In the midst of the socio-political upheaval in Serbia, the independent Academy for Waldorf Education ‘Sun’ was founded in Belgrade on 1 February 2025. It offers 25 students the opportunity to train as Waldorf teachers or educators in a three-year course.
The foundation marks a new step towards more publicity for an anthroposophical life that has so far been cultivated more discreetly. After the founding of the Anthroposophical Society in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia, on 8 February 1928, there were public lectures and medical practices and the journal Know Yourself existed for twelve years, but a painful disruption occurred after 1945, when due to the communist/socialist regime, the anthroposophical life had to remain invisible for many decades and limit itself to private study groups. Even in the 1980s and 1990s, the spiritual-scientific impulses were unable to thrive in Belgrade, Serbia’s cultural centre.
The foundation of the Anthroposophical Cultural Centre in 1994 was an exception. It offered a place for study under the leadership of Vojislav Kecman, as well as the opportunity to publish and systematically record Rudolf Steiner’s work. Since then, the Centre has been discreetly providing an openly accessible platform for anyone interested in anthroposophy.
The foundation marks a new step towards more publicity for an anthroposophical life that has so far been cultivated more discreetly. After the founding of the Anthroposophical Society in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia, on 8 February 1928, there were public lectures and medical practices and the journal Know Yourself existed for twelve years, but a painful disruption occurred after 1945, when due to the communist/socialist regime, the anthroposophical life had to remain invisible for many decades and limit itself to private study groups. Even in the 1980s and 1990s, the spiritual-scientific impulses were unable to thrive in Belgrade, Serbia’s cultural centre.
The foundation of the Anthroposophical Cultural Centre in 1994 was an exception. It offered a place for study under the leadership of Vojislav Kecman, as well as the opportunity to publish and systematically record Rudolf Steiner’s work. Since then, the Centre has been discreetly providing an openly accessible platform for anyone interested in anthroposophy.
Based on earlier initiatives
The initiative to start an Academy by Maja, Gordana and Bojana Mirković now makes it possible for the seed of a comprehensive spiritual impulse to break through to the light of day and into the dramatic stream of our time. The soil for this has been prepared over many years by earlier pedagogical initiatives, such as the first Waldorf kindergarten by Olivera Todorović, the current kindergarten Svitac (glow worm), and most recently the deepening kindergarten teacher courses offered by Claudia and Samo Simčič (CH). The endeavours of Miša Petrović and others to establish a first Waldorf School are also part of this spiritual and social network in Belgrade.
The training centre for future Waldorf teachers and educators is a practical response to a demand that has grown over the years and to the inner needs of young people. Against this background, the centre is transforming from month to month as it interacts with its environment and collaborates with similar institutes in Eastern and Central Europe. What is noticeable here is both immense enthusiasm and an immeasurable field of work that attracts suitable individuals.
The opening of the Academy was attended by students and anthroposophical friends from Belgrade and from other countries: Vesna Vinković from Croatia, who is mentor to the first year students, Christoph Johanssen from Germany who represents the International Association for Waldorf Education in Central and Eastern Europe, and Godi Keller from Norway.
In his ceremonial address, faculty member Branko Ljubic spoke of the spiritual scientific image of the human being in Waldorf education, which is more nuanced than the one applied in the mainstream and therefore able to overcome the materialistic view of the human being as a machine. He spoke of the far-reaching implications this has for Waldorf teachers who, in order to be successful in the sense of Rudolf Steiner’s pedagogy, not only need to work on themselves but also develop enthusiasm, insight and selflessness.
He also thanked the initiators, because it all started with a mother who resolved not to entrust her preschool age children to the mainstream education system once she had understood and experienced the insights into child development in Waldorf education. From this selfless personal step an impulse has grown that will ensure that teachers will soon be available for a first Waldorf school in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia.
Humorous and practical examples
In their practice-based workshops, Christoph Johanssen, Godi Keller and Vesna Vinković discussed the basic laws of child development. The first training module continued on the following day and concluded on 3 February with a public lecture by Godi Keller.
Overall, the lectures provided a wealth of humorous and practical examples and created a warm and attentive mood. The ultimate ‘test’ – the feedback from the students – revealed that they were deeply engaged and full of gratitude for the pioneering achievements of the initiators.
The Academy is currently privately funded and looking for additional support. By the end of June the sixth module will have taken place, made possible by experienced lecturers from Hungary and Switzerland.
Picture: Founding of the Independent Waldorf Academy in Serbia, courtesy photo. By Branko Ljubic on behalf of the faculty of the Academy for Waldorf Education. More ...
