Albert Schweitzer concert in Mariánské Lázně

He studied at the gymnasium in Mühlhausen and at the University of Strasbourg, where he also studied theology, philosophy and natural sciences. In addition, he attended music school and his great hobby was playing the organ. In 1952, Albert Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his lifetime of humanitarian work. Schweitzer died on 4 September 1965 in Lambaréné and was buried on the banks of the Og River next to his wife's grave.

"There are few people, in the entire existence of mankind, who have managed to live their lives as meaningfully as the Protestant theologian, philosopher, physician and above all the great humanist Albert Schweitzer." This is how the authors Josef and Eva Hrubeš describe Schweitzer's two Prague stays in 1923 and 1928 in their book "Foreigners in Prague".

Schweitzer's visit to Prague in January 1923 included a visit and concert in Mariánské Lázně. In addition, Schweitzer gave a concert and lecture in Děčín-Podmokle (15 January 1923). From there he arrived in Mariánské Lázně on 17 January 1923 and at 6 pm his organ concert began in a flooded evangelical church. The entrance was free. After the concert, the only request was to make a donation to help the starving children. The initiator of the concert was the local evangelical pastor Josef Mittag. According to the newspaper, Schweitzer played here a cantata by J.S. Bach, Andantino by Padre Martini, Andante by Tartini, Pastorale by J. Rheinsberger, as well as three chorale overtures by J.S. Bach, Andante by J.F. Mendelsohn-Bartholdy, Adagio by A. Becker and Alegro by Ch.M. Widor. He was accompanied on violin by F.M. Steinhart, a student of law and music school in Prague. The newspaper of January 20, 1923 details an unforgettable experience in a crowded church. Although it was an out-of-season event, it was so crowded that many did not get into the church at all. For a long time the audience kept returning to Schweitzer's mastery of the relatively small organ. It is said that Albert Schweitzer stayed overnight in Marianske Lazne in the Biaritz house on today's Zeyer Street. After the war, the house was given the name Lambaréné. Although there is still no clear evidence of this, the oral tradition remains alive and the report probable.

Schweitzer has been called the "philosopher of reverence for life" and his philosophical studies on the ethics of life and humanity are still relevant today. As a theologian, he wrote a book, "A History of Research on the Life of Jesus," and as a physician, "People in the Rainforest." More than 600 books have been written about Schweitzer, and today historians list him among the greats of the twentieth century.

The capital city of Prague highly values Schweitzer's visits and commemorates them with a memorial plaque. It would certainly be fitting for Mariánské Lázně to commemorate his visit and his concert in the local evangelical church - in memory of us and the guests of Mariánské Lázně.