Review article

The first Waldorf primary school in Zagreb (1994–2019)

Milan Matijević ; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

It has been a hundred years since the first Waldorf school was established in Stuttgart. As it happens, Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), the founder of the first Waldorf school, was born in Croatia and the first such school was established in Zagreb on 12 September 1993.
At the beginning of this century, two Waldorf schools (Zagreb and Rijeka) and one Montessori school (Zagreb) operated in Croatia. During its first 25 years, 230 students finished the Waldorf primary school in Zagreb. They all continued with their training at Croatian secondary schools (gymnasiums, business schools, medical schools, technical schools, and various trade schools).
The first teachers who worked in Waldorf schools were trained at Waldorf institutions in Austria, however, the recently established Institute for Waldorf Education in Zagreb now provides ongoing education and training for teachers whose work is based on the educational theory and principles of Rudolf Steiner. Some of the teachers completed their Waldorf education studies in Germany, The Netherlands or England. During the first quarter century of the school’s activity, Waldorf teachers established strong cooperation with Waldorf teacher associations in Austria, Germany and The Netherlands. Many teachers and whole classes visited Waldorf schools in these countries as guests.
The Waldorf School in Zagreb is accredited as a private alternative school, funded mostly by parents. The City of Zagreb donated its first building with four classrooms, while foreign donors (Austrian, German and Dutch friends of Waldorf education) helped build four modular wooden classrooms, a handicrafts workshop and a eurhythmy hall. The activities undertaken by the first Waldorf school in Zagreb over the years had a great impact on the development of a setting suitable for starting new alternative schools and introducing educational pluralism in Croatian public schools. What makes this first alternative school particularly important is the fact that future public-school teachers learned about the pedagogy of Rudolf Steiner, which considerably departs from the prevailing pedagogy used in public schools.

Keywords

Waldorf school; anthroposophy; Zagreb; 1994–2019

Hrčak ID:

296317

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/296317

Publication date:

15.6.2021.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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