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History Education Festivals  HISTORY Waldorf education balances academic rigor with artistic and practical disciplines to cultivate self-confident, highly-motivated, creative and independent thinkers. Founded in 1919 by philosopher, social reformer and visionary Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf education is now the fastest growing independent school movement in the world with 800 schools globally in 55 countries. The first school was established more than eighty years ago in Stuttgart, Germany on the premises of the Waldorf factory for the workers' children, with the support of industrialist and philanthropist Emil Molte.  RUDOLPH STEINER Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in Austria, son of a railway official. He was educated at the Realschule (College for Science) and later at the Technical College in Vienna. He also studied philosophy, literature, medicine and psychology, and in 1891 submitted his Ph.D. thesis at Rostock University. The content of this later appeared in his book, "The Philosophy of Freedom" (1894). As a scientist, artist and philosopher, looking at the problems facing the 20th century, Steiner saw that science, religion and art had taken separate paths. Science was becoming coldly factual, art too personal and religion too often academic. He realized that if a new and positive culture was to arise, then science, art and spiritual experience must be renewed and brought together again. Where their special qualities affect and help each other positively, science becomes morally creative, art universal, and spiritual experience more real. In such a way, social life, based on the individual's concern for the welfare of others, would develop in a beneficial manner. |