IN
this translation an intimate conversational style has been preserved
in order to convey as far as possible some idea of the local
colour and scene at the time the lectures were held.
The
occasion was the opening of the Waldorf School, Stuttgart
— the first school to be started by Dr. Steiner. And in
these lectures he was to instruct those who aspired to be
teachers under this new system. As far back as 1907 he had
given his views in lectures to the public and in printed books,
but his proposals had not materialized until 1919.
In
that year, thanks to the initiative and financial help of Herr
Molt, the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Tobacco Factory at
Stuttgart, a school had been built. At the inauguration, Dr.
Steiner gave three parallel courses of instruction, one called
Allgemeine Menschenkunde als Grundlage der Pädagogik
dealing with the Theory of Education on the
basis of the entire human being. It is quoted frequently in
this volume, but has not yet been published in English. These
lectures were followed every morning by the ones now given in
this book. In the afternoon came the third series as a sort of
practical seminary (the English publication is being
prepared).
It
seems, therefore, more consistent with the intimate
relationship existing between the lecturer and his audience to
translate the original text in the frank and homely style in
which Dr. Steiner dealt with the questions put to him, omitting
a few paragraphs which have no bearing at all outside
Germany.
It
is only through the public-spirited generosity of Frau Dr.
Steiner that these lectures have now come into the hands of the
public. They appeared in book form in the original German in
1933 and 1934. Until that time they had been kept in the
custody of a few teachers to guide them in their work.
After the opening of the Waldorf School, news of its rapid
success soon reached English and American Educationalists, and
in 1922, upon the invitation of the Educational Union for the
Realization of Spiritual Values, Dr. Steiner lectured at
Stratford-on-Avon and Oxford, and on Shakespeare's birthday
gave the inaugural lecture at Stratford-on-Avon.
In
that year he spoke at several places in England and gave a
course of lectures at Ilkley in 1923.
Dr.
Steiner died in 1925, but interest in his life's work is
increasing, and the result can be seen especially at the
Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland.
But
it is increasing also in America and other English-speaking
countries. Schools are starting and are already promising good
results.
The
Goetheanum, Dornach, is the recognized centre of all Dr.
Steiner's activities, and its educational agency in England is
the Rudolf Steiner Educational Union.
The
Rudolf Steiner Educational Union has been formed for the
co-ordination and representation of educational work on the
lines laid down by Rudolf Steiner.
The
offices in England are at 54 Bloomsbury Street, London,
W.C.I.
At
the end of this volume will be found a short description of
those translations into English of Dr. Steiner's Educational
works now available. These and other works by Rudolf Steiner
are procurable from the Rudolf Steiner Educational Union.
THE EDITOR
|