The history of the “Rudolf Steiner´s administration of his Literary Bequest.
(Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung)

1943 foundation of the Literary Bequest (Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung), association for the administration of Rudolf Steiner´s literary and artistic bequest.
Already during Rudolf Steiner´s life, Marie Steiner had taken the weight of the shoulders of the highly demanded founder of the Anthroposophic spiritual science. For that purpose she had founded already in 1908 the “ Philosophical- Anthroposophical Publishing House”, Berlin.
Rudolf Steiner disposed by will, that his companion, who had been for decades his co-founder of the anthropsophical movement should have the right disposal of his literary bequest. After Rudolf Steiner´s death, Marie Steiner was in addition to her artistic work as head of the Goetheanum stage continuously editing her husband´s work and at the same time member of the “Executive Board of the Anthroposophical Society” (Vorstand). The foundation of the
“ Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung”is becoming her legacy for Rudolf 'Steiner´s life-works for the anthroposophical movement. And the public.
1945 The publication of the foundation of the “Nachlassverwaltung” brings fierce conflicts within the Anthroposophical Society. Extensive groups of the society around the members of the board (Vorstand) Albert Steffen and Günther Wachsmuth don´t want to acknowledge Marie Steiner´s founded “Nachlassverwaltung”and claim titles to Rudolf Steiner´s works as alleged property of the Anthroposophical Society.
The results are disruptions and separation lasting for decades until the relation between society and “Nachlassverwaltung”slowly approaches a cooperation of independent partners.
1948 December 28^th Marie Steiner dies at Beatenberg, Switzerland, where she had send her last years.
1949 The “Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung” domicile is in the Rudolf Steiner Halde, Dornach, the place where Marie Steiner´s home was and which was extended by her. The association continuous the edition´s work, the presentation of the literary legacy and the administration of the copy rights for Rudolf Steiner´s work. The establishment of the Archives begins. First of all Rudolf Steiner´s works are published by the Nachlassverwaltung.

Negotiations with the Anthroposophical Society about the controversial copy- rights on Rudolf Steiner´s work fail. The Swiss Anthroposophical Society splits into a mayor group around the “Vorstand” and a small group of free initiatives around the “Nachlassverwaltung”which forms the Anthroposophical Association, Switzerland. Arguments of the protection of the copy-rights.
1952 The law court Solothurn, Switzerland, decides definitely that the rights of Rudolf Steiner´s work and literary legacy are with the “Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung” and rejects the claim of the Anthropsophical Society.The main task in the archives are the inventory work of the immense literary legacy and the care for new editions of already printed works, especially the edition of posthumous works, to meet the world wide demands of anthroposophical initiatives to study the work and lectures of Rudolf Steiner.

The characteristic of the archives are the extensive editional work on grounds of the many 19 different qualities existing shorthand reports and handwritings of Steiner´s approximately 6000 offhand spoken lectures. The developing Rudolf Steiner Verlag (publishing house) attends to the edition of Steiner´s complete work, publishes numerous special and single editions and to the reproduction of Steiner´s work of art. Every year the Rudolf Steiner Verlag will take part in an exhibition of of the constant growing work at the Frankfurt Fair ( Frankfurter Buchmesse).
1955 The administration of Steiner´s literary legacy starts with the conception and realisation of the complete edition of his work as a study and research edition. From the opening up of Steiner´s literary legacy develops the maybe most extensive edition of an author who belongs at the end of the 20^th century to the most translated writers in German.
1961 The bibliographical overview”Rudolf Steiner:His literary and artistic work” is published.(By Hella Wiesberger and co-workers of the Archives). After long preparatory works, an editorial project of Rudolf Steiner´s complete work is available,which is until today effective in more than 350 volumes, divided into three main groups: A. writings, B. lectures,C. The artistic work.
Since 1961 “News from the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung”, including publications from the Archives are periodically published, which contain supplementary material, references, studies and facsimiles. The brochures contain many first publications of Steiner´s posthumous work. From brochure 29 onwards, 1970, this series´title is “ Beiträge zur Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe”.Continuing until today it contains more than 120 copies.
On the occasion of Rudolf Steiner´s 100^th birthday, 1961, several exhibition take place in cooperation of the “Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung”, e.g. an important exhibition about the artistic and literary work in Zurich( Städtische Kunstkammer).
1972 “Rudolf Steiner Verlag” starts with paperbacks ( Taschenbücher aus dem Gesamtwerk”)which soon grows and makes an important part of the “Gesamtausgabe” low priced accessible.
1977 Death of Dr. H.W. Zbinden, anthroposophical doctor and head of the executive board of the “Nachlassverwaltung”. In cooperation with the lawyer Dr. Paul Jenny, member of the executive board of the “Nachlassverwaltung”for many years too, H.W.Zbinden was an essential advocate for safeguarding the independence of the “Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung”in the differences with the Anthroposophical Society.
1980 Through the preservation of a legacy, the H.-H. Fond can be established which makes a reproduction in high quality of many of Rudolf Steiner´s paintings possible which would otherwise be threatened by decay.
1988 300 volumes are published ( the entire volumes of the complete work will be about 350, without the art reproduction). Extensive research has to be done in order to publish the rest of the volumes. Co-workers of the Archives are called more and more to give informations and attend the research alongside the editorial work and republishing of the work.
1992 Start of continuous exhibition of Rudolf Ste4iner´s blackboard drawings in different museums all over the world, among others in Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Tokyo, New York, Zurich, Buenos Aires-, which awaken intensive interest and show Rudolf Steiner in a new light as modern artist. In the context of the “Gesamtausgabe” 1989 started an edition of reproduction of all Steiner´s blackboard drawings.
1994 The “Pforte”publishing house(established by Conrad Schachenmann and Justina Schachenmann-Teichert in 1952) is transferred into the Rudolf Steiner Verlag and has been since then the edition for Anthroposophy and spiritual science.
1995 The “International Supporting Community Rudolf Steiner” is established to promote further work in the Archives, which are without any financial support neither by public authorities nor by the Antroposophic society.
The patent rights expire for the editions, which had been published before 1925. Later published titles and all editions of the complete works remain protected for 70 years after the editor´s death.
During the 1990, whole unities, e. g. meditations, esoteric lectures and the whole pedagogical works can get finished as part of the complete works. Besides the ongoing process of improving the qualities of new editions, the complete works are replenished with editions of lectures from Steiner´s early Theosophical time, lectures of the threefold order, editions of letters, blackboard drawings , the artistic work and notebooks.
2000 Start of a systematic ,electronic recording of Steiner´s complete works and further material as base of the Archive´s digital stock.

2002 New opening of the newly renovated Rudolf Steiner Archives at House Duldeck, which was built 1914/15 as dwelling house according to Rudolf Steiner´s design.