Edith Stein was born at Breslau on 12th October 1891 to German Jewish parents, and after her secondary education, she enrolled in the department of philosophy in the city university. In 1913, she transferred to the University of Gottingen to study under Edmund Husserl. Until the age of thirteen years, she was in effect an atheist. She had her first serious encounter with Christianity listening to Max Scheler. In 1916, she continued and completed her studies at Fribourg where she wrote her doctorate directed by Husserl. She remained working in the university until 1921.
During those years, she read the autobiography of Teresa of Avila and became aware of being called to become a Catholic; she was baptized on 1st January 1922. Read more…