Anthroposophical Curative Education in the Third Reich: The Advantages of an Outsider

Anthroposophical curative education originates from the philosophical and pedagogical ideas of Rudolf Steiner. Born in Germany in 1924, in the heyday of racial hygiene, and with a phase of establishment parallel to the growth of National Socialism, this reform movement for children with special needs faced some crucial challenges. By shedding light on the conditions and strategies of the Steiner institutions under the Third Reich, this article explores some of the reasons why the co-workers in these institutions in several cases avoided collaboration with the Nazi regime and their lethal politics towards disabled children. One assumption is that anthroposophical curative education was in an outsider position in Germany, allowing the professionals involved the benefit of operating outside the direct jurisdiction of the agency of the Third Reich.