Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz, a European

Finally available in English, Thomas Meyers major biography of Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz (1869-1945) offers a panoramic view of an exceptional life. One of Rudolf Steiners most valued and independent-minded colleagues, Polzer-Hoditz was born in Prague--in the midst of the Austro-Hungarian Empire--to an aristocratic family with royal connections. Leaving behind the traditions of his background, he was to become a key actor in Steiners regenerative threefold social impulses, working tirelessly for a genuinely unified and free Europe. Polzer-Hoditz also fought to protect Rudolf Steiners esoteric legacy and the integrity of the Anthroposophical Society that had been founded to further his work. Following Steiners untimely death, Polzer-Hoditz fostered a broad range of friendships and alliances with key figures such as D.N. Dunlop, Walter Johannes Stein and Ita Wegman. In a bid to avoid further division and conflict, he made significant interventions to alter the tragic course of events that consumed the Anthroposophical Society, although he was unable to stop the major split within the membership that was to follow. In the final decade of his life he concentrated his energies on world issues, seeking to influence events in Europe in particular, lecturing widely and writing a number of books and memoranda. In contrast to the destructive special interests of the national and religious groups that craved dominion and power, Polzer-Hoditz sought to build a true understanding between Central and Eastern Europe and to cultivate a spiritual connection with the West.