The Story of the First Waldorf School

Waldorf pedagogy was born in a time of dire need following The First World War. Rudolf Steiner provided the spiritual foundations for this approach to education, including its methods of teaching, out of his comprehensive insights into human nature and based on his own diverse experiences as a student and teacher. It was the industrialist Emil Molt, inspired by his sense of social responsibility, who enabled the founding of the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart. After only a few months of preparation the new school opened on September 7, 1919.

For its first six years Rudolf Steiner was the Waldorf School’s director of education. While the school benefited from fast-growing student numbers, it also had to deal with antagonism and financial hardship. In the face of such challenges, the first Waldorf teachers worked incredibly hard to put the new art of education into practice. All aspects of the school’s life, including its organization, administration, and finances, served this superior goal.

Tomáš Zdražil’s thorough research of the historical sources has resulted in a vibrant picture of the early years of the first Waldorf School. The book, which contains numerous original citations and more than 250 historical photographs, focuses on the collaboration of the faculty of teachers with Rudolf Steiner.