Steffen, Albert

Steffen, Albert (äl`bĕrt shtĕf`ən), 1884–1963, Swiss novelist, poet, and playwright, who wrote in German. His works are concerned with the martyrdom and redemption of Christ. To Steffen the solution to social ills lay in the emulation of Christ's life. The mystical novel Sucher nach sich selbst [seeker after himself] (1931) expresses his religious outlook. With the death of Rudolf Steiner in 1905, Steffen became the leader of Steiner's mystical anthroposophy movement. His works in English translation include Death Experience of Manes (tr. 1970) and Hiram and Solomon (tr. 1971).