SCHWEITZER ALBERT Autograph Letter Signed to Mr Michel Dear

Sale 2661 - Lot 62

Price Realized: $ 2,000

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500

"AFTER MY DEATH, THE HOSPITAL WILL BE MANAGED BY EXPERTS" SCHWEITZER, ALBERT. Autograph Letter Signed, to "Mr. Michel, Dear Friend" and "Members of the Committee of my hospital in Alsace," in German, describing the structure and priorities of the committee which is to manage his Lambaréné hospital after his death, stipulating that his daughter be given a seat on the committee, discussing how donations are to be handled, and emphasizing the importance of expertise in decision-making. Additionally signed in the heading of first page ("DrAlbert Schweitzer"). 2 pages, 4to, onionskin paper, written on two sheets; small holes at upper left corners, few scattered notes and other markings in red ink or pencil in unknown hand, horizontal fold. (SFC) Lambaréné, 16 December 1963

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"In the following I inform you and the members of the Strasbourg Committee what kind of management I envisage for my hospital after my death. I imagine that this committee will consist of about six experts from the Strasbourg Committee: three doctors who . . . worked in Lamberene and three other personalities who deal with the finances and other matters of the hospital. I would also like my daughter, who works in my hospital, to also have a seat on the committee because she is involved in the entire operation of the hospital and works in it. . . .
". . . The hospital was founded by Alsace and Switzerland, and we have . . . many Swiss doctors and nurses who worked in the hospital and can provide experts to the committee.
"I would like this committee to be constituted during my lifetime so that I could discuss its tasks with it. . . .
"Another important task of this committee will be that one or two members deal with the finances of the hospital and are in contact with the external committees in order to receive information from them about the funds they manage and to provide them with information about the operation of the hospital. So this committee has all the responsibilities that I had during my lifetime and must proceed in everything with tact and prudence.
"None of you should find it a problem that the external committees are not also represented . . . I can assure you that this is not a problem, the English committee doesn't think so, the Dutch committee doesn't, the Swedish committee doesn't. They are aware that their task is to manage the money donated to the hospital on their territory in the best possible way. . . .
"When the hospital was founded, we stipulated that the committees would manage the incoming funds. We do not depart from this definition . . . . When I pass away, [the hospital] passes to a committee that I have set up and which has its authority from me. If we are to suffer from decisions made by entire committees that have no factual knowledge, the hospital will inevitably collapse. The donations will go to the hospital, not to the committees. They only have to manage these, but are obliged to make them available to the hospital if it requests this. You cannot refuse . . . . This is all between us. There's no point in talking about it!
"After my death, the hospital will be managed by experts in an understanding and objective manner for as long as it exists. We do not have a meeting of committees that decide on its way of existing without ever having the same expertise.
"Let us rather proceed to prove what the right body will be, the simple body, which will replace me as best as possible when I have passed away from life."