Theo Faiss

Rare card · No. 48915

Theodor Alberto Faiss ([ˈteːo faɪ̯s]; 1 July 1907 – 7 October 1914) was a boy whose death in Dornach, Switzerland, was frequently invoked by the anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner as having spiritual significance. Faiss was well liked in Dornach, and frequently ran errands; he was killed when, while delivering groceries for Steiner's housekeeper, a horse-drawn wagon overturned on him. Steiner invoked Faiss's death in at least fifteen speeches and lectures thereafter, repeatedly terming it a karmically voluntary sacrifice that provided a protective spiritual sheath for the Goetheanum, the headquarters of the anthroposophical movement. The building nevertheless burned down eight years later, possibly due to arson; anthroposophists have offered several explanations for why this happened despite the protection of Faiss. Faiss was born in Brazil to German expatriates who ran a plant nursery; the family returned to Europe when he was around four. They had known Steiner before they left and reconnected...

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