Criticism of Waldorf, Steiner and Anthroposophy

PLANS tries to make available all the critical opinions about Waldorf that we can find. The authors are responsible for the contents of the following articles. PLANS does not necessarily agree with or vouch for the veracity of everything posted in this section.

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Waldorf in General, Description & Critique
[Date]	[Title and Author]
Current on the web	Here's the Answer to the Question: What's Waldorf? A web article by former Waldorf pupil Roger Rawlings. "Here's a stab at such an answer, given mainly in Rudolf Steiner's own words." (external link)
Current on the web	Blog: Free Schools(5b) – Steiner’s ‘Study of Man’, a blueprint for Anthroposophical education
June 2013	My Life Among the Anthroposophists by Grégoire Perra - Grégoire Perra got close to the center of the Waldorf/Anthroposophical world. Now, unlike virtually any other former Waldorf insider, he has told the truth about the strange world he inhabited in those days. He has published an excellent memoir of his years as a Waldorf student and, later, teacher. The original is available, in French, as his blog: "Ma vie chez les anthroposophes". Perra encountered Waldorf education and Anthroposophy in France, which might lead us to suppose that his experiences are unique to that country. But Waldorf schools — also called Steiner or Steiner-Waldorf schools — are much the same everywhere. And Anthroposophy is an essentially unchanging body of mystical belief. In three parts, translated by Roger Rawlings. External Link.
September 10, 2012	Anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, and Waldorf Schools An article in The Skeptic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll, last updated August 1, 2009
May 8, 2012	Can the Steiner Waldorf schools movement break out of its niche by engaging with its critics? by Daisy Jane Powell
April 17, 2012	Sex Abuse Cases: Waldorf School Suspends Teacher (from the waldorf-critics list): Here is the translation of the article in the Berlin Tagesspiegel [Daily Mirror] of the Swedish teacher at the Berlin Waldorf school accused of sex trafficking and sex abuse.
February 27, 2012	Frome Steiner Academy: Absurd Educational Quackery: Government funding of occult schools presents real risks to children’s education and health. by Andy Lewis, Quackometer blog: "Steiner schools (sometimes called Waldorf Schools) are not open about the true nature of their origins, beliefs and methods. The new web page of the Frome Steiner Academy gives the impression that they follow a progressive approach to teaching that uniquely follows a child’s personal development. That all sounds wonderful. What they do not say is that this approach is based on occult thinking, astrology, clairvoyance and esoteric cult-like beliefs." (external link)
2011	L'endoctrinement à l’Anthroposophie dans les écoles Steiner-Waldorf
October 6, 2010	The true nature of Steiner (Waldorf) education. Mystical barmpottery at taxpayers’ expense. Part 1. Many comments.
June 29, 2010	"Waldorf Education" by Michael Ruse. "Without being entirely cynical, so long as a philosophy does not do positive harm (and I am to be frank still not sure about Steiner and early reading) what really counts is that teachers are inspired." Ruse is wrong about Waldorf under the Nazis--they disagreed about it, and the schools lasted six years under the regime. The Chronicle of Higher Education (external link).
May, 2009	Steiner schools should acknowledge their lack of knowledge by Ramon De Jonghe. Ramon De Jonghe (in Belgium) is familiar with Rudolf Steiners anthroposophy. Since 1993 he has been reading a lot of Steiner, purely out of interest. He worked as an educator in a Steiner school, was in the board of directors of that school, worked as a volunteer in the library of the Rudolf Steiner Academie, studied at an anthroposophical college, and 3 of his 4 children went to two different Steiner schools. One can say that when he comes to speak of Steiner schools and anthroposophy, it is out of his own experience as an insider.
February 5, 2009	Race, lies, and stereotypes in Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy by Staff Reporter. "the pseudo religion/science which lies at the heart of Steiner education (and also biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical medicine, and cosmetics - Weleda and Dr. Hauschka) is the guiding force within these classrooms, and yet in the schools the word is barely heard, let alone explained." Internet Archive of Counterknowledge (external link).
2009	How I Trumped Rudolf Steiner and Overcame the Tribulations of Illiteracy, One Snickers Bar at a Time by Sufjan Stevens by Sufjan Stevens. "The school did everything to blur all lines between fact and imagination, between art and science, between math and English, between student and teacher." (external link)
November, 2008	Clues: Piercing the Waldorf Facade by former Waldorf pupil Roger Rawlings. "How can you tell what a Waldorf school is up to? There are Waldorfs and Waldorfs. Very few of the schools will openly acknowledge that they are devoted to occultism. This denial may be true at some of the schools; in other cases, it is surely not true. So how can you tell whether unspoken occult beliefs are present in any particular Waldorf?" (external link)
July, 2008	A Pedagogy for Aryans by Peter Bierl. Small classes, no mad scramble for high marks, and a motivated teaching-staff—Waldorf schools have earned a good reputation for their feigned ability to benefit students on an individual level. Still, to this day, these disguised religious schools pursue the idea of the anti-modern.
September, 2007	Pädagogik der runden Ecken -- Kleine Klassen, kein Notendruck und eine motivierte Lehrerschaft – Waldorfschulen stehen in dem Ruf, Schüler individuell fördern zu können. Doch die verkappten Religionsschulen verfolgen bis heute die Idee der Antimoderne. Von Peter Bierl. (external link) English Summary
May 15, 2007	Advice for Parents by former Waldorf pupil Roger Rawlings. (external link)
December 5, 2006	Warm and Woolley? An anthroposophical experiment. By Kristín A. Sandberg and Trond K. O. Kristoffersen.
2005	Unenlightened: The Inside Story of an Occult Education. By Roger Rawlings
Current on the Web	I Went to Waldorf. By Roger Rawlings
May, 2004	What's Waldorf? The alternative school's holistic, arts-based philosophy seemed like a perfect fit for my kids. Then I started learning about the eccentric mystical beliefs of its founder. By Meagan Francis, in Salon (external link).
2003	Spotlight on Anthroposophy By Sharon Lombard, published by Cultic Studies Review, Volume 2, Number 2, reproduced by permission
December 21, 2001	Question: Who Was Rudolf Steiner? Answer: Who Is Asking? By Steve Walden
December 21, 2001	The Role of Gnomes In Waldorf Kindergarten By Diana Winters
June 20, 2001	The Spirit of Waldorf Education written by David Ruenzel, Education Week, June 20, 2001
(not dated)	Waldorf Schools, Anthroposophy, and Rudolf Steiner A concise description, including good list of sources. Cincinnati Skeptics, The Association for Rational Thought
September 1, 2000	Mein Konflikt mit meiner Anthroposophischen Erziehung A German article by Christoph Keller dated September 1, 2000
November 13, 1999	Waldorf Education--For Our Times Or Against Them? Transcript of talk by Eugene Schwartz, Director of Teacher Training, Sunbridge College: November 13, 1999. Edited by Michael Kopp.
October 1999	Letter To Editor by Kathleen Sutphen re Todd Oppenheimer's Atlantic Monthly article "Schooling the Imagination (Atlantic 9/99).
February 8, 1999	A Parent's List Of Questions And Concerns. By Steve Premo via post to waldorf-critics discussion list.
November 21, 1998	An Interview With PLANS President. by college student Jeff Horseman.
Fall 1998	"Partial Vision in Alternative Education" by Ron Miller, Renewal: Fall 1998, Vol. 7 No. 2, p. 20.
1994	RUDOLF STEINER (1861-1925) by Heiner Ullrich. An early essay about Steiner's life and work that later (2007) grew into one of the best biographies of Steiner to come from a scholar outside the cult. UNESCO publication.
April 3, 1990	Survey of San Francisco Waldorf School Parents: Report. by Dan Dugan, April 3, 1990.
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Quotations About Waldorf and Anthroposophy by Rudolf Steiner and Others
June 1, 2007	What We're Made Of: Steiner on anatomy and physiology, collected and analyzed by Roger Rawlings (external link).
September 2002	Quotations by Rudolf Steiner and others on the spiritual importance of color and art, compiled by Sharon Lombard.
January 2001	Wet-on-wet Painting As Talisman, a series of posts to waldorf-critics by Sharon Lombard, January 11, 2001 - January 22, 2001.
September 1996	The Roots of Racism in Waldorf Schools: Quotations from Rudolf Steiner and other Anthroposophists compiled by Dan Dugan, July 1995, revised September 1996.
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Waldorf Curriculum and Anthroposophy in the Classroom
February 16, 2012	Anthroposophist Spiritual Racism: Uehli by Peter Staudenmaier. How Steiner's racial teachings were carried on in Germany and in the Waldorf curriculum. From the Waldorf Critics discussion list.
June, 2011	He Went To Waldorf - The following is a translation of Grégoire Perra's "L’endoctrinement des élèves à l’ Anthroposophie dans les écoles Steiner-Waldorf", or "The Anthroposophical Indoctrination of Students in Steiner-Waldorf Schools"
December 7, 2006	It's About Anthroposophy by Baandje. Posted to the waldorf-critics list, December 7, 2006
November 8, 2006 & following comments	"Woo Math: Steiner and Theosophical Math." Thread on the Good Math, Bad Math blog. (external link)
April, 2005	Poor Academic Standards by MQ. Posted to the waldorf-critics list, April 19, 2005
January 2001	Wet-on-wet Painting As Talisman, a series of posts to waldorf-critics by Sharon Lombard, January 11, 2001 - January 22, 2001.
May 2000	Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner by Sharon Lombard. Freethought Today. Madison, WI: May 2000, p. 8.
July 27, 1997	Nature Table or Altar?: by Dan dugan, July 27, 1997.
Spring 1994	Are Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf Schools 'Non-Sectarian'? by Dan Dugan and Judy Daar, Free Inquiry, Spring 1994 (Vol. 14 No. 2
Winter 1994	Waldorf Schools Teach Odd Science, Odd Evolution by Eugenie C. Scott. National Center for Science Education Reports, Vol. 14, No. 4, Winter 1994, p. 20
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Waldorf Teacher Training
Current	CURRICULUM of the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
May 27, 2010	Guidelines for Child Study -- Working with Angels, Beings and Children (Alicia Hamberg comments) "Initially I thought it was a parody. To my astonishment, it was not. No, these excerpts are actually from a genuine work — by no other than Steiner Waldorf School Fellowship advisor Kevin Avison. These are guidelines for dealing with real children in real schools. It is what the SWSF chooses to present in a handbook — the Handbook for Waldorf Class Teachers." Quote: "Keep a glowing personal profile about each child, but never allow anyone access to lesson notes or records, because as an inspired educator, these are unnecessary for you (anything indicating what the class might have learnt or covered in Morning Lesson should be ‘lost’ before you leave the school)." [Link to Alicia's blog, there are comments.]
October 8, 2008	University of Stockholm dumps Waldorf teacher training program: not up to standards of higher education. By Alicia Hamberg. A survey of the controversy, quoting sources on both sides.
August 26, 2008	Stockholm University ends Steiner teacher training. Stockholm University has decided to wind up its Steiner-Waldorf teacher training. Steiner science literature is 'too much myth and too little fact', the university's teacher education committee has ruled. The Local: Sweden's News in English (external link).
Current	CURRICULUM of the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
August 24, 2005	Anti-social and Alienating Behavior. A Waldorf teacher gives some background that helps in understanding the behavior of Waldorf teachers. Posted to the waldorf-critics discussion list by Baandje.
July 3, 2005	Karma and Reincarnation for Teachers: Caring for Relationships. by Dr. Robin Bacchus, Teachers Preparatory Course Coordinator, Taruna College, New Zealand.
1993-1994	Waldorf Teacher Training Reading List, First Year: Rudolf Steiner College 1993-94.
1993-1994	Waldorf Teacher Training Requirements, Second Year: Rudolf Steiner College 1993-94.
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Anthroposophy, Steiner's Occultist Sect
Current on the web	Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)
December 13, 2012	All Hell Breaks Loose in Dornach! or: the Judith von Halle Phenomenon Defiantly, with its massive concrete façade, the Goetheanum looms over Dornach and Arlesheim. At the foot of the hill, just half a kilometer down from the very center of anthroposophy, she has pitched her tent in a one-time carpenter’s workshop: Judith von Halle, by far the most controversial figure in the movement founded by Rudolf Steiner. Since Holy Week 2004, the 40 year old architect, originally from Berlin, claims to bear the wounds of Christ, the so-called stigmata, and not to have eaten a morsel of food. Even water she consumes in limited quantities. And all this without any significant weight loss or physical health problems.
September 22, 2012	French Anthroposophists Practicing the (Perhaps Not So) Michaelic Art of Slaying Dissenters "The anthroposophical movement has come up with the idea that in order to protect themselves from the unfortunate reputation of being a cult, they would happily (and in a magnificently paradoxical way) behave as a cult would behave."
July 14, 2008	8-minute trailer (in German) for 2-hour film "Adventure in Anthroposophy" by Rüdiger SünnerMany people know about “Waldorf schools,” but very few know anything about the life and work of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) who founded them in 1919. What was the thinking of this man who in the last hundred years has given such a decisive boost to education, agriculture, medicine, business, science, architecture and art? What is anthroposophy and how does it manifest in the world today? The film visits the important milestones in Steiner’s biography (Lower Austria, Vienna, Weimar and the Goetheanum in Dornach), Waldorf schools in Germany and Africa and the anthroposophical [biodynamic] Sekem Farm in Egypt. Supporters and critics alike speak about Rudolf Steiner. A detailed portrait of the most versatile and perhaps most controversial spiritual thinker of the 20th Century.
April 25, 2008	Steiner and the Warlord by former Waldorf student Roger Rawlings. "As an amazingly gifted clairvoyant, Rudolf Steiner should have foreseen—before the first German boot trod upon Belgian soil in 1914—the dreadful carnage to come as well as its horrific results. Yet he associated himself with the leader of Germany's military, a man who might fairly be described as a war criminal." (external link)
2007	Anthroposophy, by Dan Dugan. An article in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief from Prometheus Press.
September 3, 2006	Anthroposophy 101 by Ronald Koetzsch, posted to the waldorf-critics list 9/3/06, as published in Renewal, Spring/Summer 2006
July, 2006	Bibliography on the Applicability of "Occultism" As a Description of Anthroposophy, by Peter Staudenmaier on the waldorf-critics list, July 20, 2006 "Re: the meaning of occultism."
May, 2004	Anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf/Steiner Schools: Collected references from the National Library of Australia. An annotated bibliography. (79 KB .pdf)
February 9, 1999	Why Anthroposophy Is Cult-Like by Dan Dugan.
April 1996	Anthroposophy: Rudolf Steiner's 'Spiritual Science': by Rob Boston, Church and State, April 1996.
1994	RUDOLF STEINER (1861-1925) by Heiner Ullrich. An early essay about Steiner's life and work that later (2007) grew into one of the best biographies of Steiner to come from a scholar outside the cult. UNESCO publication.
1991	Is Anthroposophy Science? by Sven Ove Hansson, Conceptus: zeitschrift für philosophie, XXV (1991), No. 64, p. 37.
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Anthroposophical Medicine
May 11, 2012	Aberdeen decides against alternative medicine chair: Paul Jump (Times Higher Education) - A university has decided against a controversial proposal to establish a chair in a brand of alternative medicine that advocates mistletoe as a cure for cancer.
March 21, 2011	Anthroposophic medicine at the University of Michigan? Say it ain’t so! - Posted to the Respectful Insolence blog by Orac - If twenty years ago someone had told me that one day that not only would my medical alma mater be publishing dreck like this, but that it would have formed an interdisciplinary program devoted to it, I would have told that person he was delusional. If you had told me that anthroposophy would be part of a larger program of woo run by a physician who is described as having “studied herbalism and spiritual healing for 14 years with a Native American Healer” and as having research interests that include the “use of herbs, energy healing, environmental healing, and the therapeutic relationship” or that a physician trained in “functional medicine” would be a big part of a program in anthroposophic medicine there, I wouldn’t have believed it.
October 18, 2010	Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, FMedSci, FSB, FRCP, FRCPEd. Anthroposophy: A Risk Factor for Noncompliance With Measles Immunization.
January 9, 2009	Measles Outbreaks: not just a British tragedy, but a European one as well. By Matthew Hartfield. Counterknowledge (external link).
March 19, 2008	Measles Epidemic (in German) A large outbreak of measles in Salzburg, Austria has been reported. ...at a Waldorf school in Salzburg. The the local health department is trying to limit the damage by offering information and recommending vaccination for all children at the school who are not yet vaccinated. Apparently, in Nordrhein-Westfalen were the latest large epidemic occurred, out of 2000 infected, one child died and there's evidence of lasting damage due to encephalitis among the survivors (external link).
February 25, 2007	Steiner's Quackery by former Waldorf student (11 years) Roger Rawlings (external link).
January 30, 2007	Growing Up Being Made Sick by Anthroposophy by Robert Smith-Hald.
December 23, 2006	"Mistletoe as a treatment for cancer: Has no proved benefit, and can cause harm." By Edzard Ernst, BMJ 2006:333; 1281-1283. (external link)
December 23, 2006	"Subcutaneous inflammation mimicking metastatic malingnancy induced by injection of mistletoe extract." By A.I. Finall, S.A. McIntosh, W.D. Thompson, BMJ 2006:333; 1293-1294. (external link)
December 6, 2006	Anthroposophic Medicine by Robert Todd Carroll. Skeptics Dictionary (external link).
December 21, 2004	Mistletoe - viable alternative cancer treatment, or just a placebo with dangerous side-effects? Edzard Ernst in The Guardian (external link).
September 2002	Bucking The Herd by Arthur Allen: Atlantic Monthly article on a vaccination controversy in Boulder, Colorado (external link).
1997	Anthroposophical Medicine by William Jarvis, PhD, National Council Against Health Fraud (external link).
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Camphill
July 4, 2008	Child Abuse Charges against Berlin Waldorf Facility by Peter Tiede, Tagesspiegel. In English and German.
Current on the web	Musical Biography by Robert Smith-Hald. What life was like for a boy growing up as the child of Camphill staff (external link).
October 12, 2004	Paradise Trust: statement of the results of an Inquiry under Section 8 of the Charities Act 1993.
January, 1992	Wandin Springs Report released by the Australian Department of Human Services in response to a Freedom of Information request.
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Biodynamic Agriculture
March 11, 2013	Rudolf Steiner And The Organic Movement by Michael Barker: Magical thinking has a long history of involvement with the global organic agriculture movement, and one of the most influential proponents of such connections was the white supremacist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). (1) As the founder of a spiritual movement known as Anthroposophy, Steiner was a true believer in miracles, and the year before he died he presented a series of lectures to farmers in Europe that expounded the principles of what would come to be known as the biodynamic cultivation.
February 25, 2007	Fill Those Cow Horns. Essay by former Waldorf student Roger Rawlings (external link).
June 9, 2006	"Biodynamics" in The World of Fine Wine: Join the Debate. A continuing blog discussion. (external link)
February 11, 2006	How to practice Biodynamics...? Blog in The Zinquisition series by "St. Vini." (external link)
February 3, 2005	Book review: Wine, from sky to earth (Joly). Blog in The Zinquisition series by "St. Vini." (external link)
August, 2004	James Randi's opinion on "Preparation 500" (external link).
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Goethean Science
1922	Steiner and Natural Science. One of the most prominent physicists of Steiner's era, Max von Laue, who received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1914, wrote a scathing critique in 1922 of Steiner's misunderstandings of science and particularly of physics. Transition no. 61-62, pp. 160-165. Collingwood, Vic, Australia, 2000. (.pdf) Use back button to return here.
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Racism and the Relationship of Anthroposophy to Nazi Philosophy
Current on the Web	Education for the National Community? Waldorf Schools in the Third Reich by Peter Staudenmaier In some ways the particulars of anthroposophical doctrines on nation and race stood in the way of a closer convergence with elements of National Socialism rather than facilitating it. This was nonetheless the shared intellectual territory on which the controversy over Waldorf schools was carried out. To the extent that this complex interplay of ideas resulted in conflict rather than congruence between Waldorf education and its Nazi counterparts, it is tempting to reduce the conflict to a basic ideological incompatibility. In an important sense, however, it was the similarities between anthroposophical and National Socialist views of the world which led to their opposition, not the differences. Waldorf versions of the national community constituted a mirror image of Nazi ideals, one which Nazism itself could not abide.
July 25, 2014	Fairy-tale fallout: rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy has come under scrutiny in a racism row at a New Zealand Steiner school ...two years ago, parents at this Steiner school discovered a darker side to the writings of Rudolf Steiner. They found what Perkins now considers to be “evil, evil white racism”. Over an extraordinary few months, parents and staff left the school in droves. The school has no clear record of numbers. But those we talked to say the racism – and the way the school “vilified” those who spoke out against it – drove out six of Te Ra’s 35 staff members and more than 29 families. It was a huge hit for the roll, which is now 157. Perkins spent more than five years working at Te Ra and sent her children there. “We’ve managed to get ourselves out of something,” she says. “It’s like being woken up – I felt like Snow White, I really did – I felt like the poisoned apple came out of my mouth and I woke up.”
December 22, 2012	“…out of the frying pan and into the fire” review (in English) by Peter Staudenmaier of Ansgar Martins, Rassismus und Geschichtsmetaphysik: Esoterischer Darwinismus und Freiheitsphilosophie bei Rudolf Steiner (Frankfurt: Info3, 2012) - Ansgar Martins has written a perceptive and provocative book about a topic many prefer to avoid: Rudolf Steiner’s racial teachings, a perennial bone of contention between anthroposophists and their critics. It is a sober and discerning account, by far the best to appear from an anthroposophist publisher, and a noteworthy contribution to the historical literature on Steiner and his movement. The book’s approach is nuanced, complex, and sophisticated, taking heed of the contrasting motifs in Steiner’s thinking about nation and race, what Martins aptly terms “Steiner’s wavering between universalism, individualism, cultural chauvinism, and racist stereotypes."
February 19, 2012	Anthroposophical Spiritual Racism: Karutz by Peter Staudenmaier: How Steiner's racial teachings were carried on in Germany before and during the Nazi era. "Like Steiner, Karutz portrayed the various racial groups as rungs on the ladder of spiritual progress, with white people at the top. Racial traits, according to Karutz, are both 'physiological features' and 'spiritual facts'; light skin indicates spiritual development and dark skin indicates spiritual debility. Karutz explained that in the ongoing process of racial evolution, the 'lower races' are destined to die out, because 'the so-called natural peoples or primitive peoples that survive today are merely the debased remnants of earlier stages.'" From the Waldorf Critics discussion list.
February 16, 2012	Anthroposophist Spiritual Racism: Uehli by Peter Staudenmaier. How Steiner's racial teachings were carried on in Germany and in the Waldorf curriculum. "Offering a cosmic explanation for racial differences, Uehli emphasizes that the origin of race lies in the spiritual realm and is expressed in the physical realm. The leading protagonist in this unfolding racial drama is the 'Aryan race,' whose members were carefully selected by their cosmically appointed guide. A sharp contrast between racial groups with exceptional biological and spiritual traits, like the specially advanced Aryans, and the large mass of people who do not share these superior traits, runs throughout the text. This fundamental contrast is coupled with the distinction between racial and ethnic groups that 'lead' and those that 'follow' and the divergence between 'more advanced' groups and those that have failed to evolve." From the Waldorf Critics discussion list.
March 8, 2011	Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction "... an extended excerpt from a very good basic text explaining the history of antisemitism, a short and accessible book which I recommend highly to anybody interested in informing themselves about the subject." (Peter Staudenmaier)
March 4, 2011	Letter from the Anthroposophical Society to Adolph Hitler Translated by Tom Mellett and posted to the Waldorf Critics list by him. "The General Anthroposophical Society, which was constituted and founded by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in the year 1923, has assuredly had no dealings of any kind with Freemasonic, Jewish, or pacifist groups, nor even any casual contact with them in any way. Moreover, the Aryan line of descent of Rudolf Steiner was explicitly confirmed by the [Reich's] 'Office of Racial Politics' in Berlin."
December 18, 2010	A REFUTATION OF THE ALLEGATION OF RACISM AGAINST RUDOLF STEINER - with Rebuttal From the article by Richard House: It is commonplace in developed Western culture for the slightest whiff of `racism' to be unconditionally condemned – an understandable balance-restoring tendency, perhaps, when viewed in the context of the Western world's own disreputable history in these matters. However, an equally interesting and quite new cultural phenomenon, at least in Britain, is the increasing challenge being mounted to what some see as an overbearingly stifling "political correctness" on questions of race. From the rebuttal by Peter Staudenmaier: Scholars have studied racism for a very long time, since decades before the notion of 'political correctness' was invented. Whether or not Steiner's various statements about race are 'politically correct' has nothing whatsoever to do with whether those statements are racist. Like other anthroposophists, House appears entirely unaware of the extremely large body of scholarship examining racism in its multifarious forms.
December 16, 2010	Steiner Waldorf Schools Part 3. The problem of racism 279 Comments
2009	Illusion of Coexistence: The Waldorf Schools in the Third Reich, 1933–1941, by Karen Priestman, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2009 - Waldorf school teachers and administrators (as well as most parents) failed to grasp the true ideological and political nature of National Socialism. In their attempt to cooperate with the regime's Gleichschaltung policies they were misled by its ideas of national renewal and Volksgemeinschaft, and its polycratic character of administration - and, thus, fell victim to the illusion of coexistence in a nazified 'new Germany.' (10) This belief represented a fundamental misunderstanding of the true nature of National Socialism. It informed and determined all the choices the school leadership made in the Third Reich. Thus, while their level of cooperation increased over time as more extensive demands were made of them, this cannot be equated with collaboration. On the contrary, theirs was a policy of cooperation that allowed for a certain degree of accommodation to ensure survival. In this pursuit of coexistence, the schools were not motivated by an inherent affinity with National Socialism, as some have argued, but by their determination to continue to teach the lessons of Rudolf Steiner." (23-24) For Peter Staudenmaier's comments on the dissertation, see: http://www.academia.edu/2429972/Education_for_the_National_Community_Waldorf_Schools_in_the_Third_Reich
January 23, 2009	Steiner & Krishnamurti by Peter Staudenmaier. Posted to the Waldorf Critics discussion list January 23, 2009. "Making sense of Steiner's indignant attitude toward the Krishnamurti affair requires taking seriously Steiner's statements about the racial character of Asians, the future direction of racial evolution, the spiritual significance of skin color, the obsolete and inferior nature of Eastern spiritual traditions, and other factors."
January 21, 2009	Steiner's Early Nationalism by Peter Staudenmaier. Posted to the Waldorf Critics discussion list January 21, 2009. "In early 20th century Germany, anthroposophy promised a thoroughgoing spiritual renewal that would bring salvation not only to the German people but to the rest of the world as well. What was necessary to reach this goal, according to Steiner, was a return to Germany's authentic spiritual mission."
June 8, 2008	Anthroposophists and Antisemitism in Fascist Italy by Peter Staudenmaier. The surprising story of how a co-founder of the Anthroposophical Society in Italy played a leading role in the persecution of Italian Jews.
current on the web	'Ecology' and the Modernization of Fascism in the German Ultra-right by Janet Biehl (external link). Includes an analysis of the role of Anthroposophists in contemporary Neo-Nazi movements--see the section "Anthroposophy and the World League for the Protection of Life."
January, 2008	The Art of Avoiding History: a reply that Peter Staudenmaier wrote to Göran Fant's article "The Art of Making White into Black." Both articles were originally published in the Swedish skeptical-humanist magazine Folkvett in 2001. "... this is the one I revised most thoroughly and expanded most extensively; it now includes much more material. Even those who have read it before might find interesting new things in it."
December, 2007	Anthroposophy and Ecofascism by Peter Staudenmaier. An update of his 2000 article.
December, 2007	Anthroposophy and its Defenders by Peter Staudenmaier and Peter Zegers. An update of their 2000 article.
December, 2007	The Janus Face of Anthroposophy by Peter Staudenmaier and Peter Zegers. An update of their 2000 article.
July 25, 2007	Steiner education in State Schools -- Parent Ray Pereira: "...for example, the class wasn't allowed to use black or brown colours, it was only yellows and reds and certain colours that were allowed to be used. Now this was a little bit of a problem I guess for my kids because they see themselves as being brown, and therefore weren't allowed to colour themselves as brown..." Transcript of ABC (Australia) broadcast (external link).
October 10, 2004	Race and Redemption: Racial and Ethnic Evolution in Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy, by Peter Staudenmaier. Presented to the conference of the American Family Foundation, Atlanta, October 15, 2004. This article has been accepted by the University of California journal Nova Religio, and is not currently available from PLANS.
August 6, 2004	Waldorf in the Nazi era. Response posted to the waldorf-critics discussion list by Peter Staudenmaier, Aug 6, 2004.
1997 - 2001	Anthroposophie und Antisemitismus: Frequently updated: articles in German from 1997 to the present on the web page of Aktion Kinder des Holocaust.
July 10, 2000	Report Mainz: July 10th, 2000: an unauthorized translation of the news broadcast shown on German national TV on July 10th, 2000 about racism in Waldorf schools.
Spring, 1999	Three people reflect on Waldorf Education: Recollections, published in Natural Jewish Parenting, Spring 1999
Spring, 1999	Rudolf Steiner and the Jews by Dan Dugan, published in Natural Jewish Parenting, Spring 1999
Spring, 1999	What every Jewish parent should know about The Waldorf Philosophy by Deborah Salazar, published in Natural Jewish Parenting, Spring 1999
March, 1997	RUDOLF STEINER's ANTHROPOSOPHY, A NAZI CULT? by Peter Nasselstein. A probing analysis from a devotee of Wilhelm Reich. External link to www.w-reich.de.
September, 1996	The Roots of Racism in Waldorf Schools: Quotations from Rudolf Steiner and other Anthroposophists compiled by Dan Dugan, July 1995, revised September 1996.
1996	Waldorf Salad with Aryan Mayonnaise?: A mother challenges 'race' theories in Rudolf Steiner education. By Toos Jeurissen, 1996.
June, 1996	Racism and Waldorf Education by Ray McDermott and Ida Oberman. Research Bulletin: Vol. 1, No. 2 (June, 1996) p. 3, Waldorf Education Research Institute.
February 4, 1995	Racial Ethnography by Robert Sikkes. Zutphen, Netherlands. De Volkskrant, February 4, 1995.
1992	The Swedish anthroposophists and the "Negro problem" by Sven Ove Hansson. Folkvett 1992, No. 1.
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Church-State Issues with Public Waldorf Schools
Current on the Web	Schools as Churches: Drawing almost exclusively from books in the "Foundations of Waldorf Education" series (Anthroposophical Press), I have pulled together list of statements by Rudolf Steiner indicating the religious nature of Waldorf education. I think that, for most readers, the list should prove conclusive: Steiner meant Waldorf to be religious, and thus to the degree that Waldorf teachers attend to Steiner's expressed intentions, Waldorf schools today are religious institutions.
January 15, 2014	Concerns about the state funding of Steiner schools: British Humanist Association - The BHA has a large number of varied concerns about the state funding of Steiner schools. ... These concerns range from the quality of education provided, to pseudoscience on the curriculum, to homeopathy being given to pupils (which is unique), and at least one of the schools opting out of providing vaccinations (which is extremely unusual). The place of anthroposophy in the schools is consistently misunderstood. The human rights implications of state funded Steiner schools have not been properly considered.
April 12, 2013	Medford school doesn't recite Pledge of Allegiance, but bill would require it, flag in classroom: Oregon Legislature today - The director of a public charter school in Medford has defended the school's practice of not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, saying that it has nothing to do with lack of patriotism. The Waldorf-based school believes children should understand the pledges they make, before they make them, said Joseph Frodsham, director of the Madrone Trail Public Charter School.
April 5, 2013	Defamation Trial of Gregoire Perra (preliminary translation): Gregoire Perra published an article critical of Waldorf education on the web site of UNADFI, a French anti-cult organization. An English translation of that article can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/he-went-to-waldorf. The French association of Waldorf schools sued Perra for defaming the schools. A trial was held in Paris April 5, 2013. Linked here is a rough translation of Perra's notes on the trial, followed by the French original text.
January 7, 2013	Tory Free Schools Plot to Spin Away the Racism of Steiner Schools: Last year, I wrote to my local MP, Lib Dem Tessa Munt, to raise concerns that the nearby opening of a state funded Steiner School raised a number of issues. Most importantly, that Steiner Schools are not open about the religious and occult nature of their philosophy and that this philosophy is based on an abhorrent racist view of human spirituality. Furthermore, children are likely to be exposed to pseudoscience, hidden spiritual agendas and nonsensical teaching philosophies.
February 27, 2012	Frome Steiner Academy: Absurd Educational Quackery: Government funding of occult schools presents real risks to children’s education and health. by Andy Lewis, Quackometer blog: "Steiner schools (sometimes called Waldorf Schools) are not open about the true nature of their origins, beliefs and methods. The new web page of the Frome Steiner Academy gives the impression that they follow a progressive approach to teaching that uniquely follows a child’s personal development. That all sounds wonderful. What they do not say is that this approach is based on occult thinking, astrology, clairvoyance and esoteric cult-like beliefs." (external link)
2012	Denying and Defining Religion Under the First Amendment: Waldorf Education as a Lens for Advocating a Broad Definitional Approach by Richael Rhea. "The greatest significance of the Waldorf dispute does not lie in its resolution; rather, the scenario more importantly foretells the manifestation of similar factual situations in the future and emphasizes the need for a workable definition of religion. Nonetheless, this author believes that, under the newly proposed definition of religion, Waldorf schools and anthroposophy would potentially earn religious classifications." [Louisiana Law Review Vol. 72, Issue 4, note 214 p. 1127]
February 17, 2011	The Times: ‘Free schools and the Steiner school debate’ by James Gray
October 21, 2010	The Steiner Waldorf cult uses bait and switch to get state funding. Part 2 102 Comments
July 22, 2009	Pseudoscience – not a valid educational choice by Unity (post to Ministry of Truth blog). "It seems that the DCSF now has a rather curious working definition of 'diversity' which now includes funnelling public money to an occult society that derives it ideas on childhood development from a thoroughly bastardised fusion of Edwardian occultism, quasi-Christian Gnosticism and badly re-written Hindu mysticism and its idea of what constitutes science from the otherwise long-discredited work of the author of Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the German Counter-Enlightenment." There is some critique of the Woods Report. External link.
July 10, 2009	Fairies at the bottom of the schoolyard. Frank blog with public discussion. "What kind of complete fucking idiot would provide state funding to a network of schools operated by a bunch of woo-peddling occultist fucknuts?" (external link)
January 27, 2009	Dan Dugan speaks to the San Francisco School Board about an application for a Waldorf-inspired charter school. (external link to video 3:51)
September 14, 2007	Steiner approach under review By Mary Gearin. One investigation relates to literacy and numeracy standards, and the other comes after some parents complained that the spirituality implicit in the Steiner system was incompatible with secular public education. Transcript of ABC broadcast (external link).
July 28, 2007	Questions about Steiner's classroom by Milanda Rout, The Australian (external link).
July 25, 2007	Steiner education in State Schools: Is it Occult? Steiner education in Victorian state Schools may be stretching the secular intent of Victoria's 1872 Education Act. The Act was the first in Australia to make education free, secular and compulsory. Transcript of ABC broadcast (external link).
July 15, 2007	Talkback: Who was Rudolf Steiner? Why the current controversy over Steiner education programmes in Victorian state schools? Transcript of ABC broadcast (external link).
Summer, 2006	Steiner Preschools: More Taxpayer-Funded Loopiness. By Raymond Richards. New Zealand Skeptics Newsletter.
February 4, 2004	Letter from the Anthroposophical Society to the Benicia, CA, School Board: Anthroposophists compare PLANS to jewwatch.com!
2003	Why Waldorf Programs are Unsuitable for Public Funding by Dan Dugan, Cultic Studies Review, Volume 2, Number 2
October 28, 2003	Minutes of the Ross Valley School District Board, denying Oak Mountain Waldorf Charter School Petition : October 28, 2003.
Nov. 16, 2002	Gnomes and Critics at Waldorf Schools. By Carol Milstone, National Post (Canada).
March 27, 2001	Appeals Court Decision: Altman vs. Bedford Central School District : March 27, 2001.
February 7, 2001	Findings of the Chico Unified School District Board, denying Blue Oak Waldorf Charter School Petition : February 7, 2001.
October 30, 2000	Religion or Philosophy? Critics say Waldorf schools' unusual methods make them ineligible for public funding An article appearing October 30, 2000 on the front page of The San Francisco Chronicle.
October 7, 1999	WCBM "Uninhibited Radio" Transcript of radio program on Waldorf Education and PLANS' lawsuit, October 7, 1999 on WCBM Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Host: Les Kinsolving. Guests: Dan Dugan, People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools (PLANS); Betty Staley, Rudolf Steiner College; David Alsop, Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
1999	Reading, Writing, and "Spiritual Science"? by John W. Morehead.
1997	New Age Education Supported By Public Tax Dollars? Waldorf Charter School Controversy by John W. Morehead
Winter, 1997	Going Public: Schools weigh the Waldorf alternative: by Nora Mealy, California Schools: Winter 1997
March 4, 1997	Twin Ridges School - A Deceptive Alternative: by Dr. James M. Morton. The Union, Grass Valley-Nevada City, CA, March 4, 1997.
June 28, 1996	AWSNA Position Statement: ("Waldorf education is only possible if its practitioners and administrators are free to work out of a clear recognition of and commitment to the development of the spiritual nature of the human being.") June 28, 1996.
June 25, 1996	Americans United to Novato School Board: Letter from John C. Barker, June 25, 1996.
April, 1996	Charter for Indoctrination?: Why a San Diego Teacher Gives Tax-Funded Waldorf Charter Schools An 'F' by Rob Boston, Church and State, April 1996.
July 6, 1995	General Counsel to San Diego School Board: Letter of July 6, 1995, re Tubman Village School
March, 1992	The Rudolf Steiner Threat to Victorian Education by Ian Robinson. From: The Australian Rationalist, No 30, March 1992. If the Australian authorities had listened to Robinson back in '92, they wouldn't be in the trouble they are with Waldorf today.
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PLANS Lawsuit Documents
November 11, 2007	UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT - MEMORANDUM (16KB .pdf file). "The district court erred in excluding the testimony of the witnesses in question. Because PLANS intended to call the witnesses as percipient witnesses, it did not need to comply with the court's deadline for expert witness disclosure. Moreover, the record indicates that PLANS disclosed the witnesses as early as January 2001. Even if the witnesses had not been properly disclosed, there was no prejudice as the School Districts had previously designated the same witnesses as expert witnesses. ...Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is REVERSED, and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings."
November 3, 2005	254 NOTICE OF APPEAL TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEAL FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT (3.1MB .pdf file)
September 28, 2005	248 FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW; AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR JUDGMENT UNDER FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 52(c) (24K .pdf file)
September 12, 2005	241.1 Transcript of Trial (52K .pdf file)
April 20, 2005	229 THIRD AMENDED PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ORDER (872K .pdf file)
March 25, 2005	227 SUPPLEMENTAL DECLARATION OF MICHELLE L. CANNON IN SUPPORT OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE (28K .pdf file)
March 25, 2005	225 DEFENDANTS' JOINT REPLY TO PLAINTIFF'S OPPOSITION TO MOTION IN LIMINE NO. THIRTEEN (13) TO EXCLUDE EXPERTS NOT PROPERLY DISCLOSED BY PLAINTIFF (48K .pdf file)
March 25, 2005	224 DEFENDANT'S JOINT REPLY TO PLAINTIFF'S OPPOSITION TO MOTION IN LIMINE NO. TWELVE (12) TO EXCLUDE EXHIBITS NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED OR PRODUCED (40K .pdf file)
March 25, 2005	223 DEFENDANTS' JOINT REPLY TO PLAINTIFF'S OPPOSITION TO MOTION IN LIMINE NO. ELEVEN (11) TO EXCLUDE TESTIMONY BY WITNESSES NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED (28K .pdf file)
March 18, 2005	221 OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE NO. THIRTEEN (13) TO EXCLUDE "EXPERTS" (20K .pdf file)
March 18, 2005	220 OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE NO. TWELVE (12) TO EXCLUDE DOCUMENTS (32K .pdf file)
March 18, 2005	219 OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE NO. ELEVEN (11) TO EXCLUDE WITNESSES (36K .pdf file)
March 16, 2005	218 AMENDED PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ORDER (100K .pdf file)
March 14, 2005	217 OBJECTIONS BY DEFENDANT SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PORTIONS OF THE PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ORDER FILED FEBRUARY 18, 2005 (512K .pdf file)
March 14, 2005	216 DEFENDANT TWIN RIDGES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S OBJECTIONS TO PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ORDER (52K .pdf file)
March 11, 2005	211 DECLARATION OF MICHELLE L. CANNON IN SUPPORT OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE (32K .pdf file)
March 11, 2005	210 MOTION IN LIMINE NO. THIRTEEN: DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE TO EXCLUDE EXPERTS NOT PROPERLY DISCLOSED BY PLAINTIFF (48K .pdf file)
March 11, 2005	209 MOTION IN LIMINE NO. TWELVE: DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE TO EXCLUDE EXHIBITS NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED OR PRODUCED (52K .pdf file)
March 11, 2005	208 MOTION IN LIMINE NO. ELEVEN: DEFENDANTS' JOINT MOTION IN LIMINE TO EXCLUDE TESTIMONY BY WITNESSES NOT PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED (52K .pdf file)
March 11, 2005	207 DEFENDANTS' JOINT NOTICE OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE (24K .pdf file)
February 18, 2005	206 PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ORDER (684K .pdf file)
February 11, 2005	204 PLAINTIFF’S SEPARATE STATEMENT OF DISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN PREPARATION FOR PRETRIAL CONFERENCE (18K .pdf file)
February 11, 2005	203 JOINT FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE STATEMENT (110K .pdf file)
January 28, 2005	202 NOTICE OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE AFFECTED BY PLAINTIFF’S MOST RECENT WITNESS AND EXHIBIT LISTS (20K .pdf file)
January 14, 2005	196 DEFENDANTS' FINAL PRETRIAL STATEMENT (810K .pdf file)
January 14, 2005	198 JOINT FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE STATEMENT (85K .pdf file)
July 15, 2004	187 AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN AMERICA IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS (144K .pdf file)
June 25, 2004	161 MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF A MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, SUMMARY ADJUDICATION (116K .pdf file)
June 25, 2004	162 PLAINTIFF'S SEPARATE STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, SUMMARY ADJUDICATION (116K .pdf file)
May 28, 2004	163 DECLARATION OF JONATHAN P. HUBER IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, SUMMARY ADJUDICATION. (44K .pdf file)
February 10, 2003	109 OPINION from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, affirming the standing of PLANS and reinstating PLANS' federal lawsuit (44K .pdf file)
May 23, 2001	100 Full text of PLANS' lawsuit dismissal by The Honorable Frank C. Damrell May 23, 2001 (2.8 MB .pdf file)
October 24, 1999	49 Memorandum and Order: Decision of Judge Damrell 10/24/99 rejecting the school districts' request for summary judgment in PLANS' Establishment Clause lawsuit (2.2 MB .pdf file).
February 10, 1998	1 COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF: PLANS, Inc., Plaintiffs v. SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, TWIN RIDGES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT, DOES 1 - 100, Defendants
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Other Lawsuits - Documents
August 26, 2004	UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT: No. 03-1626: CAMPHILL SOLTANE, Appellant v. US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICE: An Anthroposophical institution claims that its employee is a religious worker. (72 KB .pdf file)
March 6, 2002	SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT AND JURY TRIAL DEMAND - RACIAL AND RETALIATORY DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT: Charmaine Paulson, Plaintiff, -vs- Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and Rudolf Steiner School of New York, Defendants. (2.6 MB .pdf file)
August 1, 2000	COMPLAINT FOR STATUTORY VIOLATIONS OF ADA, INTENTIONAL AND NEGLIGENT INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, CAL BUS & PROF CODE NEGLIGENCE, STATUTORY NEGLIGENCE OF CAL ED CODE: Blake and Betty Westman, Plaintiffs, -vs- Twin Ridges Elementary School District, Ken Ratekin, and DOES 1 - 50 inclusive, Defendants (2.4 MB .pdf file)