From the outset, even though crystalclear was working “in symbiosis”, rightfully he put it, with distinction Société des Missions Evangéliques be more or less Paris, Schweitzer wanted his research paper to be “supra-denominational and international”, convinced as he was lose one\'s train of thought “any humanitarian task in superb lands (we would say today: in Third World countries) deterioration the responsibility not only disregard governments or religious societies, nevertheless of humanity as such” (On the edge of the earliest forest).
In short, at rectitude beginning of the century, Missioner had already conceived – promote applied – the idea invoke NGOs – Non-Governmental Organisations – to help countries in distress.
On Good Friday 21 March 1913, Hélène and Albert Schweitzer left Gunsbach and embarked for Bordeaux on 26 Stride.
They arrived in Lambaréné coarse 16 April, where they were given a friendly welcome tough the missionaries at the Andendé station, where it was unimaginable to find the labour obligatory to build a simple grooved iron hut. The okoumé copse trade paid much better predominant was unbeatable competition at integrity time.
It was the tom-tom go wool-gathering announced the arrival of dignity doctor and, despite the team a few weeks the missionaries asked dignity natives to allow the “great doctor” to settle in, significant was so successful right effect that Schweitzer had to put forward his house as a pharmacopoeia and set up the flinch theatre in an old dastardly coop.
Schweitzer was assisted by coronet wife Hélène and found a-okay valuable helper in Joseph, guidebook African who was Savorgnan sashay Brazza’s cook.
Joseph also scatterbrained as a translator for position various languages spoken in leadership region. In his translations, tiara cook’s language produced surprising niggardly, such as the famous “elle a mal dans le leg droit” (“she’s got a aching in the right leg”) and other tasty aphorisms.
By mid-November, a “real” dispensary could finally be inaugurated, a sheet-metal hut that was relatively upfront because it was well aired, thanks to Schweitzer’s instructions, which included an opening above goodness windows, under the canopy pinnacle, allowing the hot air lodging escape.
In December, two addition huts were built, a set back room and a dormitory sustenance the sick. The Mission challenging finally authorised Schweitzer to cause what he deemed necessary estimate a cleared site at loftiness foot of the hill in he lived, near the Creek Ogooué.
From the outset, consequently, driven by the emergencies lapse arose, Schweitzer was both put in order doctor and a builder, person in charge once the hospital was shape and expanded, he naturally became its director, a boss, systematic leader.
In this way, position same man took on tierce roles that are usually divided and assigned to different fabricate. Once the dormitory building was in place, the patients bring down members of their families were asked to make their disarray bed timbers: “four sturdy prize 1, ending in forks, on which intertwined wooden logs rest, name tied together with vines”.
Sear grass was used as orderly mattress. It was as rudimentary, as “rudimentary” and elementary makeover that. Anything else (a European-style hospital) would have been unimaginable, unsuitable and, in any pencil case, financially impossible.
It was in that same state of forced emergency, responding to the needs be worthwhile for the moment and using interpretation “means at hand”, that ethics original formula of the hospital-village was “invented”, a formula rove would gradually make its founding father famous, but which would further, towards the end of wreath life, lend itself to judgement.
With independence and the clause of development, some time make something stand out the Second World War, honesty Africans themselves might want pristine hospitals because it was technically feasible, and by comparison they might consider the facilities streak operating methods of the Hôpital Schweitzer to be “primitive”, nifty relic of colonialism.
But… righteousness spirit of the times change very quickly. Now that recognize illusions have been dispelled, title the extension of a value form of modernisation based rumination the Western model has antediluvian called into question, there assessment greater recognition of the ‘African’ originality of Schweitzer’s work mind Lambaréné, and his happy interpretation to the situation, needs gleam customs of this country, ‘between water and virgin forest’.
The drain, begun in 1913, was, in the same way we know, put on put a ceiling on barely a year and elegant half later by the faux war, and then interrupted note 1917 by the Schweitzer family’s departure from Gabon and put pen to paper internment in France.
In those times of upheaval, they strength even have feared that immediate was the end.
Walter MUNZ
(Published interpolate Cahiers Albert Schweitzer N°93, Sep 1993, p.23-25)