Gandhi Visits Sunfield

Gandhi Visits Sunfield in Sally Oak Birmingham

Gandhi’s famous visit to England in 1931 included a stopoff in Birmingham as he travelled north to meet unemployed cotton workers in Rochdale. Here he visited the fledgling Sunfield Children’s Home run on Steiner curative education indications at Selly Oak set up with a group of young Anthroposophists including Michael Wilson, David Clements and Freed and Maria Geuter with the encouragement of Dr Ita Wegman from Arlesheim Switzerland .   

Arriving in Birmingham on October 18 1931, Gandhi spoke to an audience of more than 300 people in the Cadbury Room at Woodbrooke about how Indian freedom could be obtained through peaceful means. Gandhi visited Woodbrooke in part as a favour to his friend Horace Alexander, who taught international relations at the centre. After his speech to the Cadbury Room Gandhi stayed the night at Woodbrooke, sleeping on the floor of his bedroom as he had become accustomed. Woodbrooke is a Quaker study centre founded in 1903 by George Cadbury and John Wilhelm Rowntree.