In this charming autobiographical essay, Albert Schwenzer tells of his first nineteen years in Upper Alsace and his youthful discoveries of religion, music, and the inspiration of friendship. Even in his boyhood there were traces of what was to become his "reverence for life" as a boy, he writes, he managed to dissuade several companions from going fishing because of the pain he felt the deed gave to both the worm and the fish. In poignant vignettes, Schweitzer also describes his unhappiness at discovering that he had better food or better clothing than chose around him. Memoirs of Childhood and YouthMemoirs of Childhood and Youth offers wonderful insights on Dr. Schweitzer's childhood journey that
eventually led him to dedicate himself to medical service in African colonies.
This new translation also has rarely seen photographs of Schweitzer, both as a youth and as an adult.
Albert Schweitzer was born into an Alsatian family which for generations had been devoted to religion, music, and education. His father and maternal grandfather were ministers; both of his grandfathers were talented organists; many of his relatives were persons of scholarly attainments.
Having decided to go to Africa as a medical missionary rather than as a pastor, Schweitzer in 1905 began the study of medicine at the University of Strasbourg. In 1913, having obtained his M.D. degree, he founded his hospital at Lambarene in French Equatorial Africa, but in 1917 he and his wife were sent to a French internment camp as prisoners of war. Released in 1918, Schweitzer spent the next six years in Europe, preaching in his old church, giving lectures and concerts.
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