Conrad Schachenmann

Conrad Schachenmann (1921–2014) was born in Basel. His two older sisters were born in Moscow before the Russian Revolution. His Swiss father was deputy managing director of the well-known delicatessen Elysejeff. His mother (half Swiss, half Russian) worked as a teacher in a Russian house. In 1920 the family left Russia because of the political situation and moved to Basel, where Conrad was born. At the age of 19, Conrad suffered a serious fall during a mountain tour in the Jura, and he was diagnosed a paraplegic and life in a wheelchair. With iron willpower, however, he learned to walk again, although he told visitors during his last years of life that he’d had a Christ experience while lying helplessly after the fall. While still at school, Schachenmann attended performances at the Goetheanum and became acquainted with anthroposophy. After high school, he studied law and received a doctorate. With a colleague he founded INDUR, a company for drive and control technology in Basel. He remained active in several aspects of the Anthroposophical Society and movement throughout his life. On May 15, 2014, Conrad Schachenmann crossed the threshold in Kandern. His partner reports that he “remained conscious until his final breath, when he crossed the threshold into the spiritual world fully conscious and with a smile.”