Waldorf is a Pretzel

«What exactly is Waldorf?» This question came up recently at a teachers' conference – and I was amazed. After more than 100 years of research and practice in Germany, it is still being asked. There are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand people – and at least two thousand Waldorfs for a thousand teachers! Because the understanding of Waldorf is constantly being reborn throughout life. I have met both conservative and innovative people in the teaching staff. For me, the collaboration of such different personalities is the true spirit of this philosophy. We don't have to agree on everything – and yet we can work together with the same students. Rudolf Steiner once said in one of his educational lectures: «The highest art is the social art.» And this is exactly what is reflected in the Waldorf school. We do not follow a rigid curriculum. Rather, everyone is encouraged to explore their own path with their own enthusiasm and abilities.

I believe that it is not what a person learns that matters, but how they learn it — with enthusiasm and genuine interest. What seems even more important to me is that it is not what is learned that counts, but the person who emerges from it. I quoted Steiner to reinforce my thoughts. But if we treat his words as dogma, it becomes dangerous – because then we stop thinking for ourselves. Steiner himself said: «Don't believe me, check for yourself.» ( GA 4)

Don't get too attached to books

Before moving back to Germany, I worked at various schools in China for almost ten years. China is like an educational testing ground where many innovative ideas take root – Waldorf is just one of them. The Waldorf movement has existed in China for over 20 years. In my experience, the occasional disappearance of schools is not due to centralized politics or strict laws, but to the dedicated teachers themselves. Many are too attached to books and curricula and lose sight of the children. Rudolf Steiner said: «Where is the book in which the teacher can read what teaching is? The children themselves are that book» (GA 295). Waldorf is human education. The only curriculum is the human being. That is why we must observe children. Books are only occasional aids.

Some teachers in China are so enthusiastic that they consider their experiences to be universally valid and want to instruct others. These internal conflicts lead to frequent changes in teaching staff. Allowing diversity and seeking common ground takes time. Waldorf education is ultimately self-education—a path that requires not only personal maturity but also collective patience. China in particular shows how challenging this path can be. The idea of teacher autonomy, as pursued in Waldorf education, often conflicts with social expectations, institutional structures, and cultural hierarchies. Implementing self-responsibility among colleagues is a slow but necessary process – and perhaps particularly valuable for that very reason. I wonder whether Germany has gone through similar phases – and what phase it is in now. State support for Waldorf schools in Germany is impressive by international standards. And yet only about 0.9 percent of students in Germany attend a Waldorf school.

A stranger in your own home?

This is all the more remarkable when you consider that Waldorf education is now widespread throughout the world – in over 70 countries, in a wide variety of cultures and societies. It is considered the largest alternative education movement in the world. And yet, in Germany, the country where this educational approach originated, Waldorf remains a marginal phenomenon despite its hundred-year history and high profile. This tension fascinates me: how is Waldorf understood in German culture?

Is it a familiar concept – or a foreign one in our own country? I am curious to know how people in Germany perceive this «native» educational concept – and why it is so rarely chosen here despite its roots. Another interesting observation: I once asked my eighth-grade class who would like to become an influencer later on. No one raised their hand. In China, I have seen many Waldorf students begin to alienate themselves from school starting in middle school. They lose interest in most subjects, spend a lot of time on their cell phones, and dream of becoming influencers. In the Waldorf movement there, they even talk about «Waldorf refugees» – young people who change schools, move from one Waldorf school to the next, or go to completely different school systems or even abroad. So for them, the pedagogy is losing its appeal. There are similar trends in Germany, too – albeit less drastic. Some students distance themselves internally from school starting in middle school, without it being immediately apparent. This raises the question for me: What do young people need in order to feel supported by Waldorf?

I remember a piece of advice that I like to pass on myself: «Teach what inspires you—because only then can you inspire others.»

In Waldorf education, the focus is always on the individual – not the content. I think Waldorf is like a pretzel. It doesn't always go straight. Sometimes it bends, sometimes it twists, sometimes it crosses over. It's very German – but not everyone in Germany has a feel for it. That's just how it is in the world.