a
number of small contributions, the Guardian does not require that
information, but simply information as to how much money was contributed
at Stockholm, for instance, how much has been received from large donors,
how much from the friends in Germany itself, etc.
At the same time, I am writing out to other areas, to see if any money is
being held for the account of your Assembly for the purchase of land, in
any other areas.
The important thing now is to procure the land. The Guardian states it is
not necessary for you to refer back to him any specific details regarding
the land; inasmuch as it has now been decided to purchase land in
Steinbacher-Hohe. He leaves it to your Assembly to pick out the best piece
of land in the area for the Temple itself. Later on, when financial
conditions in Germany, and in the Faith generally, are better,
consideration can be given to additional land for Temple accessories, etc.
The Guardian states it is satisfactory to secure designs etc. from
architects, both Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í, from Germany and also from other
countries. In other words, you are free to handle this matter actively,
submitting designs to the Guardian as they are received by you. The
Guardian of course wishes the Bahá’í architects to have an opportunity to
submit their views concerning this sacred edifice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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