he foundations of Waldorf education were laid by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist, philosopher, artist and educator. At the end of World War I, Emil Molt, director of the Waldorf Astoria Company in Stuttgart, Germany, asked Steiner to found a school for the factory workers’ children. Because of its philosophy and its innovative methods, the original Waldorf School quickly gained international recognition and inspired the establishment of new Waldorf schools in Germany and many other countries.

Founded in 1928, the Rudolf Steiner School of New York is the oldest Waldorf School in North America. Since its founding, the school has continued to grow and expand. It was relocated to the present building at 15 East 79th Street in 1944. In 1955, the high school was inaugurated, and a second building at 15 East 78th Street was purchased to house the Upper School. In 1972, the school purchased a small farm in Harlemville, New York, where students from the New York school could live and learn in a rural environment.

Who Was Rudolf Steiner?

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was the Austrian philosopher, scientist, artist and educator who formulated the principles that gave life to Waldorf education. Born in Austria in 1861, Rudolf Steiner studied sciences at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna. As a young man he edited the Weimar edition of Goethe’s scientific writings, studied philosophy, and received his doctorate in this field. Rudolf Steiner’s first major work, The Philosophy of Freedom, appeared in 1893 and established the foundation for the world-view known as anthroposophy. In the early decades of the twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner became increasingly well-known as an author and lecturer; his works include over 50 books, and approximately 6,000 lectures on philosophy, the sciences, history, religion, agriculture, the arts, and education.