Jörgen Smit
Encyclopedia
Jörgen Smit was a Norwegian
teacher, teachers teacher, speaker and writer, mainly in the context of the Anthroposophical Society
and the Waldorfschool Movement. He was the general secretary of the Norwegian Anthroposophical Society, co-founder of the Rudolf Steiner
Seminar in Järna
, Sweden
and member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum
in Dornach
, Switzerland
.
. he studied Classical Philology
in Oslo and Basel
with Ancient greek
as main subject. He worked from 1941 to 1965 as a teacher at the Bergen Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) School. Next to being a teacher he started at early age as a lecturer and spoke to a wide range of subjects most of the time however in the context of Anthroposophy
and Waldorf education. From 1966 to 1975 he built up the teacher-Seminar for Waldorf teachers in Järna, an adult training center which was co-founded by Jörgen Smit already 1961. In cooperation with the painter Arne Klingborg, the architect Erik Asmussen
and the entrepreneur Åke Kumlander, amongst many others, a bigger center with a campus at the Baltic seashore devoted to anthroposophical inspired activities emerged.
1975 he was appointed on the Executive counsel of the General Anthroposophical Society in Dornach, Switzerland. Next to his duties as an executive member of the counsel he also headed the youth section and later the pedagogical section of the Goetheanum. More than half of the 4889 lectures he gave during his lifetime where held during the 16 years in Dornach. He travelled as a lecturer on all continents lecturing in Norwegian German and English, Europe remained his main working area. Most of the printed works by Jörgen Smit derive from the lectures he gave.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
teacher, teachers teacher, speaker and writer, mainly in the context of the Anthroposophical Society
Anthroposophical Society
The General Anthroposophical Society is an organization dedicated to supporting the community of those interested in the form of spiritual philosophy known as anthroposophy. The society was initiated during 1913 by members of the Theosophical Society in Germany, including Rudolf Steiner who was at...
and the Waldorfschool Movement. He was the general secretary of the Norwegian Anthroposophical Society, co-founder of the Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
Seminar in Järna
Järna
Järna is a locality situated in Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 6284 inhabitants in 2005.Järna has long been the centre of the anthroposophical movement in Sweden, and there is a private clinic, several schools and other institutions affiliated with the movement...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum
Goetheanum
The Goetheanum, located in Dornach , Switzerland, is the world center for the anthroposophical movement. Named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the center includes two performance halls , gallery and lecture spaces, a library, a bookstore, and administrative spaces for the Anthroposophical...
in Dornach
Dornach
Dornach is a municipality in the district of Dorneck in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Dornach is first mentioned in 1223 as de Tornacho. In 1307 it was mentioned as zu Dornach...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Life
Jörgen Smit grew up as second of seven sons in Bergen later in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. he studied Classical Philology
Classical philology
Classical philology is the study of ancient Greek and classical Latin. Classical philology has been defined as "the careful study of the literary and philosophical texts of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds." Greek and Latin literature and civilization have traditionally been considered...
in Oslo and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
with Ancient greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
as main subject. He worked from 1941 to 1965 as a teacher at the Bergen Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) School. Next to being a teacher he started at early age as a lecturer and spoke to a wide range of subjects most of the time however in the context of Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
and Waldorf education. From 1966 to 1975 he built up the teacher-Seminar for Waldorf teachers in Järna, an adult training center which was co-founded by Jörgen Smit already 1961. In cooperation with the painter Arne Klingborg, the architect Erik Asmussen
Erik Asmussen
Erik "Abbi" Asmussen was a Danish architect active in Järna, Sweden- Buildings by Erik "Abbi" Asmussen :*Kulturhuset i Ytterjärna*Kristofferskolan i Bromma, Stockholm...
and the entrepreneur Åke Kumlander, amongst many others, a bigger center with a campus at the Baltic seashore devoted to anthroposophical inspired activities emerged.
1975 he was appointed on the Executive counsel of the General Anthroposophical Society in Dornach, Switzerland. Next to his duties as an executive member of the counsel he also headed the youth section and later the pedagogical section of the Goetheanum. More than half of the 4889 lectures he gave during his lifetime where held during the 16 years in Dornach. He travelled as a lecturer on all continents lecturing in Norwegian German and English, Europe remained his main working area. Most of the printed works by Jörgen Smit derive from the lectures he gave.
Writings (in English)
- Meditation, Transforming our lives for the Encounter with Christ, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 2007, ISBN 978 185584 149 9
- How to transform thinking, feeling and willing: practical exercises for the training of thinking, feeling, willing. Hawthhorn Press, Stroud, 1998, ISBN 1 869 890 17 5;
- Spiritual Development: Meditation in Daily Life. Floris Books, 1996, ISBN 9780863150968
- Lighting fires, Deepening Education through Meditation. Hawthhorn Press, Stroud, 1992, ISBN 1 869 890 45 0
- Personal & Social Transformation: How to Develop Freedom, Equality, and Fraternity in Everyday Life. Howthorn Press, Stroud, 1992, ISBN 978 186989 039 1
- The Child, the teachers and the community. Pedagogical Section Council of North America, 1992
- For Waldorf teachers: the steps toward knowledge which the seeker for the spirit must take. Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, 1991, ISBN 9780962397837
Literature
- Antroposofien i Norden. Fem land i samarbeide. Antropos, Oslo, 2008, ISBN 978-82-7940-071-4 (In Norwegian)
- What is happening in the Anthroposophical Society Vol. 12, No. 5, Sept./Oct. 1991 (Biography)
External links
- Jörgen Smit Pages With Life, Bibliography, List of Lectures etc.
- Goetheanum Dornach
- Jörgen Smit in Libraries, Worldcat