What Others Have Said about Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf Education:

“My meeting with Rudolf Steiner led me to occupy myself with him from that time forth and to remain always aware of his significance . . .We both felt the same obligation to lead man once again to true inner culture. I have rejoiced at the achievements his great personality and his profound humanity have brought about in the world.”
—Albert Schweitzer

“The advent of the Waldorf Schools was in my opinion the greatest contribution to world peace and understanding of the century.”
—Willy Brandt, former Chancellor, West Germany
 
 

“If there is any one thing that the Waldorf system does, it nurtures, protects and develops the intelligence of the true child. ”
—Joseph Chilton Pearce, author, The Magical Child

“If I had a child of school age, I would send him to one of the Waldorf Schools.”
—Saul Bellow, Nobel Laureate

Waldorf education began in Germany in 1919 when Waldorf-Astoria cigarette company owner Emil Molt asked Rudolf Steiner to design a school that would educate individuals who would be able to create a peaceful and just society.

Dr. Steiner, born in Austria in 1861, was a leading figure in the cultural life of central Europe. He lectured and wrote on a variety of topics, including philosophy, religion, history, science, agriculture and art. He ultimately gained an international reputation for his unique perspectives and contributions.

When Emil Molt asked him to create a school, Steiner readily and enthusiastically accepted. He saw an opportunity to design a system of education that would meet the needs of the individual and be a model for education. In the autumn of 1919, the first Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart with 12 teachers and 175 pupils, mostly the children of Molt’s employees.

In this first “Freie Waldorfschule,” Steiner created a school ahead of its time. It was a school in which art, music and handcrafts were as important as reading, writing and arithmetic; in which each day included activities for the hands and heart, as well as for the head; in which the teacher and class remained together for the first eight years. The Waldorf School’s explicit purpose was to allow free, independent, creative, moral, happy human beings to develop and unfold their gifts and capabilities. Interest spread rapidly, and Waldorf schools were soon founded in Holland, England, and other parts of Europe.

The first Waldorf school in North America, The Rudolf Steiner School of New York, was opened in 1928. Waldorf Education has grown from its humble beginnings in North America to include more than 160 schools across the continent, 250 early childhood centers, 17 teacher preparation institutes, 1 school entirely adapted for children with special needs, 1 school adopted by Native Americans and 8 schools with educational programs designed in partnership with farms practicing organic or biodynamic agriculture. So as you can see, this independent school movement has grown to have a huge reach and influence across the continent and remains as exciting and challenging as the day it started.

With more than 900 Waldorf schools and 1,600 Waldorf early childhood programs on five continents, Waldorf Education is truly global-not only in its scope, but also in its approach. Wherever it is found, the Waldorf curriculum cultivates within its students a deep appreciation for cultural traditions from around the world while all the while being deeply rooted in its local culture and context.