Albert Schweitzer was a brilliant musician, philosopher, theologian and author, who in 1913 put aside an assured life of fame and fortune in Europe to go to West Africa as a medical missionary. Son of a Lutheran pastor in the village of Günsbach, from an early age, he showed a gift for music. At age 9, he was able to deputise for the organist at services in his father’s church. He was educated in Berlin and Paris. Deeply religious, in 1899 he became assistant preacher at St Nicholas’ Church, Strasbourg.

In 1901 he published 'The Mystery of the Kingdom of God'. Schweitzer’s thesis was that the teaching of Jesus, was dominated by the idea that the world would soon end and most of his early works were based on this theory. It created a lot of interest and soon he was lecturing in the university and became principal of St Thomas’ Theological College in 1903 (from which he had just graduated). In 1905 he resigned as principal in order to study medicine in preparation for missionary work overseas. During the 6 years of study he supported himself by his organ concerts and other musical activities, and published a major study of J.S. Bach.

In 1906 his influential work, 'The Quest of the Historical Jesus', was published.

In 1912 'Paul and his Interpreters'. was published and he married Helene Bresslau.

In 1913 they sailed to French Equatorial Africa. They established a hospital at Lambaréné on the model of an African village. His work was interrupted by World War I, for a time he was interned in France. After which, he wrote further works on philosophy and theology, notably 'The Decay and Restoration of Civilization' and 'Civilization and Ethics'(1923), and later 'The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle' (1931). He then travelled throughout Europe giving organ recitals to raise funds to rebuild the hospital, to which he returned in 1924. He worked there for over 40 years until his death. He regularly returned to Europe for lecture or concert tours to raise money for his work and to see his wife and daughter. His wife’s health prevented her from living at Lambaréné, though she joined him there during World War II.

Schweitzer’s life demonstrated his commitment to the principle of reverence for all life. 1952 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for this philosophy. He had a strong belief that:-

‘the essential element in Christianity as it was preached by Jesus and as it is comprehended in thought, is this, that it is only through love that we can attain to communion with God. All living knowledge of God rests upon this foundation: that we experience him in our lives as will-to-love.’

At his death, he left a compound of over 70 buildings, including a 350 bed general hospital and a leprosy hospital for 200 patients.

BORN: 14 January 1875, Kaysersberg, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany (now Haut-Rhin, France)

DIED: 4 September 1965 (aged 90), Lambaréné, Gabon, Africa