“To Be Read at the Funeral” by Albert Hofmann
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maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 13 “To Be Read at the Funeral” By Albert Hofmann Looking back on my life, I presume that the constellation of stars–or that whatever could determine one’s fate in life– indicated good fortune when I saw the light of day on Janu- ary 11, 1906 in Baden, Canton of Aargau. My father, Adolf Hofmann, and my mother Elisabeth, born Schenk, met in Münchenstein, near Basel, where my father worked as a lock- By Albert Hofmann, Ph.D. smith for one of the subsidiaries of the mechanical engineering Translation from German group Brown-Boveri. Soon afterwards, he was transferred to by Elisabeth Riccabona the company’s headquarters in Baden. Although my father rapidly progressed to the position of foreman, and then master in the tool-making division, our family had to live a rather modest lifestyle as wages, even for such a position, were low at that time. Together, with my younger brother and my two younger sisters, I lived a child- hood which was not always free of worries but on the whole MYquite a happy one. FIRST childhood memory is an cows. I was riding along with the farm- image of large red strawberries ers on carts, pulled by cows or horses, to LSD showed me in the garden where my mother used to the fields where the animals could graze. carry me around in her arms. Another I rode with them to make hay, and in the inseparable image I remember: It is night time, many autumn up to the Allmend which lay high people are standing in the street. They are above town. Up there you could often pointing towards the sky in excitement. hear the distant roaring of guns sounding interaction between There is a comet in the sky. It was the from the Alsace; it was at the time of the Halley’s Comet in 1910. First World War. I also spent a lot of time the material and Another striking memory I have is of at the blacksmith’s, watching how the the day we moved from Schönau Street to blacksmith shoed the horses and wound the spiritual world. Martinsberg Street. I am standing in front the red hot iron hoops onto the wooden of the house, holding my little brother’s cartwheels. hand and looking at the new neighbor- The area surrounding the remains of hood, where rowan berry trees glow Stein Castle was a wonderful place for us golden in the autumn sun. kids to play. I can still remember hearing Between the age of five and ten we my mother calling out from the kitchen lived there, beneath the hill upon which window for us kids to come in for lunch the remains of Stein Castle were stand- or dinner when we had forgotten all about ing. On the opposite side of the street time while playing up in the ruins. The was a farmhouse, next to it a blacksmith’s way to school, which led through the old shop and a wainwright’s. I played with town gate and through alleyways of the the farmer’s kids in the barn and was in old town, always brings forth many fond the stable when the farmer milked the memories. 14 maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 It was like the banishment from a Fascinated by the mysteries of the child’s paradise when we moved away subject, I decided to study chemistry at from Martinsberg Street to Dynamo the University of Zurich. As a citizen of …during enchanted Street, to a hideous apartment building Weiningen in the Canton of Zurich I directly across from the factory entrance. received a scholarship from the university. moments, We were forced to move due to my Living with my parents in Baden with father’s illness – he was suffering from no money for any distractions I immersed the wonder of creation pulmonary tuberculosis – which had myself completely in my studies as my deteriorated, and even the short way from only enjoyment. Professor Paul Karrer, Martinsberg Street to the factory had Director for the Department of Chemistry revealed itself to me become too strenuous for him. at that time, soon found me a position as Whenever I could, I left the grim and an assistant to the professor. At the age of in the beauty of nature, dreary factory quarters and went back 23 I had already finished my Chemistry up to Martinsberg, into the forest, to the studies, after only eight semesters and and already then forged meadows and fields. During these expedi- received my Ph.D. tions I experienced the magic and charm My father passed away three months of the Jura landscape, which was in con- before I finished my studies. However, my view of the world stant change with the seasons. before his death I was still able to show It was there that, during enchanted him my employment contract which I had in its basic features. moments, the wonder of creation revealed already signed with Sandoz Pharmaceu- itself to me in the beauty of nature, and ticals. already then forged my view of the world In May 1929, I started my professional Ain its basic features. life, joining the Basel-based Pharmaceu- tical-Chemical Department of Sandoz fter finishing elementary school Laboratories, whose director was Profes- I had planned to attend high school in sor Arthur Stoll. At the laboratories we order to be granted entry into university. were studying the properties of medicinal However, considering my father’s seri- plants, the kind of work that entirely ful- ous illness, my parents thought I should filled my love of plants. I found complete ensure my own income as quickly as satisfaction in my work when isolating, possible, and so it was that they sent me elucidating the chemical structure, and to start a commercial apprenticeship with synthesizing the active substances of Brown-Boveri. medicinal plants. So it was that my whole After dutifully completing the three professional career evolved all around year apprenticeship, and obtaining secu- the Sandoz Pharmaceutical Laboratories, rity regarding my future professional life starting off as a coworker with Professor in the form of a diploma, my dream to go Stoll, working my way up to become team to university eventually came true. My leader, and eventually being appointed dear godfather Hans Kühni, founder of Director of Research for the Department the Kühni machine factory in Allschwil, of Natural Products. paid for the tuition fees at the Minerva Valuable drugs like Methergin, Di- private school in Zurich. I absorbed the hydergot, and Hydergine derive from knowledge like a dry sponge and passed substances I produced during my stud- the general qualification for university ies. By research and chance I discovered entrance in Latin after only one year. the psychoactive agent, which became known worldwide as LSD. In my book maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 maps • volume xviii number 2 • summer 2oo8 15 entitled LSD: My Problem Child I illus- Shortly before it was time for me to trated the history of LSD and its relation retire, and after the formerly rural and to the Mexican magic mushrooms. Dur- quiet municipality of Bottmingen had de- It was also up at ing lecture tours and conference visits I veloped into a busy suburb, we decided to formed lasting friendships, mainly with move further out into the countryside. In colleagues from the United States, Mexico the village of Burg, at the very end of the Rittimate that and Sweden. Leimen valley, we found the ideal place The shining light that guided me to live. According to the plans and ideas my circle of life through my professional career also ac- of each family member, we build a house companied me in my private life. In Anita up at Rittimatte. There we lived happily closed itself Guanella I found the partner who gave for many years, particularly enjoying the me great happiness in marriage and in my many visits from our children, grandchil- WEfamily. dren and friends. While Anita found her as I found love and joy in caring for flowers in our met in 1934 while on skiing garden and house, like she already did the paradise holidays in Arosa. The first five in Bottmingen, I spent my time in the years of our marriage we lived in Basel silence of my “hermitage,” writing liter- of my childhood in Holee Street. Our two sons, Dieter and ary works, publications and dissertations, Andreas were born there. Several times partly associated with my former occupa- during the war I had to go to Ticino for a tion, as well as writing down my personal again few months to serve in the army. understandings and thoughts on natural During a holiday in May 1946, we philosophy. moved to the countryside, to Oberwiler It was also up at Rittimatte that my Street in the municipality of Bottmingen. circle of life closed itself as I found the For the next twenty-seven years we lived paradise of my childhood again, the same there, in our own house with its beauti- landscape as on Martinsberg, where I used ful garden standing amidst a then still to be blissful as a boy, the same meadows entirely rural area. My family soon grew with the same flowers and the same view bigger. We were blessed with two daugh- into the far distance. ters, Gaby and Beatrix. Paracelsus described nature and cre- Only some of the many fond memories ation as a “book that was written by God’s I have of that wonderful time, the middle finger”.