In 1997, David Bowie even wrote a song entitled “Seven Years in Tibet” as part of his “Earthling” album. Two films have been done based on his book, a 1956 documentary about his experiences in Tibet and the 1997 film starring Brad Pitt. Harrer lectured all over the world about his Tibetan experiences and hosted huge crowds everywhere he went. Life Magazine ran a six-page digest of his book. In 1954, it was finally published in the United States and was a “Book of the Month” selection and a best-seller here. ![]() The 1952 book was hugely successful across Europe, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain. Willing to learn of the outside world, the two got along famously. ![]() He found the Dalai Lama to be a young boy who was fully aware of his own sacred responsibility, both dignified and friendly. You could hear a pin drop as Harrer described in detail how the Dalai Lama was selected as the “living Buddha” by his people the rigid tests and rituals he had to go through to become the absolute ruler, although his advisors did most of the actual governing. Shortly after that, he began to write his now-famous book, “Seven Years in Tibet.” He lived right next to the Potala - the great palace - until the Chinese Communists overran Tibet and he and the Dalai Lama were forced to flee to India. So from 1944 to 1951, Henrich Harrer was one of the few “outsiders” to live and work in the Tibetan culture. Harrer became a translator of foreign news, then an engineer for the construction of an irrigation project and - finally - the tutor and confidant of the 14th Dalai Lama himself. Because of that, the Tibetans put him to work. He decided to live among the people, soak up their customs, and share their simple way of life. But instead of expulsion, the Tibetan upper class were actually more amused than angry with him. When he finally reached the capital city of Lhasa, he was threatened with expulsion by local officials. ![]() For 20 months, he walked through the countryside, making friends with locals and exploring the mountains there. Harrer walked across the border, carrying his few possessions on his back - a fugitive with no papers, no status and absolutely no money. At the time, Tibet was an unknown country, steeped in mystery, and governed by a “Dalai Lama” in the forbidden city of Lhasa. He tried to escape several times and, when he finally did, he crossed the border into Tibet. 17, 1955, Harrer came to Clinton as a guest speaker for one of the Weeks Lecture Series and spoke to a full house at the Holder Memorial on Church Street.Īn adventurer and mountain climber, Harrer was a member of the Nanga Parbat expedition in the Himalayas when war broke out in Europe and he was imprisoned by the British in India. The New York Times book review called it “one of the grandest and most incredible adventure stories ever told.” The popular movie was based on a book written in the early 1950s by adventurer Henrich Harrer, one of the first Europeans ever to enter Tibet and encounter the Dalai Lama. If you think you saw him walking around, it was probably just me - people often get us mixed up. Remember the 1997 movie, “Seven Years in Tibet,” starring Brad Pitt? No, Pitt never came to Clinton.
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