Abstract
Tracing the history of the emergence of the first kindergarten in the nineteenth century from the pedagogical impulse of Friedrich Froebel, and investigating the philosophical determinants that support it (German Romanticism and Idealism), this work examines the later development, in the 1920s, of the Waldorf kindergarten. It seeks to deepen understanding of early childhood education based on Waldorf pedagogy, promoted by the Austrian thinker Rudolf Steiner, who was also inspired by authors of German Romanticism and Idealism. The study addresses the founding circumstances of the first Waldorf kindergarten in Stuttgart by Elisabeth von Grunelius and examines her prior training at the Pestalozzi-Froebel-Haus. It then draws connections between the two pedagogical movements, both philosophically and methodologically, identifying possible legacies within the Waldorf kindergarten. The analysis highlights both differences—such as the use of “gifts”—and similarities, such as respect for free play, across several dimensions: the conception of play; the conception of the child; the importance of the child’s capacity for imitation; the adult-child relationship; the composition of the environment (space and materials); the structuring of time through rhythms and rituals; and the enduring metaphor of gardening. The research also considers distortions that Froebelian pedagogy has undergone over time and identifies in Waldorf education a revival of many elements of Froebel’s original proposal. Finally, it presents a brief history of the emergence of Waldorf kindergarten in Brazil, along with an open interview with kindergarten teacher Christa Glass, a pioneer of this movement in the country.
Keywords: Waldorf Kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel, Rudolf Steiner, Elisabeth von Grunelius