Rudolf Steiner opened the first Waldorf school on September 7th, 1919, in Stuttgart, Germany — founded for the children of workers employed at the Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Company. What was the motivation for opening this school? These are Rudolf Steiner’s opening words:
”…it is a founding spring, not from any mandated intention, but from a call that resounds very clearly from the evolution of humanity in our time in particular. And yet, so little of this call is heard. Humanity’s evolution resounds with much that can be encompassed within the framework of rebuilding society, of giving social form to humanity’s lot.”
The first Waldorf school was born right after the end of WW1. The world had just lived through unimaginable destruction. Rudolf Steiner was aware that education would be the framework for rebuilding society, the education of humanity. Education towards freedom. The goal was to develop independent, creative individuals who could think for themselves and contribute positively to society.
Twenty years later, WW2 began. The Nazis, viewing Waldorf’s independent pedagogy as a direct threat, forced the closure of most Waldorf schools in Europe. And yet, following the end of WW2 in 1945, Waldorf schools began to reopen and expand rapidly across the world. The seeds Steiner planted could not be extinguished.
Rudolf Steiner passed away on March 30, 1925. He did not live to see WW2. But long before it, he had already seen what was coming for humanity, and he responded with education. With community. With hope.
And today, we are here together at Golden Bridges School in 2026, in San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
This is not an easy time to face what is happening in this world. Many of us feel it, in our daily lives, in conversations with our children, in the quiet worry we carry. And because of this challenging time, Steiner’s original intention speaks even more powerfully to us now than it may have before.
We should not feel lost. At least we are here together as a community. To be a part of this community is already to be working towards social renewal, together. I am sure that everyone of us has experienced that not all challenges, not all problems, are solved instantly. We need perseverance. We grow through what we go through. Most of the time, we need to commit ourselves and keep working towards the light. That is our sacred responsibility, as parents and teachers to the children in front of us, and to ourselves.
This is how Rudolf Steiner concluded his speech:
“In spite of the best will, we may be able to accomplish only a portion of what we set out to do, but we hope that the strength of the effort may not be exhausted in our feeble attempts, and that it will find successors. For we are convinced that although a feeble attempt may fail due to opposition and lack of understanding, the central core of this effort will find successors. When a real social art of education finds its way into the consciousness of all of humanity, which is what carries the faculty and the group of children to be educated, then the school will be incorporated into our overall life in society in the right way.”
