The official homepage of the International Albert Schweitzer Association
Go to "The
Albert Schweitzer Page"
of Jack N. Fenner!
He is OrganDoc and SpiritualDoc and BenefizDoc!
It´s great to visit the Albert-Schweitzer-House in Gunsbach in the Alsace/France and possibly try to play on his old jungle piano or on the orgen in the local church building. My occasion to do this was more than 10 years ago visiting a piano master class with Helena Costa/Porto/Portugal which was organized by the Schweitzer-House by the two nurses who worked with him for over 20 years in Lambarene.
| Virgil
Fox and the Albert Schweitzer Music Award Metropolitan Opera soprano Anna Moffo will receive the 2002 Albert Schweitzer Music Award “for a life’s work dedicated to music and devoted to humanity.” It will be presented during the September 1 Virgil Fox Memorial Concert at the Fox Theatre. |
| The Albert
Schweitzer Music Award was instigated at a meeting between Rhena
Schweitzer Miller, an Atlanta citizen and the only child of Dr.
Schweitzer, and Richard Torrence. They were introduced at the organ
console of Peachtree Christian Church, Atlanta, where Ms. Miller called
attention to the "Schweitzer Flöte" on the E. Power
Biggs-designed Fratelli Ruffatti instrument. As a child, Dr.
Schweitzer's daughter had turned pages for Charles Marie Widor at Nôtre
Dame de Paris, and her first husband was an organ builder, so she was
familiar with pipe organs. Mr. Torrence suggested that it might be a
"Swiss Flute," and she said that would be spelled differently;
this was definitely named after her father, the eminent Bach authority,
organist, theologian, medical doctor, and Nobel Peace Prize awardee. Ms. Miller expressed regret that her father had not been better known as a musician. Although he was primarily known as a medical doctor, "Bach was his passion." She asked Torrence if he would help her put on a concert in New York for the January 14, 1975 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of her father. Marshall Yaeger subsequently suggested that the occasion establish a music award in the name of her father so that people might ask, "Why a music award in the name of Albert Schweitzer?", thus highlighting his contributions in music. Yaeger wrote the proclamation for the award, "for a life's work dedicated to music and devoted to humanity," and established that the award would always be given to a musician humanitarian. The concert was discussed with Julius Bloom, Executive Director of Carnegie Hall, who offered to help produce the concert. Isaac Stern was chosen as the first recipient by a committee which included a representative of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (which sponsored the concert) and Dr. Walter Anderson, Head of the Music Department of the National Endowment for the Arts (and himself an organist and composer). On the actual 100th birthday anniversary, an all-Bach concert was presented at Carnegie Hall. Eugene Istomin opened with Bach on the piano. Marta Casals, wife of Bach specialist and cellist Pablo Casals, hosted the evening, and read from the writings of Dr. Schweitzer. Richard Westenberg conducted the American Symphony Orchestra and the Bethlehem Bach Choir. Virgil Fox was soloist in the Bach D Minor Concerto, and played several solo works on the new five manual Rodgers organ in Carnegie Hall. Subsequent recipients of the Albert Schweitzer Music Award have been Katherine Dunham (dancer, musician, educator - 1979), Van Cliburn (pianist, cultural ambassador - 1983), Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist, conductor, human rights advocate - 1985), Leonard Bernstein (pianist, conductor, educator - 1987), John Denver (singer, composer, environmentalist - 1992), and the Three Tenors (who are also prominent humanitarians in various endeavors) Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti (1998). |
|
Information about his Life and WorkTo find information about his life there are three different approaches: A short biography, a complete biography and a curriculum with the most important dates. The contribution of Helene Schweitzer-Bresslau, the wife of Dr. Schweitzer was very important. Without her help, he could not have done half what he did. Helene herself has had a very interesting life. Many ask us about the family tree of the Schweitzer family. We can not give you further info about the large branches of the family. The ethic of "reverence for life" was for Albert Schweitzer even more important than his well known hospital. In 1954 Schweitzer began to sereousely concern himself with the problem of nuclear weapons and in 1957 and 1958 he appealed to the world to ban nuclear tests and bombs in four talkes which were published under the titel of "peace or atomic war". |
| 1875 | 14. January born in Kaysersberg in the Alsace In July, the Schweitzer family moves to Günsbach |
|---|---|
| 1893 | Study of theology and philosophy, music lessons |
| 1898 | First exam in theology, organ lessons with Charles Marie Widor in Paris |
| 1899 | Doctor of Philosophy |
| 1900 | Doctor of Theology |
| 1902 | Professor of Theology in Strasbourg |
| 1903 | Principal of the Theological Seminary St. Thomas in Strasbourg |
| 1905 | He begins to study medicine |
| 1912 | Marriage to Helene Bresslau |
| 1913 | Doctorate of Medicine. First departure to Lambarene |
| 1914 | Internment in Lambaréné |
| 1915 | He finds the term "Reverence for life" |
| 1918 | Return to the Alsace |
| 1924 | Second departure to Lambarene |
| 1927 | Transfer of the hospital to today's location |
| 1928 | Goethe Prize from the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
| 1949 | Visit to America |
| 1953 | Nobel Peace Prize for 1952 |
| 1957 | Helene Schweitzer-Bresslau dies in Zurich |
| 1958 | Calls on Radio Oslo for abandonment of nuclear tests and the production of atomic bombs |
| 1959 | Last stay in Europe |
| 1965 | 4. September: Albert dies in Lambarene |
| 1998 | 85th anniversary of the hospital in Lambaréné |
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