Claus-Michael Brandt
Claus-Michael Brandt was born in Leipzig (DE) and experienced the Second World War as a child.
Later he attended the upper school of the Waldorf School in Hanover (DE), from where his destiny led him to a year at Michael Hall Steiner School (GB) and, via the children with special needs in Clent (GB), to a first meeting with anthroposophy.
Bridges between continents
Having first studied chemistry in Tübingen (DE), he changed to dentistry in Munich. His PhD on Henri Bergson gained him a scholarship at the Sorbonne in Paris (FR).
The socially engaged, widely interested and highly gifted Claus-Michael Brandt met with tasks that would again change the direction of his life: together with Friedrich Vogel he worked on a one-year project for students in Africa, a legacy of the Christian Community priest Friedrich Benesch. This initiative supported the building of bridges between continents, a central motto in Claus-Michael Brandt’s life.
Within the group of anthroposophical physicians he acquired general medical knowledge which he applied in his dentist’s practice and in cases of illness. In addition to his knowledge in almost all fields of science, he also had many artistic leanings and talents, including singing, chamber music, drama and poetry, and he completed a eurythmy training with Friedrich Gillert in Munich (DE). With his ‘artistic conversation’ he dispelled any fears and discomfort from the dentist’s chair!
With Ibrahim Abouleish, the founder of Sekem (EG) and a friend of many years, Claus-Michael Brandt set up a dentist’s practice there. He also put together a ‘dentist’s bag’ as a ‘mini-surgery’ for a Christian mission school in Namibia, was involved in a craft centre for young people with Helmut Blakes and taught dentistry in Minsk (BY). His own family, two children and grand-children, also greatly enriched his life.
He was active in the association of the four-year eurythmy training in Ljubljana (SI); from 2007 to 2019 he helped setting up Waldorf Schools in Canada, USA, Siberia, Southern China, Malaysia and Palestine and promoting eurythmy as a subject. He accompanied the eurythmist Erdmute Förster in lessons and projects, playing the flute with orchestra, for instance, in Richard Wagner’s Flying Dutchman at the Waldorf School in Kuala Lumpur (MY). One of his main concerns was helping children in need of therapy by practising Herrmann Kirchner’s ‘dynamic drawing’.
Trust in all people
The cosmopolitan, philanthropist and bridge-builder Claus-Michael Brandt felt at home in every country, because the world with all its cultures and religions was his ‘big family’. With his deep trust in all people, his readiness to help and his loyalty, he made friends across the world.