Blackboard Drawings 1919-1924

Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.

Walter Kugler (b. 1948) was born in 1948 in Landshut, Bavaria. He studied music, pedagogy, and political science and, after receiving his PhD, taught at the University of Cologne and other scientific institutions. From 2008 until he retired, he was professor of fine arts at Oxford Brookes University. Prof. Kugler was head of the Archive of the Trustees of Rudolf Steiner’s Estate from 2003 to 2011 and was an editor of the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner, as well as a curator of numerous exhibitions of Steiner’s works.