Becoming Human: A Social Task

Karl König (1902-66) was well-known as a physician, author and lecturer. He began his work at the Institute of Embryology at the University of Vienna. In 1940 he founded the Camphill Movement in Scotland. Based on Rudolf Steiner's insights into human development, the special education schools for children and villages for adults with special needs are now established in many parts of the world. Richard Steel, born 1952 in Oxford, England, completed the Camphill seminar for Curative Education at Föhrenbühl at Bodensee (Lake Constance), Germany, in 1975. He lived and worked there with his family in one of the households for children with special needs. Since 2008, he has shared responsibility for Karl König's estate and runs the Karl König Archive in Berlin.

'Threefolding in the social realm is not an easy concept to come to terms with, let alone realise … All the more reason to pick up this very timely book and make an effort to understand how society could have organised itself; and what could still happen if social development stays connected with the true needs of humanity rather than be blinded by power and greed. At times it is heart-rending to read how the right path for humanity has time and again being side-tracked. Yet overall it is inspiring to know that this impulse has not simply failed and died out.'-- Camphill Correspondence