Abstract
This chapter begins the book with an outline of the establishment of the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919 in the context of the prevailing post-war social and political climate that led to its foundation. The first ‘Free Waldorf School’ came about through the efforts and vision of two key people—Rudolf Steiner and Emil Molt. The chapter describes the circumstances in which these two men—one a scholar and scientist, the other a capitalist and industrialist—came together through a mutual interest in creating new social forms through the early education of children. This key event is then placed in the context of the times and the developments that were taking place in progressive education on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Stehlik, T. (2019). The World in 1919: The Context for the Founding of the First Waldorf School. In: Waldorf Schools and the History of Steiner Education. Palgrave Studies in Alternative Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31631-0_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31631-0_1
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