Albert Schweitzer was one of the most remarkable figures of the twentieth century.  Born in Alsace in 1875, his intellectual curiosity and physical energy enabled him to obtain degrees in music, philosophy and theology at Strasbourg University, while earning a living as a Lutheran priest.  Before the age of 30, Schweitzer had achieved international renown for his controversial theological conclusions, for his skill as an organist and concert performer, and for his works on JS Bach.

Schweitzer was driven by an awareness of suffering and a feeling that he must pay something back for his happy childhood, which led him to decide, in his early twenties, that, at the age of 30, he would study medicine.  He was nearly 40 when he went out to Gabon to work as a doctor.  For the next 50 years, he financed and ran a hospital for Africans, which made him famous throughout the world.  It was here that he developed his principle of Reverence for Life.

In 1952, Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and, in his acceptance speech, he took the opportunity to launch one of the first major calls for peace and nuclear disarmament.  However, by the time Schweitzer died in 1965, attitudes had changed, admiration for his humanity had diminished, with some suggesting that his attitudes were patronising and even racist.  His hospital was also seen as outdated compared with the modern facilities that had been established by then.

In this talk, Galen Bartholomew will review Schweitzer’s very full life and consider different opinions about his work and achievements, suggesting that he should be seen as a man of his time, and that his philosophy still has relevance today.

Two-course lunch is served at 1.00 pm (special diets can be accommodated) but arrive early to get a drink and enjoy the lovely house and gardens. The talk will commence at 2.00 pm.