Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work (Vol. 7) (Pbk)

Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work – 1924-1925: The Anthroposophical Society and the School for Spiritual Science

“All this must be accepted as destiny [karma]. It would be sentimental to enlarge on how much it pains me to be separated physically from the Goetheanum and its activities. I hope only that all this will not inhibit but temper and enhance our dear friends’ forces.”
—Rudolf Steiner, Dec. 24, 1924

In the final volume of his comprehensive biography of Rudolf Steiner, Peter Selg describes Steiner’s last months on Earth. Although his health was beginning to decline, 1924 might have been his most productive and fruitful year. It saw a new beginning for the Anthroposophical Society and the beginning of the Esoteric School and the School for Spiritual Science.

The year began with the “Christmas Conference,” during which the Anthroposophical Society was reborn). That year also witnessed Rudolf Steiner’s “Karmic Relationships” lectures, as well as the serialized “Leading Thoughts,” summarizing Anthroposophy in a series of aphoristic guidelines for meditation, supplemented by essays on the Michaelic nature of Anthroposophy. Also serialized in the Goetheanum newsletter were autobiographical chapters in Rudolf Steiner’s life up to 1907. He also defined his important spiritual relationships with Ita Wegman, Marie Steiner, and Lili Kolisko, as well as their significant connection to the Society and his spiritual legacy.

New initiatives were also planted in the world during that time, including anthroposophically extended medicine and biodynamic agriculture. From his sickbed in the Goetheanum carpentry shop, Steiner also formed plans and a model for the new Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland.

Also included in this volume is a lecture by Rudolf Steiner on June 4, 1924, “The Festival of Pentecost.”

C O N T E N T S:

11. The General Anthroposophical Society and the School for Spiritual Science
12. The Final Months: Dornach, October 1924 – March 1925

The Festival of Pentecost: Lecture by Rudolf Steiner, Dornach, June 4, 1924

Cited Works by Rudolf Steiner
Notes

 

About the Author

Peter Selg was born in 1963 in Stuttgart and studied medicine in Witten-Herdecke, Zurich, and Berlin. Until 2000, he worked as the head physician of the juvenile psychiatry department of Herdecke hospital in Germany. Dr. Selg is now director of the Ita Wegman Institute for Basic Research into Anthroposophy (Arlesheim, Switzerland) and professor of medicine at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences (Germany). He lectures extensively and is the author of numerous books, many of which have been published in English.

Margot M. Saar studied at the Universität des Saarlandes, at Open University, UK, and at Institut für Waldorfpädagogik Witten Annen, Germany. She is an experienced translator and interpreter in specialty fields (education, medicine, philosophy, anthroposophy, homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine, general science). She has been a foreign language teacher at Michael House School Derbyshire, UK, a teacher of foreign languages and philosophy, exam officer, and upper school mentor at Michael Hall School, East Sussex, and translator of technical manuals and legal contracts, international correspondence, office management at Hüls Troisdorf AG Witten Germany. Margot has translated numerous books for SteinerBooks, including Peter Selg’s 7-volume biography of Rudolf Steiner.

Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work, Seven Volumes

Vol. 1. (1861–1890): Childhood, Youth, and Study Years
Vol. 2. (1890–1900): Weimar and Berlin
Vol. 3. (1900–1914): Spiritual Science and Spiritual Community
Vol. 4. (1914–1918): The Years of World War I
Vol. 5. (1919–1922): Social Threefolding and the Waldorf School
Vol. 6. (1923): The Burning of the Goetheanum
Vol. 7. (1924–1925): The Anthroposophical Society and the School for Spiritual Science