Rudolf Steiner in the Waldorf School
GA 298
24 April 1923, Stuttgart
Address at the assembly at the beginning of the fifth school year
Dear children, dear boys and girls! [Dr. Steiner turns to the first graders and says:] Many teachers have spoken this morning. I am sure you know what a teacher is. A teacher is a good person. But we need to know why a teacher is a good person. You have already learned from your parents what a good person is. Good people have many qualities, but there is one quality they have in particular: Good people love children. Your parents are such good people because they have loved you so much. And because they love you, they are sending you to school here, where you will have teachers who love you.
What should you do if you know that a teacher is a person who loves children? What should you do then? The ones who have already been here can tell you that, so ask the boys and girls whether they love their teachers. [The children loudly shout, “Yes!”] You see, they love their teachers.
Your teacher will be your second benefactor. Just think, you will learn what that means. Just like your parents, who have been and still are your benefactors, your teacher will also be your benefactor. The older children have already noticed something of how the teachers love them. And the further you go into the upper grades, the more certain you will become that you can grow up to be a good and capable person only if you learn something real and if you learn how to behave in life.
Dear children, many of you will not know what it means to be really good, and some of you think being bad is better than being good. Even while they are still in school, the older students are noticing that they are getting closer and closer to “real life,” as we call it, to having to find their way in life. They have a special reason to think about how you can never actually be a real proper person in life if you did not really love your teachers for being your great benefactors.
I want you to inscribe that in your understanding and your feeling, and also in your conscience. Just think of how deepseated that will be later on in life if it is inscribed in your understanding, your heart, and your conscience. You will really be able to think about what school made of you if you can inscribe it on your souls in this way.
Now, you are all coming here after a time in which each of you had to remember that there are benefactors among human beings, and that ultimately Nature is also our benefactor. But the last few days reminded you of humanity’s greatest benefactor, of the One who underwent suffering and death nearly two thousand years ago out of love for humanity, who gave the spirit to humanity through His resurrection. It was a time when you could remember this great benefactor of the earth and of humanity, the Christ. We are now entering the spring of Christ, of humanity’s greatest benefactor.
But by looking up to Him, by feeling what the Christ is, we learn what other benefactors can be. And you see, the reason why your teachers will be such good teachers for you is that they have tried hard to get to know the Christ; they have tried hard to turn their feelings toward the Christ in the right way at Easter, in the spring. But that is what you should have in mind right from the very beginning—that your teachers are filled with the strength that comes from this greatest of all humanity’s benefactors. Dear teachers, I know that I do not need to say this in any demanding way, but only as a fact: How you raise and instruct these children will really make them feel throughout their lives that the strength that enters your hearts through the Mystery of Golgotha makes it possible for you to be their benefactors.
Last of all I would like to turn to you parents, and to put it to you in a few words that you bring your children to the Waldorf School because you see something special in the being of the Waldorf School. This special character of the Waldorf School is not something to talk about now; we will do that another time. But I would like to briefly characterize the star we have chosen to guide our work, so to speak, as what is meant to flow into education and child-rearing as a result of observing the human being. This is meant to deepen the feeling of responsibility of all of those who work here in the Waldorf School.
That is why, dear parents, it should be especially emphasized today, as if we were taking a vow, that we are aware that the holiest of things has been brought here to us. We have nothing to offer in return except our deep feeling of responsibility. On one side we have what the teachers see in the parents’ decision to entrust their children to this faculty; on the teachers’ side is their intention to work devotedly, full of the responsibility and strength that is needed to make the children grow up to become what they should become in school. When we see this decision on one side and on the other the feeling of responsibility of a clear-sighted heart, we feel what this means; we see that the children who have come here are God’s gift to the earth and that they must grow up to be proper human citizens of the earth.
It is the purpose of any school to turn the children of God into citizens of earth. This will be a conscious matter for us and we will do it in the best way it can be done, out of our feeling of responsibility. I especially want to have said this to the parents.
This is the spirit we are trying to work out of, the spirit that you, my dear teachers, are trying to work out of. I would like to ask you parents to look into our school in this spirit and find out whether we are really in a position to do what you expect of us. It will be the greatest possible satisfaction for us if those who look at what we are doing with understanding are satisfied that we are striving to turn children of God into citizens of earth.
Ansprache Bei Der Feier Zum Beginn Des Fünften Schuljahres
Meine lieben Kinder, liebe Schüler und Schülerinnen! [Zu den Erstkläßlern sich wendend sagt Dr. Steiner:] Es haben viele Lehrer gesprochen. Ihr müßt wissen, was ein Lehrer ist. Ein Lehrer ist ein guter Mensch. Aber wir müssen wissen, warum ein Lehrer ein guter Mensch ist. Ihr habt schon gelernt durch eure Eltern, was ein guter Mensch ist. Ein guter Mensch hat viele Eigenschaften, aber eine Eigenschaft hat er ganz besonders: er liebt die Kinder. Eure Eltern sind so gute Menschen, weil sie euch so geliebt haben. Und weil sie euch lieben, schicken sie euch auch hier in die Schule. Da werdet ihr Lehrer haben, die euch lieb haben.
Was sollt ihr, wenn ihr wißt, daß ein Lehrer ein Mensch ist, der die Kinder lieb hat, was sollt ihr tun? Das können die sagen, die schon dagewesen sind. Fragt daher die Schüler und Schülerinnen: Habt ihr eure Lehrer lieb? [Die Kinderrufen laut: Ja!] Sehtihr, die haben die Lehrer-lieb.
Euer Lehrer wird sein euer zweiter Wohltäter. Denkt nach, ihr werdet lernen, was das ist. Wie eure Eltern, die eure Wohltäter waren und sind, so werden auch eure Lehrer eure Wohltäter sein. Die älteren Kinder haben schon etwas davon gemerkt, daß die Lehrer sie lieb haben. Und je weiter ihr hinaufkommt in die höheren Klassen, desto mehr wird es euch gewiß, daß man nur ein tüchtiger Mensch werden kann, wenn man etwas Ordentliches gelernt hat, und wenn man gelernt hat, sich richtig im Leben zu verhalten.
Liebe Kinder, es werden viele unter euch sein, die werden nicht wissen, was richtig brav sein heißt. Manche von euch glauben, schlimm sein ist besser als brav sein. Die älteren Schüler und Schülerinnen werden in der Schule selbst bemerken, wie sie immer näher kommen dem, was man das Leben nennt, wie sie sich hineinfinden müssen ins Leben, und dann werden sie ganz besonders daran denken müssen, daß man eigentlich niemals als rechter Mensch im Leben darinstehen kann, wenn man nicht richtig die Lehrer als seine größten Wohltäter lieb gehabt hat.
Das sollt ihr euch hineinschreiben in die Vernunft und ins Gemüt. Ihr sollt es euch schreiben ins Gewissen. Denkt nach, wie tief das darin sitzen wird nachher für das Leben, wenn es in Vernunft und Gemüt und Gewissen darin sitzen wird; wie ihr richtig werdet denken können einmal, was ihr für das Leben durch die Schule geworden seid, wenn ihr in dieser Weise das in eure Seele hineinschreiben könnt.
Nun, ihr kommt alle her von einer Zeit, in der jeder von euch sich erinnern müßte daran, daß es Wohltäter gibt unter den Menschen, daß schließlich die Natur auch unsere Wohltäterin ist. Aber die letzten Tage, die haben euch erinnert an den größten Wohltäter der Menschheit, haben euch erinnern müssen an denjenigen, der vor fast zweitausend Jahren durch Leiden und Tod aus Liebe zur Menschheit gegangen ist, der der Menschheit durch seine Auferstehung den Geist gegeben hat. Ihr habt euch erinnern können an diesen großen Erden- und Menschheitswohltäter, an den Christus. Wir kommen in dieser Frühlingszeit von Christus, dem größten Wohltäter der Menschheit her.
Aber indem wir zu ihm aufblicken, indem wir fühlen, was der Christus ist, lernen wir, was andere Wohltäter sein können. Und seht ihr, eure Lehrer werden so gute Lehrer sein zu euch, weil sie sich bemüht haben, den Christus kennenzulernen, weil sie sich bemüht haben, zur Frühlings-Osterzeit in der richtigen Weise ihre Gefühle zu dem Christus hinlenken zu können. Das ist dasjenige, was euch aber von Anfang an vorschweben soll, daß eure Lehrer erfüllt sind von der Kraft, die ausgeht von diesem größten Wohltäter der Menschheit. Und das ist es, was ich weiß, daß ich es nicht brauche zu sagen in irgendeiner auffordernden Weise, sondern nur auszusprechen brauche als eine Tatsache, daß Ihr, meine lieben Lehrer, diese Kinder heranzieht und unterrichtet in dem Sinne, daß sie von Euch wirklich ihr ganzes Leben hindurch empfinden werden, Ihr seid diejenigen Wohltäter, die das selbst sein können durch die Kraft, welche in Ihre Herzen dringt von dem Mysterium von Golgatha.
Zuletzt möchte ich mich wenden an die liebe Elternschaft, möchte ihr in einigen Worten zum Ausdruck bringen, daß die liebe Elternschaft die Kinder deshalb zur Waldorfschule hereinbringt, weil sie in dem Wesen der Waldorfschule etwas Besonderes sieht. Das gehört nicht hierher; es wird auch noch ausgesprochen werden, was der besondere Charakter der Waldorfschule ist. Aber dasjenige, was ich zusammenfassen möchte, was wir hier, ich möchte sagen als den Leuchtestern über unser Wirken gesetzt haben, das ist, daß aus der Betrachtung des Menschenwesens heraus das einfließen soll in Unterricht und Erziehung, daß daraus hervorgehen soll eine Vertiefung des Verantwortlichkeitsgefühls aller derjenigen, die hier in der Waldorfschule wirken.
Darum, liebe Eltern unserer Schüler, soll heute ganz besonders betont werden, wie ein Gelöbnis, daß wir uns bewußt sind, daß das Heiligste hierher gebracht worden ist. Wir können dem gegenüber nichts anderes stellen als unser tiefes Verantwortungsgefühl. Wenn aber dem gegenüber, was die Lehrer sehen in dem Entschluß der Eltern, ihre Kinder der Lehrerschaft zu übergeben, wenn das auf der anderen Seite dasteht, so wird bei der Lehrerschaft stehen ihr Wille zu einer hingebungsvollen Arbeit, voll Verantwortung und Kraft, die nötig ist, um Kinder zu dem zu machen, was sie in der Schule werden sollen. Daraus fühlt man, was es heißt - wenn man auf der einen Seite den Entschluß sieht und das Verantwortungsgefühl im rechten Blick des Herzens fühlt -, dann sieht man, wie die Kinder, indem sie hereingekommen sind, ein Gottesgeschenk sind für die Erde, wie sie werden müssen richtige Menschenbürger der Erde.
Alles Schulwesen besteht darin, aus Gotteskindern Menschenbürger zu machen. Daß das bei uns, aus diesem Verantwortlichkeitsgefühl in der besten Weise, in der man es tun kann, wach werden soll, das möchte ich insbesondere zu den Eltern gesprochen haben.
Aus diesem Geiste heraus wollen wir arbeiten, wollt Ihr arbeiten, meine lieben Lehrer. Aus diesem Geiste heraus möchte ich zu den Eltern sagen, aus diesem Geiste heraus seht herein in unsere Schule und prüft, ob wir wirklich in der Lage sind, das zu tun, was Ihr von uns erwartet. Das wird die größte Befriedigung sein, wenn diejenigen, die mit Verständnis hinschauen auf das, was wir tun, auch ihrerseits die Befriedigung haben, daß angestrebt wird, Gotteskinder zu Menschenbürgern zu machen.
Speech at the ceremony marking the beginning of the fifth school year
My dear children, dear students! [Turning to the first graders, Dr. Steiner says:] Many teachers have spoken. You need to know what a teacher is. A teacher is a good person. But we need to know why a teacher is a good person. You have already learned from your parents what a good person is. A good person has many qualities, but one quality in particular: they love children. Your parents are such good people because they have loved you so much. And because they love you, they send you here to school. Here you will have teachers who love you.
What should you do when you know that a teacher is a person who loves children? Those who have already been there can tell you. So ask the students: Do you love your teachers? [The children shout loudly: Yes!] See, they love their teachers.
Your teacher will be your second benefactor. Think about it, you will learn what that means. Just as your parents were and are your benefactors, so too will your teachers be your benefactors. The older children have already noticed that their teachers love them. And the further you advance in the higher grades, the more certain you will become that you can only become a capable person if you have learned something proper and if you have learned how to behave correctly in life.
Dear children, there will be many among you who will not know what it means to be truly good. Some of you believe that being bad is better than being good. The older students will notice for themselves at school how they are getting closer and closer to what is called life, how they have to find their way into life, and then they will have to remember especially that you can never really stand as a right person in life if you have not properly loved your teachers as your greatest benefactors.
You should write this down in your mind and in your heart. You should write it down in your conscience. Think about how deeply it will remain with you for the rest of your life if it is written in your mind, heart, and conscience; how you will be able to think correctly one day about what school has done for you in life if you can write this down in your soul in this way.
Now, you all come from a time when each of you should remember that there are benefactors among humans, that ultimately nature is also our benefactor. But the last few days have reminded you of the greatest benefactor of humanity, have reminded you of the one who, almost two thousand years ago, went through suffering and death out of love for humanity, who gave humanity the spirit through his resurrection. You have been able to remember this great benefactor of the earth and of humanity, Christ. In this springtime, we come from Christ, the greatest benefactor of humanity.
But by looking up to him, by feeling what Christ is, we learn what other benefactors can be. And you see, your teachers will be such good teachers to you because they have endeavored to get to know Christ, because they have endeavored to direct their feelings toward Christ in the right way during the springtime of Easter. But this is what you should keep in mind from the beginning, that your teachers are filled with the power that emanates from this greatest benefactor of humanity. And that is what I know, that I do not need to say it in any demanding way, but only need to state it as a fact, that you, my dear teachers, raise and teach these children in such a way that they will truly feel throughout their whole lives that you are the benefactors who can be so through the power that penetrates your hearts from the mystery of Golgotha.
Finally, I would like to address the dear parents, to express in a few words that the dear parents bring their children to the Waldorf school because they see something special in the nature of the Waldorf school. That does not belong here; the special character of the Waldorf school will also be expressed. But what I would like to summarize, what we have set here, I would say, as the guiding star above our work, is that the contemplation of the human being should flow into teaching and education, that it should result in a deepening of the sense of responsibility of all those who work here in the Waldorf school.
Therefore, dear parents of our students, today we would like to emphasize, as a kind of vow, that we are aware that something most sacred has been brought here. We can offer nothing else in return but our deep sense of responsibility. But when the teachers see the parents' decision to entrust their children to the teaching staff, when that is on the other side, then the teaching staff will have the will to work devotedly, with the responsibility and strength necessary to make the children what they should become at school. From this one senses what it means – when one sees the decision on the one hand and feels the sense of responsibility in the right perspective of the heart – then one sees how the children, by coming in, are a gift from God to the earth, how they must become true human citizens of the earth.
The whole purpose of schooling is to turn God's children into human citizens. I would like to say to parents in particular that this should be awakened in us in the best way possible, based on this sense of responsibility.
Let us work in this spirit, dear teachers. In this spirit, I would like to say to the parents: look into our school and see whether we are really able to do what you expect of us. It will be the greatest satisfaction when those who look with understanding at what we do also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are striving to make God's children into human citizens.