Albert Schweitzer: „PAIX OU GUERRE ATOMIQUE?“ / „FRIEDE ODER ATOMKRIEG?“

Musical reading of excerpts from his correspondence.

The death of his friend Albert Einstein in 1955 deeply shook Albert Schweitzer's previous apoliticism. He decided to take an active part in the fight against the arms race - side by side with personalities such as Karl Jaspers, Pablo Casals and Alfred Kastler.

Exactly 68 years ago, on April 23, 1957, Schweitzer made an urgent appeal to the public over Radio Oslo: he called on the superpowers to stop nuclear testing. This was followed a year later by three more speeches, which were broadcast on the same station on April 28, 29 and 30, 1958.

In the 1950s and 60s, countless letters left his hospital in Lambaréné (Gabon). In them, he tirelessly campaigned for peace and against the continuation of nuclear testing. In French, German and English, he addressed friends and political decision-makers - including US President John F. Kennedy and the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss.

The collage of carefully selected quotations from texts and letters reflects a lively discussion about the path to a more peaceful world and at the same time provides a critical view of the political conditions and zeitgeist of the 1950s. The evening is rounded off with atmospheric musical accompaniment on the piano.

Performers:

Aline Martin, Strasbourg (narrator)

Ann-Kathrin Kaiser, Strasbourg (piano)

David de Tricaud, pupil at Wagenburggymnasium Stuttgart (speaker)

A cooperation between: Welthaus Stuttgart e.V. ; A livre ouvert/wie ein offenes Buch; Bürgerdialog Stuttgart-Straßburg; Institut français Stuttgart; Haus der Geschichte / Hotel Silber.

With the kind support of: City of Stuttgart and Ville de Strasbourg