November 26, 1926 in Essen

I was always particularly anxious to secure it that the Party Day should on principle never be used for the settlement of personal disputes. Such disputes must certainly be settled in one way or another, but just as certainly the Party Day which once in the year should unite the whole Movement, is not the fitting day for such a settlement. Neither is it the place at which to seek to clarify unripe and uncertain ideas. Neither the length of time available at such a gathering nor its nature admits of giving to it the character of a council. And it must never be forgotten that in all such cases or those similar to them great decisions have not been made at such councils: on the contrary, for the most part, world history pursues its course without paying any attention to them. World history, like all events of historical significance, is the result of the activity of single individuals -- it is not the fruit of majority decisions.