World Conference

Up to 800 people attended the Medical Section’s World Conference Crossing Bridges – Being Human from 12 to 20 September at the Goetheanum.

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A conference of this size was only possible with a strict Corona safety concept in place that required the wearing of masks in most places. In parallel to the conference at the Goetheanum, regional conferences and online events took place in around 60 other countries, with more than a thousand people attending in all.

The theme and framework for the world conference were provided by Rudolf Steiner’s three Bridge Lectures (from GA 202), which had been translated into eleven languages for the occasion. These lectures discuss the importance of warmth, including its enlivening quality for human relationships in medicine and care situations.

In addition to the opportunity for personal and specialist exchanges and dialogue, the festive celebration on 16 September constituted a special highlight. During this act, as well as in other contributions, it became apparent that Anthroposophic Medicine, initiated by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman in 1920, continues to hold immense future potential. Giovanni Maio, professor of medical ethics at the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg (DE), focused on the concept of ‘caring’ in therapy; Peter Selg, professor at Witten-Herdecke University (DE) and Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences (DE), discussed the spiritual origins of medicine; Michaela Glöckler, the former head of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum, referred to global professional development opportunities in Anthroposophic Medicine; Matthias Girke, head of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum, elaborated on the importance of the human individuality, while the Section’s deputy head Georg Soldner spoke of Anthroposophic Medicine in relation to the essence of the human being and of the earth.

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