Estate of Karl Schubert

The Karl Schubert estate was processed by Leonie Schubert and handed over to the Ita Wegman Institute. It contains photographs, notebooks, exercise books, lecture manuscripts and essays, but also artistic works, including stories, poems, woodcarving and glass-cutting works.

Karl Schubert, Dr. phil. (1889-1949)

Karl Schubert was one of Rudolf Steiner’s outstanding educational students and co-workers of great moral force and curative educational ability. Dr Schubert led the auxiliary class of the Stuttgart Waldorf School until 1934, then – under the National Socialist regime and until the end of the war – a private auxiliary class in his Stuttgart flat.

„When the Waldorf School was closed by the rulers of the „Third Reich“ in 1938, Schubert was able to continue his auxiliary class – it was overlooked because it was no longer officially part of the school. His group comprised 30 to 40 children. The children with learning difficulties were joined by a number of children with Down’s syndrome. What remains surprising and puzzling is why his charges did not fall victim to the Euthanasia Act. Schubert himself was still on a list for deportation to a labour camp in 1944 because of his Jewish ancestry, which was prevented through the efforts of friends with the authorities.“
(Hanke)

Karl Schubert was a close collaborator of Ita Wegman in the Medical Section at the Goetheanum in the field of curative education; he created, among other things, the poem „Über Sterne über Sonnen“ and the story „Mariens Sternenfahrt“.

„Dr Schubert worked so convincingly for the truth of the Waldorf School as a whole.“
(Rudolf Steiner)

Biographical Information

1889

25 November: Born in Vienna, Josefstaedter Strasse 11. Jewish on his mother’s side; Catholic baptism.

Attends primary school. Moves to Klagenfurt. Grammar school.

1903

Attends a theosophical lecture on the afterlife („Death and then what?“given by Edwin Böhme). Reads Meister Eckhart, Angelus Silesius, Novalis, among others.

1907

Becomes a member of the Theosophical Society.

1908

Summer: Abitur.

Begins to study history, linguistics, and philosophy (Vienna).

November: Encounter with Rudolf Steiner (Goethe lecture in Klagenfurt). „A fundamental feeling of what it is to be human took hold of the soul while listening to him. You experienced yourself confirmed as a human being.“ (Schubert)

1909

Summer semester in Paris (at the Sorbonne).

1909/10

Winter semester in London (at Kings College).

1911

Summer semester in Paris (at the Sorbonne).

December: Participation in the Oberufer Christmas Play (Vienna).

1915

Doctoral thesis on Friedrich Rückert.

Participation in World War One. Farewell from Rudolf Steiner who told him: „Do not be afraid, I am with you, think of me. Take Occult Science. An Outline with you.“

1916

20 May: Marriage to Helene Nierl in Vienna.

July: Russian prisoner of war

1918

May: Return to Vienna. Encounters Helene Schubert and Rudolf Steiner once again. Teacher at a private business school.

1919

21 February: Birth of his son Michael.

1920

March: Teacher of English, French, Latin, and Greek at the Freie Waldorfschule Stuttgart.

Founds and takes responsibility for the „remedial class.“

December: Attends the Oberufer Christmas Plays in Dornach.

1921

7 September: Lecture during the course for professionals held in Stuttgart: „Spirit and Soul in the Life of Language.”

On-going work in the „remedial class.“

December: Performance of the Oberufer Christmas Play and Kings Play at the Stuttgart Waldorf School.

1922

Lecture at the West-East Congress in Vienna.

December: In Dornach Rudolf Steiner entrusts Karl Schubert with the „Tree Singer“ prologue in the Oberufer plays.

1923

Lectures at the Summer School in Ilkley (England).

Lecture given during the Christmas Conference: „Anthroposophy. A Guide to Christ.“

1924

12 February: Becomes a member of the First Class of the School of Spiritual Science.

6 June: Authorised by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman as a Goetheanum lecturer.

July: Lecture in Arnhem. Serves as stenographer for the Youth Address by Rudolf Steiner (20 July).

June/July: Participates in the Curative Education Course (Dornach).

September: Participates in the Drama Course (Dornach) at Rudolf Steiner’s request.

1925

27 February: Meeting in the teachers‘ room. Reading of Rudolf Steiner’s letter.

30 March: Death of Rudolf Steiner.

31 March: In Dornach for the vigil following Rudolf Steiner’s death.

December: Requests admission to the Medical Section at the Goetheanum.

1928

March: Visits the Waldorf School in The Hague.

3 June: Lecture at the Education Conference of the Waldorf School in Hamburg: Paths of Anthroposophical Curative Education.

August: Lecture in London for the World Conference of Spiritual Science and its Practical Applications.

1929

Summer: Lecture for the curative education conference in London: „Practical Experiences in the Treatment of Children Needing Special Soul Care.“

1930

10 August: Lecture at Camp de Stakenberg, Holland: „The Human Being in History.“

12 October: Lecture in Stuttgart: „The Religious Forces in Healing and Education.“

23 November: Lecture in Stuttgart: „What do the moral forces of youth mean for the shaping of the future?”

1931

Easter Conference, Dornach. Lecture on curative education.

12 June: School for Spiritual Science Course held in Stuttgart. Lecture on „Art, Culture, and Initiation.“

November: School for Spiritual Science Course held in Stuttgart. 5 lectures: „The Significance of the Religious in Education and Healing.“

1934

May: Forced to leave the Waldorf School because of his Jewish ancestry. Ministerial permission to conduct a private remedial class.

1938

March: The Waldorf School is banned. Schubert continues work in his own apartment until the end of the war.

30 March: Offers a lecture in Stuttgart on Rudolf Steiner.

1944

November: Order for his deportation to the concentration camp at Bietigheim because he is half-Jewish.

1945

Rejoins the staff of the Waldorf School as a religion teacher (non-denominational, Christian religious education).

November: Lecture at the anthroposophical youth conference in Stuttgart.

Re-establishment of pedagogical and curative contacts with Holland and England.

1947

Anthroposophical School for Spiritual Science Weeks in Stuttgart. Lecture on the Father-God religion during the 1st seven years.

1948

8 April: Lecture at the Stuttgart Teachers‘ Conference: „The World-pedagogical Impulse of Anthroposophy.“

November: Dedication of the St. John School in Camphill/Murtle at the request of Karl König. Onward journey to Holland for curative education conference. Conference opened by Karl König: „Kaspar Hauser.“

The Hague: Report on anthroposophical curative education in Scotland, England, and Holland.

December: Writes the essay, „Memories of the Christmas Plays.“

12 December: End of last diary entry: „Peace to all beings!“

Last New Year’s Eve celebration in Eckwälden.

1949

1 January: Lecture at the memorial service for Marie Steiner (Stuttgart).

28–29 January: Lectures in Schweinfurt: „On Rudolf Steiner’s Path in Life“ and „Education in the Parental Home.“

30 January: Admitted to the Marienhospital.

1949

3 February: Karl Schubert’s death (in Stuttgart).

Selected Bibliography

Works by Karl Schubert

  • Friedrich Rückert als Dramatiker. Wien 1915 (Dissertation)
  • Der Mensch in der Geschichte. In: Die Drei. März 1920.
  • Aus der heilpädagogischen Arbeit der Hilfsklasse in Stuttgart. In: Natura Okt./Nov. 1926
  • Zur Erinnerung an Rudolf Steiner. In: Heydebrand, Caroline von (Hg.): Rudolf Steiner in der Waldorfschule. Stuttgart 1927
  • Die Hilfsklasse. In: Kolisko, Eugen (Hg.): Bilder von der Freien Waldorfschule. Stuttgart 1927
  • Die Menschenkunde in der Heilpädagogik. In: Zur Pädagogik Rudolf Steiners. September 1929
  • Rudolf Steiner als Vorbild für Lehrer und Heiler. In: Das Seelenpflege-bedürftige Kind. Schriftenreihe der Natura IV. Dornach 1930
  • Die erzieherischen Kräfte des Religiösen. In: Zur Pädagogik Rudolf Steiners. Dezember 1930
  • Das Erleben der Jahresstimmung im Unterricht der Hilfsklasse. In: Zur Pädagogik Rudolf Steiners. Februar 1932
  • Dr. Kolisko. Ein Erinnerungsbild. In: Schickler, Eberhard, Mellinger, Julia, Grone, Jürgen von (Hg.): Eugen Kolisko. Bilder aus seinem Leben und Wirken. Stuttgart 1940
  • Erinnerungen an die Weihnachtsspiele. In: Mitteilungen aus der Anthroposophischen Arbeit in Deutschland. Heft 6/1948

About Karl Schubert

  • Fucke, Erhard: Siebzehn Begegnungen. Stuttgart 1996
  • Hanke, Hans-Jürgen: Karl Schubert. Lebensbilder und Aufzeichnungen. Dornach 2004
  • Hahn, Herbert (Hg.): Dr. Karl Schubert zur Erinnerung. Stuttgart 1949