Schweitzer Albert Schweitzer Essay

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Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer was born on the 14 of January, 1875 into the Alsatian family. Most people in the family were educated, including himself. In 1893 he attended the University of Strasbourg and obtained a doctorate in philosophy in 1899. His immediate family were heavily associated with the church, his father and grandfather were both ministers and both of his grandfathers were both talented organists. After he received a doctorate in religious philosophy, he began preaching at the St. Nicholas Church in Strasbourg. He was a talented writer and published a book called The Quest of the Historical Jesus, in 1906. From a young age he was recognised as a concert organist because at nine years old he learnt how to play the piano and organ.
He decided to go to Africa, not as a pastor, but a medical missionary and began his study in 1905 of medicine at the University of Strasbourg. He also founded the hospital at Lamberene in French Equatorial Africa. Due to the war, he and his wife were sent to a camp as prisoners of war. After being released in 1918, he began preaching again in his old church.
In 1924, Schweitzer returned to Lamberene and stayed there for the remainder of his life. Money had been donated towards his fund which is what he used to expand the hospital to seventy buildings which would take care of approximately 500 patients at any given time.
In the hospital, he was a doctor and surgeon, pastor of a congregation, administrator of a village, superintendent of buildings and grounds, writer of scholarly books, commentator on contemporary history, musician and host of countless visitors. He received many achievements during his career such as the Goethe Prize of Frankfurt and honorary doctorates from many different universities. A Nobel Peace Prize was given to him on the 10th of December, 1953 which contained a total of $33,000 which he started the leprosarium at Lamberene with.
On the 4th of September, 1965, Albert Schweitzer died at 90 years of age.

Albert Schweitzer dedicated his life for others by founding a hospital in Lamberene, Africa. People would have been dying due to Africa’s corrupt government and probably saved many lives with treatment and medicine. After growing up in Kaysersberg, he would have gone out of his way to leave France and travel to Africa to help the sick and