Exhibition - Flipbook - Seite 11
The Pioneers /4
Thomas Weihs (1914 Vienna–1983 Camphill)
studied medicine at the University of Vienna.
In October 1938, he and his wife Henny left
Austria. In Basel, he was able to repeat the
last year and to finish his medical studies. Just
one week before the start of World War II,
they crossed the channel on the last civilian
ship and arrived in Kirkton House in September 1939. Thomas was always the «right-hand»
for Karl König, doing a lot of practical work,
teaching, house-keeping, but also taking over
for a lecture if König was indisposed. From the
beginning he was glad to do land work and in
1945 when the new estate, Newton Dee was
bought, he took over the house with a group
of difficult youngsters and tended to the 84acre farm with them. After his first marriage
broke down he married Ann (whom he then
called Anke) in 1951. As Karl König became
seriously ill in 1954 Thomas took over the
medical work – medical care of the children,
leading the regular «clinics» and working with
the therapists. He also took on most of the administrative work of the community, becoming
Superintendent of Camphill Rudolf Steiner
Schools in 1957. Thomas became increasingly
well known as expert in curative education, as
writer and as lecturer, and was an esteemed
contributor to seminars within the Camphill
Movement and beyond.
Hans
and E lisabeth S chauder . Hans Schauder, too, was a medical
student at the University of Vienna. He left Austria for Italy together with Alex
Baum in July. He then continued his studies in Basel in Switzerland. Elisabeth
Schwalb (later ‹Liesl› Schauder) was also in Switzerland and asked the Haughton
Family in Scotland for a job. From September 1938 she then already worked
and lived on their estate. After graduating, Hans Schauder was not allowed to
stay in Switzerland. Liesel traveled from Scotland to attain a residence permit
for him at the British consulate. Together they went through war torn France
and married right after their arrival in London. Hans Schauder’s parents were
murdered in concentration camps. The first real extension of the work in
Camphill was at Auchindoir Lodge near Rhynie and together with Willi Amann,
Hans and Liesl took a group of helpers and children there until 1944 when
the lease ended. They then decided not to move back to Camphill but to start
their own venture near Edinburgh, in Garvald.
From Karl König‘s notes for his address at
the opening of Helgeseter in Norway, 1954