Construction of house 1928 (≈ 1928)
Funded by the Goethe Prize received by Schweitzer.
1959
Last stay of Schweitzer
Last stay of Schweitzer 1959 (≈ 1959)
Gunsbach before he died.
1967
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1967 (≈ 1967)
Initiated by Ali Silver, Schweitzer's collaborator.
2014-2020
Extension and modernization
Extension and modernization 2014-2020 (≈ 2017)
Addition of a museum space in the basement.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Albert Schweitzer - Doctor, philosopher and Nobel laureate
Owner and resident of the house.
Ali Silver - Schweitzer Collaborator
Founded the museum in 1967.
Rhéna Schweitzer - Daughter of Albert Schweitzer
Know the house at AIL.
Origin and history
The Albert Schweitzer Museum is an Alsatian museum dedicated to the life and work of Dr Albert Schweitzer. Housed in the house he built in 1928 in Gunsbach, in the Munster Valley (High Rhine), thanks to the Goethe Prize he received that year, this place became his European "headquarter" for his humanitarian work. Schweitzer stayed there regularly until 1959, welcoming intellectuals and personalities from all over the world. The house, transformed into a museum in 1967 by her collaborator Ali Silver, now houses archives, personal objects, and memories related to her life and her commitments.
Visiting the museum allows you to discover family photographs, Albert Schweitzer's Nobel Peace Prize, furniture such as his office or a piano-pedaler, as well as objects reported by Lambaréné (Gabon). The ground floor is dedicated to these exhibitions, while the archives, accessible to researchers, gather nearly 80,000 letters, books, scores and Gabonese art objects. These documents reflect his varied correspondence and interests, reflecting his global influence.
In 2020, a modern extension of 439 m2 was inaugurated, including a museum space in the basement centered on its ethics of "Respect for Life". This immersive journey, combining quotations, images and objects, invites visitors to a philosophical reflection on the enlargement of morality, a key concept developed by Schweitzer since 1915. The museum attracts mainly Alsatians, but also international visitors, emphasizing the universality of its message.
The museum is managed by the International Association for the work of Dr. Albert Schweitzer de Lambaréné (AISL), to whom Rhena, her daughter, bequeathed the house. This place remains an active centre for cultural research and mediation, perpetuating the humanist and intellectual heritage of its founder.
