Friedrich Nietzsche: Fighter for Freedom

Written in 1889 (CW 5)

Immediately upon reading Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil in 1889, Rudolf Steiner recognized a kindred spirit―a courageous fighter for the freedom of the human individuality who waged a fierce but unconscious battle against the unspiritual views of the age.

Rudolf Steiner met Nietzsche once in Naumburg in 1895. By this time, Nietzsche’s mental state had already deteriorated. In his autobiography, Steiner recounts his intensely affecting encounter with Nietzsche, facilitated by Nietzsche’s sister, Frau Foerster-Nietzsche. There, Steiner describes the profound impact of being led into Nietzsche’s room and observing him lying on his bed in a state Steiner called “spirit-night.” In a radiant vision, Steiner saw Nietzsche’s ill-starred destiny, his soul yearning for the spiritual enlightenment it sought but could not fully grasp. This moment transformed Steiner’s previous impression of Nietzsche into an encompassing spiritual understanding.

Soon afterward, Frau Foerster-Nietzsche asked Steiner to organize the Nietzsche Library at the Archive in Naumberg, and for several weeks Steiner was able to immerse himself in the books Nietzsche had read. Reflecting on Nietzsche’s intense, devoted, and wide-ranging studies, Steiner especially pointed to a heavily annotated volume by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Rudolf Steiner’s meeting with Nietzsche and his experience in the Archive immediately preceded his writing this book. They are the heart of Friedrich Nietzsche: Fighter for Freedom and inform the mood in which it was written.

Friedrich Nietzsche: Fighter for Freedom is an intimate and unique portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche himself and a true characterization of his eternal creative goal, the “superman.” Through authentic spiritual research, Rudolf Steiner illuminates for us Nietzsche’s enduring legacy and provides a deep, spiritual understanding of his life and work.

This book is a translation from German of Friedrich Nietzsche, ein Kämpfer gegen seine Zeit (GA 5).

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.