Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer better known as Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) is historic theologist.
History[]
Disney Parks[]
Background[]
Albert Schweitzer was a German-Alsation Lutheran concert organist turned polymath and theologian in the early 20th century. By 1916, he and Helene Schweitzer moved to the French Equatorial African settlement of Lambaréné in what is modern-day Gabon. While in Gabon, Schweitzer developed an ethical philosophy known as the "Reverence for Life" which stated, "Ethics is nothing other than Reverence for Life. Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life, and to destroy, to harm or to hinder life is evil".
Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life[]
In the December of 1916, he came across allied Great War soldiers lead by lead by Colonel Henri Defense, the identity assumed by a young Indiana Jones. Jones' men were badly sick leading to Schweitzer taking them in and bringing them to health. Jones and his men stayed with the Schweitzers for a time during which time Jones and Schweitzer became friends.
Jones accompanied Schweitzer on a mission to aid the Pahouin village in recovering from an illness brought by the Europeans. On the expedition to reach the village, Schweitzer taught Jones Albert taught Jones the Reverence for Life. After curing the village, Jones was convinced by Schweitzer to stop fighting as a soldier in WW1 and find a more effective means of doing good.
Following this adventure, Schweitzer was found by the German Empire and arrested for, "Deportation" as a result of living in French territory. Albert Schweitzer and his wife were subsequently deported with Jones having been unable to save his friend. They were able to say goodbye however before leaving for Port-Gentil.
Nobel Prize[]
After the war, Schweitzer travelled Europe and garnered funds to return to his clinic. In 1952/1953, Albert Schweitzer was given the, "Nobel Peace Prize" for his Reverence for Life philosophy. Schweitzer achieved worldwide fame for his work and advocated against nuclear weaponry.
Jungle Cruise appearances[]
Disney Parks[]
Jungle Cruise[]
The feature of Schweitzer Falls was originally named for Albert Schweitzer. The Jungle Cruise's original script stated that they were named for, "Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who has done so much for the people of Africa", implying it was the Indigenous population who named the falls for the doctor.[1] When the attraction took on a more comedic tone, this was changed to the skipper improvised character of, "Dr. Albert Falls".
Falls was later retconned into being the namesake of Schweitzer Falls and became an official character with the opening of the Skipper Canteen. Dr. Falls takes many influences from Dr. Schweitzer such as baring the same moustache however Doctor Falls was a British colonial explorer and capitalist who named the Falls after himself upon, "Discovering" them. The Tropical Hideaway references Falls having gone on a 1903 mission to Gabon, mirroring how Schweitzer opened the Principal of the Theological College in the same year in-addition to Schweitzer's connections to Gabon.
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar[]
Rule #5 of Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar is, " Call bartender if Schweitzer Falls" which references Schweitzer Falls but also refers to someone by the name of Schweitzer being a patron of Sam's bar.[2]
Television[]
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles[]
Schweitzer was a character in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles series where he befriended Indiana Jones during Jones' time serving in World War I.
Paraphernalia[]
The Enchanted Tiki Room & the Adventurous Jungle Cruise[]
Schweitzer Falls is attributed to being named for Albert Schweitzer and his work for the Indigenous peoples of Africa by the skipper of this record, voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft.
Other connections[]
Trivia[]
- Author Ray Bradbury was inspired by the, "Schweitzer Centrifuge" while designing EPCOT's Spaceship Earth.[3]
- Schweitzer was the visual inspiration for Professor Archimedes Q. Porter in the 1999 Disney film Tarzan.
- Unused concept art for an explorer made by Marc Davis resembles Dr. Schweitzer.