ITA WEGMAN INSTITUTE

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lectures and books, notes and manuscripts of the man who took it upon himself to carry out this research. By taking on this task – even if with limited powers – the Ita Wegman Institute hopes to correct the mostly distorted public image of the spiritual scientist Rudolf Steiner. In our time, simply to proclaim Rudolf Steiner’s initiation seems, if not meaningless, then hardly a constructive step. A more fruitful approach is to present information about his life and work that can be extracted reliably from the wide range of sources available. Up until a few decades ago most archival sources were hermetically closed off and inaccessible. Essential works remained unpublished and it was impossible, or extremely difficult, to learn more about crucial historical occurrences and developments. The situation has improved greatly in recent years and it is even becoming apparent – in fields such as the history of science or social politics, but also in society at large – that the issues Rudolf Steiner addressed as well as the research method he used and the results he achieved are attracting growing interest and respect. There is much to support the view that his work will, in the short or medium term, carry much more weight and become relevant for the whole of society. History will leave behind those who, within and outside of the anthroposophical movement, misrepresented or misunderstood Rudolf Steiner. What looks set to prevail is a genuine interest in anthroposophical spiritual research, in Rudolf Steiner’s personality, life, questions, concerns, aims, methods and findings. This development is already noticeable even if other forces still seem to cloud the picture. The Ita Wegman Institute for Basic Research into Anthroposophy approaches Rudolf Steiner and his work in the positive way just described. Its primary aims are to present anthroposophical ideas and their importance for civilization in the most diverse fields of life and to review the thematic and problem-centered statements we find “dispersed” (Steiner) in the more than 300 volumes of the Gesamtausgabe. Rudolf Steiner saw it as important for people to seek access to his work in this way and encouraged endeavors to penetrate his work synoptically: “You will find almost everything about the human being dispersed in my lecture cycles. Almost everything has been said somewhere.” (September 26, 1919). “It is possible to expand what has been briefly outlined by means of the numerous details you find in my lecture cycles and writings. Not much has been done to that effect yet….” (January 5, 1924) 8 * Ita Wegman Institute 2002 – 2012
The second aim that the Institute pursues is to honor those who, as Rudolf Steiner’s co-workers and friends, were able to apply the results of Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual scientific research in various areas of practical life. In 1917, the Berlin professor of philosophy and “parapsychologist” Max Dessoir accused Rudolf Steiner of surrounding himself with dependent, un-free followers who were unable to think for themselves. Rudolf Steiner was rarely as incensed by an accusation as he was by this; an accusation that is, in essence, still prevalent today. Rudolf Steiner knew the weaknesses of the Anthroposophical Society and of many of its members only too well. But he also knew their strengths: we only need to study the historical sources to find evidence of prominent gifted individuals who worked closely with Rudolf Steiner in particular fields and were perfectly able to form their own judgments. They clearly understood the problems, the objectives and the value of anthroposophical spiritual science and were able to internalize and apply it in their own specialized fields. Between 1990 and 1992, after more than ten years of meticulous research, Emanuel Zeylmans van Emmichoven published his three-part documentation of the life and work of the physician Ita Wegman (1876 – 1943), revealing the scope and quality of Rudolf Steiner’s collaboration with eminent personalities in clinical medicine, a field that is as relevant to science and society as it is complex. In his documentation, Zeylmans showed that a considerable part of Rudolf Steiner’s research and work was carried out in cooperation with others, on the basis of their questions and expertise, especially where it was possible to apply anthroposophical spiritual science in practice, that is, where real initiatives arose from it. It was this kind of cooperation between the spiritual scientist Rudolf Steiner and eminent representatives of the sciences or arts that formed the foundation for the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach and its specialist sections, and it informed Steiner’s professional relationship with personalities such as Marie Steiner, Ita Wegman, Edith Maryon, Elisabeth Vreede, Lilly and Eugen Kolisko, Assia Turgeniev, Karl Schubert and Albert Steffen, to name but a few. The Ita Wegman Institute, from its inception, saw it therefore as one of its tasks to compose and publish – next to thematic studies of the history of Rudolf Steiner’s work – also monographs on some of his earliest co-workers to make their important contributions and commitment visible, especially in the fields that, since 1921, had been at the center of Ita Wegman’s work in Arlesheim: medicine, education, curative education, social therapy and general anthroposophy. These monographs not only celebrate the lives of these individuals, but show how they pursued their own, independent and progressive paths – 9 Basic intentions
Page 1 and 2: ITA WEGMAN INSTITUTE FOR BASIC RESE
Page 3 and 4: Contents 1. Preface ...............
Page 5 and 6: We hope and trust that we will be a
Page 7: 2. Basic intentions The Ita Wegman
Page 12 and 13: 12 Ita Wegman Institute 2002 - 2012
Page 14 and 15: 14 Ita Wegman Institute 2002 - 2012
Page 16: Rudolf Steiner‘s work biography P
Page 19 and 20: 3.2 The School of Spiritual Science
Page 21 and 22: The School of Spiritual Science Pub
Page 23 and 24: 3.3 Medicine and medical ethics The
Page 25 and 26: 18. Koberwitz, Pfingsten 1924. Rudo
Page 27 and 28: Paracelsus: Die Selbstverteidigung
Page 29 and 30: 3.4 Education and Curative Educatio
Page 31 and 32: Articles in edited volumes and othe
Page 33 and 34: 3.5 Biography, art and contemporary
Page 35 and 36: Biography, art und contemporary his
Page 37 and 38: 3.6 Anthroposophical Christology An
Page 39 and 40: Anthroposophical Christology Public
Page 41 and 42: 3.7 Rudolf Steiner’s co-workers T
Page 43 and 44: Articles in edited volumes and othe
Page 45 and 46: 4. Teaching tasks The director of t
Page 47 and 48: Wegman Institute offers contributio
Page 49 and 50: 5. The Archives Work on the archive
Page 51 and 52: destiny to establish a Christian co
Page 53 and 54: Class (Johannes Kiersch), an academ
Page 55 and 56: Ita Wegman, entering her Chalet; Se
Page 57 and 58: 6. The “Chalet” The Ita Wegman
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new sketch. The second model was ma
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day: “Let them install the runnin
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lived there temporarily. Among the
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consecrated.” Els Eichler once wr
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Rudolf Steiner: “Greetings from t
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7. Ita Wegman Publishing Ita Wegman
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72 Ita Wegman Institute 2002 - 2012
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74 Published in English: 1. Seeing
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Published in Dutch: 1. De christolo
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Sponsoring foundations of the Ita W
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84 Roland Heuchmer Kiel Peter Heuss
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Netherlands Ursula Bentinck-Waldner
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88 Rosmarie Heider, Arlesheim Chris
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92 rather than giving, must take th
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Soul of Man! Thou livest in the Lim
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At the turning-point of Time The Sp
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ITA WEGMAN INSTITUTE

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