Rudolf Steiner

Theosophy influenced later movements and figures, including Rudolf Steiner (who later split to form Anthroposophy) and Annie Besant.

Rudolf Steiner gained recognition in the late nineteenth century as a literary critic and editor of Goethe’s scientific works.

Rudolf Steiner was born on 27 February 1861 (some sources note 25 February) in Kraljevec (now Donji Kraljevec, Croatia), then part of the Austrian Empire.

From a young age, Rudolf Steiner reported spiritual experiences.

Rudolf Steiner studied at the Vienna Institute of Technology from 1879 to 1883, focusing on mathematics, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences while auditing courses in literature and philosophy.

In 1891, Rudolf Steiner earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Rostock with a dissertation on Fichte’s concept of the ego.

Around 1900, Rudolf Steiner became involved with the Theosophical Society and was appointed leader of its German section in 1902.

In 1912–1913, Rudolf Steiner and most German members left to form the Anthroposophical Society.

Anthroposophy, which Rudolf Steiner described as “spiritual science,” sought to apply rigorous thinking to spiritual questions.

After World War I, Rudolf Steiner focused on practical initiatives.

Rudolf Steiner devoted significant attention to the lost continent of Atlantis in his esoteric writings and lectures, particularly in Cosmic Memory.

According to Rudolf Steiner, the decline and submersion of Atlantis resulted from increasing materialism, misuse of spiritual forces, and moral degeneration, events he linked to a great flood marking the transition to the current post-Atlantean epoch.

Rudolf Steiner married Anna Eunicke in 1899; the marriage ended in divorce, and she died in 1911.

Rudolf Steiner’s health declined in his final years, yet he continued lecturing until September 1924.

Rudolf Steiner’s claims of clairvoyant perception and spiritual research have been widely criticized as pseudoscience by mainstream scholars and scientists.

Rudolf Steiner left a broad and enduring impact across spiritual, educational, agricultural, and artistic fields.