Founding of the First Waldorf School - Waldorf Research Institute

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mystery that the very first group of teachers numbered exactlytwelve. Within it, there was a group of three — all this can bedocumented from Walter Johannes Stein’s diary-notes — theGerman-American, Oelschlegel, Herbert Hahn, and WalterJohannes Stein. The German-American, the Baltic-German,and the Austrian considered themselves the actual core of thewhole group. I must add that very significant members camein later, such as Kolisko, but there had to be others who, asit were, held their places until they could move in. Thosepersons who were perhaps intended to join were not presentimmediately; but twelve persons were there into whose hearts— now I am expressing myself very exactly — the foundationstone of anthroposophical pedagogy was placed. It waslaid into the hearts of these twelve, the first teachers of theWaldorf school.Dear friends, something is on my mind, so please permitme to try to bring to your attention the fate of this teacher,Oelschlegel, who is linked with America — a tragic chapterthat has never been completely cleared up. Oelschlegel, aGerman-American, was a lecturer of English at the Universityof Marburg. He then becomes a class teacher in Stuttgart, andRudolf Steiner appointed him, together with Herbert Hahn,to be the first religion teachers. In January of 1920, shortlyafter the inauguration of the School, he leaves the School andthe staff of teachers. He goes to America with the intentionof translating the text of Towards Social Renewal and to workin America for the threefold social order. What happenedover here is not exactly known; he returns with symptomsof a mental breakdown and can no longer teach. I have seenthe letters which he wrote to Rudolf Steiner in the archivesin Dornach. His letters, even his handwriting, show that anillness is present. What happened? He took along the text of30
the Sunday Service, the first Service that Rudolf Steiner gavefor free religious instruction. He burned this written text inAmerica because he felt himself persecuted in an occult sensein this country. This is why the original Sunday Service textno longer exists. He took it with him and it was burned.What is known of Oelschlegel’s fate? Please, simply accept thistragic rune of destiny into your hearts, for it is an unsolvedriddle for us. I investigated and tried to discover his traces inGermany; they disappear. He could not be located any more.We could not even find the date of his death. It might evenbe that he is still alive, although I consider that unlikely. Weknow nothing about him. A tragic link of the first staff ofteachers with the North American continent. A human beingwho, because of the founding of the school, had the impulseto work in America for the threefold social order. He wantedto translate the “Kernpunkte” during the voyage and engagehimself in this sense over here. I wanted to call this to yourattention so that you can keep this in your souls — this tragicdestiny of one of the original Waldorf teachers, Oelschlegel.As a way of leading into the subject for this afternoon,I now want to point to the address given by Rudolf Steinerprior to the opening of the School, and the course, The Studyof Man. I must mention here that we have this address onlysince the sixties. It has been reconstructed by our friend EricGabert, based on notes taken by participants. It is thereforeincomplete. Nevertheless, it is a splendid document andcontains the crucial themes for the essential nature of aWaldorf school. Permit me to read a few sentences from it.As early as the second sentence, it states: “The Waldorf schoolmust be an actual cultural deed in order to achieve a renewalof our spiritual life in the present. …” Not a private school,not a factory school as originally conceived by Emil Molt, in31
Page 3 and 4: The Founding of theFirst Waldorf Sc
Page 5: ContentsIntroduction. .............
Page 8 and 9: the other hand how the movement cou
Page 11 and 12: LectureAlong with heartfelt thanks
Page 13 and 14: May I give you the example of the G
Page 15 and 16: in public life, with an offensive o
Page 17 and 18: eceives this memorandum by Rudolf S
Page 19 and 20: in the spirit-background of history
Page 21 and 22: published in all leading newspapers
Page 23 and 24: today, namely that we do not have a
Page 25 and 26: The others had come together from t
Page 27 and 28: the cigarette came into vogue; form
Page 29: followed on Thursday, August 21, 19
Page 33 and 34: simply, he must be married to the s
Page 35 and 36: who want to work through us.” Sch
Page 37 and 38: Japan, and relates it so vividly th
Page 39 and 40: with his own higher being. Second,
Page 41 and 42: those present what they have experi
Page 43 and 44: work the following day.” Rudolf S
Page 45 and 46: needs to make a pledge to one’s s
Page 47 and 48: March 15, 1925 — two weeks before
Page 49 and 50: dismiss teachers if necessary, depe
Page 51 and 52: paths of spiritual research, of ste
Page 53 and 54: Christ. And we must nurture the rel
Page 55 and 56: invisible body of teachers is indee
Page 57 and 58: We have been called upon by Rudolf
Page 59 and 60: working in this century: the myster
Page 61 and 62: sum of personalities — that is th
Page 63 and 64: also the everyday person in each on
Page 65 and 66: What we think today, we will be tom
Page 67 and 68: concerning social and anti-social t
Page 69 and 70: connection, the personal meeting. O
Page 71 and 72: from this, and perhaps, even in thi

Founding of the First Waldorf School - Waldorf Research Institute

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