 Maison Albert Schweitzer in Gunsbach, France
It was in Gunsbach, a village in the Munster valley of the Voges mountains of the Alsace, in the corner of France sharing borders with Switzerland and Germany, that Albert Schweitzer grew up. And it was there, that with the money from the Goethe Prize, which he received in 1928, he built a house as his European home and base for his travels, when he returned to Europe to raise funds for his hospital.
After his death one of his closest aids in Lambarene, Ali Silver, a dutch nurse,established an archive and museum there, which gradually grew into a research and conference centre.
It is now the seat and base of the "Association Internationale pour l'Oeuvre du Docteur Albert Schweitzer de Lambarene" (AISL) and the venue for its AGM and other meetings of representatives from the many national Albert Schweitzer Committee's and Fellowships.
In 1986 the current Secretary of the British Fund, Vreni Mark, began to assist Ali Silver in the running of the Maison Schweitzer, as the onset of a serious illness made it ever more difficult for her to cope. In May 1987, Mrs. Mark took over, as "directrice", when Mademoiselle Ali passed away.
 Two years later, in April 1989, Sonja and Robert Poteau relieved Vreni Mark, and they are still there, tirelessly keeping the house open for 6000 - 8000 annual visitors, research students and committee meetings. They also organise concerts, study and discussion courses, and sort and catalogue the huge quantity of manuscripts and letters, which are being archived there as the central resource for Albert Schweitzer's written legacy.
The UK Fund contributes annually to the up-keep and running of the Maison Schweitzer, as the central resource for keeping alive the memory of Dr.Schweitzer in Europe.
For more information go to www.schweitzer.org.
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