A second postcard from Oxford: Rudolf Steiner at Keble College

Journal article

The Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner spent a fortnight in Oxford in the summer of 1922. Of his five visits to Britain in the years from 1922 to 1924, it was the Oxford Conference, ‘Spiritual Values in Education & Social Life’ (15-29 August), that is arguably the most important. It was this Conference that attracted the greatest media attention and it was widely reported. The Oxford Conference introduced Waldorf schooling to an English-speaking audience. Rudolf Steiner spoke in German and George Adams Kaufmann translated. The conference was organised by Professor Millicent Mackenzie. There were 230 attendees. Steiner presented twelve morning lectures at Manchester College (now Harris Manchester College), and fourteen conference speakers presented at nearby Keble College in the afternoons. Four Eurythmy performances, the first in Britain, were presented at Keble College by performers from the Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland and local school children from the Oxford Central School. An enduring legacy has been the proliferation of Waldorf schools in Britain and throughout the Anglophone world.

Authors: Paull, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Not peer reviewed
• Publisher: Bio-Dynamics Tasmania
• Journal: Journal of Bio-Dynamics Tasmania
• Volume: 101
• Pages: 5-12
• Publication date: 2011-03-01
• Edition: Publisher's version
• Language: English
• Keywords: Waldorf education; Professor Millicent Mackenzie; eurythmy performances; George Adams Kaufmann; spritual values in education; alternative schooling
• Subjects: Education; History