Albert Schweitzer

1875 - 1965

country of citizenship: Germany, France

languages spoken, written or signed: German, Alsatian, French

educated at: University of Strasbourg, University of Tübingen, College of Philosophy of the Prague German University

occupation: theologian, philosopher, physician, organist, physician writer, university teacher, musicologist, music historian, composer, missionary

award received: Nobel Peace Prize, Officer of the Legion of Honour, honorary citizen of Frankfurt am Main, Peace Prize of the German Publishers' and Booksellers' Association, Goethe Prize, Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt, Paracelsus Medal of the German Medical Association, James Cook Medal, Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order, honorary citizenship of Pfaffenhoffen, Goethe-Medaille für Kunst und Wissenschaft, Great Gold medal of the Société d'Encouragement au Progrès, Sonning Prize, Order of Merit

influenced by: Hermann Samuel Reimarus

Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (German: [ˈalbɛʁt ˈʃvaɪ̯t͡sɐ] ; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was an Alsatian polymath. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. A Lutheran minister, Schweitzer challenged both the secular view of Jesus as depicted by the historical-critical method current at this time, as well as the traditional Christian view. His contributions to the interpretation of Pauline Christianity concern the role of Paul's mysticism of "being in Christ" as primary and the doctrine of justification by faith as secondary. He received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of "Reverence for Life", becoming the eighth Frenchman to be awarded that prize. His philosophy was expressed in many ways, but most famously in founding and sustaining the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Lambaréné, French Equatorial Africa (now Gabon). As a music scholar and organist, he studied the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach and influenced the Organ Reform Movement (Orgelbewegung). Source: Wikipedia (en)