March 30

Born in 1634, Kazimierz Łyszczyński was a Polish noble and intellectual who challenged religious orthodoxy. He authored 'De non existentia Dei', a philosophical treatise arguing that belief in God was unfounded. Arrested in 1688, Łyszczyński faced a high-profile trial for atheism in Warsaw, where he refused to recant his views. In 1689, he was sentenced to death and executed, becoming a symbol of free thought and intellectual courage. His work was suppressed for centuries but later rediscovered as a landmark in the history of secular philosophy.

Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, and esotericist who developed the spiritual movement known as anthroposophy. Born in 1861, he studied natural sciences and philosophy at the Vienna Technical University. Steiner emphasized the integration of science and spirituality, believing in a transcendent reality accessible through inner development. He authored numerous works on education, art, and spirituality, most notably the basis for Waldorf education. Steiner also designed the Goetheanum building in Switzerland as a center for his movement. His ideas influenced pedagogy, agriculture (biodynamics), and the arts. He remained active internationally, lecturing across Europe until his death in 1925.