Seminar at Cambridge University
Vreni and Percy Mark were invited to speak at a conference held by the Albert Schweitzer Institue.
Presentations about Reverence for Life
As one of only a small hand full of people still alive in the UK who knew Schweitzer personally and worked with him in his Lambarene Hospital, Vreni Mark was invited to speak about her experiences at that hospital in 1962/3. At the age of 25 she was then in charge of the domestic household for a community of some 30 European and American medical and technical staff and some 50 visitors during the festivities of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the first hospital there. Dr. Schweitzer was 88 years old at that time, two years before his death.
Percy Mark, who turned up at Lambarene as a casual visitor after spending 18 months in Nigeria working as a young architect, stayed at the Hospital for 6 months helping as a volunteer with construction work and acting as general handyman. Vreni and he got engaged there and were married in Switzerland in the autumn of 1963.
Percy, who had only recently retired after 20 years as chairman of the British Albert Schweitzer Charities, was invited to speak about "the Need for Reverence for Life' in today's world.
The conference program also included presentations by:
‣ Professor Christopher Rowland
‣ Dr James Carleton Paget
‣ Dr Toby Young
‣ Rt Hon Norman Baker
The full day's proceedings which were organised by Benedict Ratigan at the Schweitzer Institue and more information can be found here.