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Rudolf SteinerMystic philosopher, founder of anthroposophy
Date of Birth: 27.02.1861
Country:  Austria |
Content:
- Rudolf Steiner: Philosopher and Mystic, Founder of Anthroposophy
- Rudolf Steiner passed away in Dornach on March 30, 1925.
Rudolf Steiner: Philosopher and Mystic, Founder of Anthroposophy
Rudolf Steiner (Rudolf Steiner) was born on February 27, 1861, in the Austrian town of Murau, to a family of a railway official. From childhood, he possessed supernatural abilities and soon realized that this was his exceptional characteristic that should be kept silent about.
After completing secondary school, Steiner received a comprehensive education at the Vienna University of Technology. This education included natural science, mathematics, deep studies in philosophy, literature, and history. At the age of 21, he began his scientific research by deeply studying the works of Goethe. In Goethe, he saw a thinker whose views on nature "led to the transition from natural sciences to the science of spirit." He participated in the preparation for the publication of Goethe's scientific works as part of the multi-volume edition "German National Literature" by Kürschner. In his commentaries on these works, the beginnings of anthroposophy can already be traced. He was then invited to collaborate at the Goethe-Schiller Archive in Weimar.
In 1891, Rudolf Steiner received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Rostock. In 1894, his groundbreaking work, "The Philosophy of Freedom," was published. In 1897, he moved to Berlin, where he began collaborating in journals aimed at a broader educated audience. He sought to convey his views to a wide audience, but remained misunderstood. However, an event significantly influenced Steiner's future. His book "Friedrich Nietzsche - A Fighter Against His Time" caught the interest of the Theosophists, who invited him to give a lecture on Nietzsche. Here, Steiner felt for the first time the interest in his spiritual experiences. He decided to publicly present the results of his spiritual experiences, becoming the General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society. From this time (the beginning of the 20th century), we see the emergence of the new Steiner.
He tirelessly worked as a lecturer and writer, publishing books such as "Theosophy: An Introduction to Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man" (1904), "How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds" (1904), and "An Outline of Occult Science" (1910). In total, he delivered around 6,000 lectures. In his works, Rudolf Steiner opens the path to the secrets of spiritual knowledge, presents cosmology and the history of humanity. His lectures attracted enormous audiences, and his books were translated into many languages. He became a leading figure not only in Germany but also in other countries, including Russia. Among his Russian followers were Andrei Bely, Maximilian Voloshin, and Mikhail Chekhov.
In the early 20th century, during the flourishing of mysticism, spiritualism, and other occult wonders in society, Rudolf Steiner, like no other, called for knowledge in this area and the exploration of unknown worlds. Steiner based all his works and public appearances on his personal experience of spiritual vision.
An important place in his lecture activity is occupied by lectures on Christology, in which the significance of Christ and the mystery of Golgotha as a central event in the evolution of humanity are illuminated from various perspectives. Differences in the understanding of the significance of Christ led to a conflict with the leadership of the Theosophical Society in 1913, resulting in Steiner and a large group of his followers being forced to leave the society. However, in the same year, the Anthroposophical Society was founded in Dornach, Switzerland. Representatives of 18 European nations, including the Russian Andrei Bely, participated in the construction of its building, the Goetheanum.
During this time, Steiner also ventured into a new field, which he also used to popularize his knowledge - the art of theater. From 1910 to 1912, four mystery dramas were staged in Munich. These dramas depict the destinies of individuals progressing on the path of knowledge in poetic form. The titles of the dramas are "The Portal of Initiation," "The Souls' Probation," "The Guardian of the Threshold," and "The Awakening of the Soul." He also created a new form of art called "Eurythmy." During his spiritual experiences, he observed the movement tendencies occurring in the human body during speech and singing, artistically shaping them into visible movements, forming the basis of eurythmy as "visible speech." Eurythmy also gained recognition in the fields of education and medicine.
The center of anthroposophy became the "Free High School for Spiritual Science" and transformed into a true university, where the content of all taught disciplines was changed or supplemented based on Steiner's spiritual research.
Steiner not only strove to share his spiritual knowledge with society but also aimed to take action. Based on his knowledge, he wanted to transform not only the sciences but also the social structure of society, incorporating his well-known idea of the "threefoldness of the social organism" into its foundation. Having reached cosmic laws and observed the harmony of the cosmos through his spiritual experiences, he wanted to transfer these laws and harmony to human society.
Assassination attempts were made on Steiner's life. The Goetheanum building was set on fire and completely burned down on the night of January 1, 1923. This was a severe blow to Steiner and the entire Anthroposophical Society. However, later that year, the "General Anthroposophical Society" was registered, with Rudolf Steiner serving as its chairman until his death.
The last year of Steiner's life was very productive. He created a model of the new Goetheanum, which would be built after his death, and delivered lecture cycles on medicine, agriculture, and other fields of science and art. Even bedridden due to illness, he continued to work on the new esoteric interpretation of many topics he had previously developed. "It was a powerful exhalation of his spirit," as Maria von Sivers-Steiner described this time in his life.
