JOACHIM SCHULTZ, 1938

A rotatable star chart by Joachim Schultz (1901-1953), a German astronomer. Schultz worked at the Goetheanum, a Swiss cultural institution founded by Rudolf Steiner, devoted to anthroposophy, the idea that there is a spiritual world which can be accessed through inner development. He was particularly interested in how celestial bodies affect the earth, and in particular he studied the effect of planetary influences on plant growth. He edited the annual ‘Sternkalendar’ (star calendar) produced by the Goetheanum. He first became involved as an assistant to Elisabeth Vreede, who had helped Steiner initiate the Mathematics and Astronomy School within the Goetheanum. Schultz first helped Vreede with the publication of a star calendar for 1929/1930 and eventually took sole charge of the calendar in 1948, and continued to supervise it until his death.