Hans Schauder, (22 November 1911, Vienna – 10 July 2001 in Edinburgh) was a British medical adviser and counsellor, co-founder of Camphill Community, founder of Garvald School & Training Centre [1] Hans Schauder was born in Vienna of assimilated Jewish parents, a Polish father and Austrian mother.
Through them came into touch with Anthroposophy, which opened up a path to spiritual knowledge and understanding as a result of which he no longer desired the monastic life but decided to become a doctor.
[3] Though many of his family and friends died in concentration camps and he himself suffered both physically and psychologically, struggling with his health for the rest of his life, he never became embittered or lost his trusting and open nature, which always looked for and fostered the best in people.
It was a welcome breathing space within the peaceful environment of his own home as opposed to the bustle of community living and there Schauder developed faculties that focused on the individual and his or her deeper problems.
In doing so he developed his own unique approach to counselling – an attempt to build up as complete a picture as possible of the client so as to fully identify with them and together work towards a solution.
The two men analysed the structure of Schauder’s therapeutic approach, gradually pinpointing the archetypal elements in the interview process.
There followed a steady stream of visitors from Europe: people who wished to discuss their problems with Schauder or seek advice on spiritual and moral questions, or who simply valued the opportunity to have contact with a very cultured and wise human being.
Schauder would repeatedly warn people to foster their inner being through prayer and meditation and develop their inner life to meet the dangers of involvement in our modern hectic lifestyle.
Two books of his poems in the German language were published, the final one post-humously and dealing with old age, parting, illness, trials of life and death.