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1. Albert SCHWEITZER
(1)
(photo) was born on 14 Jan 1875 in Kaysersberg. He died on 4 Sep 1965 in
Lambaréné - Gabon. Licencié en théologie, vicaire de St-Nicolas
à Strasbourg, docteur en médecine, docteur en droit honoris causa,
prix Nobel de la paix en 1952, membre de l'Institut, philosophe et musicologue,
écrivain et organiste.
ALBERT SCHWEITZER
1875-1965
The son of a Lutheran pastor, Albert Schweitzer was born in Alsace, then part
of Germany and later part of France. By the age of 29 Schweitzer had already
authored three books and made valuable contributions in the fields of music,
religion, and philosophy. He was an acclaimed organist and world authority on
Bach, a church pastor and principal of a theological seminary, and a university
professor with a doctorate in philosophy.
At the age of 30, aware of the desperate need of Africans for medical care, he
decided to become a medical doctor and devote the rest of his life serving the
people of Africa. In 1913, at the age of 37, Dr. Schweitzer and his wife, Hélène,
opened a hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon - then a province of French Equatorial
Africa. He devoted his life from then on to providing health care for the people
in the area. Not even the serious setbacks during and immediately after World
War I deterred him from his mission.
In 1915 he came upon the insight, "Reverence for Life," as the elementary
and universal principle of ethics which he had been seeking. From the "will
to live" evidenced in all living beings, Schweitzer demonstrated the ethical
response for humans - Reverence for Life. By stressing the interdependence and
unity of all life, he was a forerunner of the environmental and animal welfare
movements.
In 1953, at the age of 78, Albert Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In the speeches and writings during the last twelve years of his life, he emphasized
the dangers of nuclear energy, nuclear testing, and the nuclear arms race between
the superpowers.
Although retired as a surgeon, Albert Schweitzer continued to oversee the hospital
until his death at the age of 90. He and his wife are buried on the hospital
grounds in Lambaréné.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Albert Schweitzer is remembered as an insightful
author in philosophy, ethics, music, and theology. Out of My Life and Thought
is his autobiography in which are summarized the principal themes of his writings.
This book as well as Schweitzer, a Biography by George Marshall are available
through The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Phone (617) 667-5111.