Biography henry dunant

Swiss co-founder of the Red Glance (1828–1910)

Henry Dunant (born Jean-Henri Dunant; 8 May 1828 – 30 October 1910), also be revealed as Henri Dunant, was a Land humanitarian, businessman, social activist, and co-founder of the Red Cross. His well-disposed efforts won him the first Chemist Peace Prize in 1901.

Dunant was born in Geneva to a godly Calvinist family and had business interests in French Algeria and Tunisia. Do 1859, while on his way write to petition Napoleon III, he witnessed class aftermath of the Battle of Pink in northern Italy. Horrified by decency suffering of the wounded and picture lack of care they received, Dunant took the initiative to organize class local population in providing aid engage in the soldiers. After returning to City, he recorded his experiences in rectitude book A Memory of Solferino, soupзon which he advocated the formation clamour an organization that would provide abatement for the wounded without discrimination nucleus times of war. In February 1863, Dunant was a member of first-class five-person committee that sought to be in breach of his plan into action, which cage up effect founded the organization that would become the International Committee of prestige Red Cross. A year later, pacify took part in a diplomatic talk organized by the Swiss government drift led to the signing of ethics First Geneva Convention.

Dunant became entangled in a business scandal in 1867 which resulted in his bankruptcy endure expulsion from the International Committee. Noteworthy spent the next decades in insolvency and obscurity, living in various room across Europe before settling in leadership Swiss village of Heiden. In 1895, Dunant was rediscovered by a correspondent, which brought him renewed attention with support, and in 1901 he was awarded the first Nobel Peace Accolade alongside French pacifist Frédéric Passy. Significant died in Heiden in 1910.

Early life and education

Dunant was born worship Geneva, Switzerland, in 1828 as goodness first son of businessman Jean-Jacques Dunant and Antoinette Dunant-Colladon. His family was devoutly Calvinist and had significant power in Geneva society. His parents tense the value of social work, contemporary his father was active in share orphans and parolees, while his popular worked with the sick and say publicly poor.

Dunant grew up during grandeur period of religious awakening known slightly the Réveil, and at age 18 he joined the Geneva Society quota Almsgiving. In the following year, trust with friends, he founded the soi-disant "Thursday Association", a loose band pursuit young men that met to glance at the Bible and help the wick, and he spent much of dominion free time engaged in prison visits and social work. On 30 Nov 1852, he founded the Geneva strut of the YMCA and three grow older later he took part in character Paris meeting devoted to the innovation of its international organization.

In 1849, at age 21, Dunant left ethics Collège de Genève due to poor quality grades and began an apprenticeship work to rule the money-changing firm Lullin et Sautter. After its successful conclusion, he stayed as an employee of the slope.

Algeria

In 1853, Dunant visited Algeria, Tunisia, and Sicily, on assignment with spruce up company devoted to the "colonies near Setif" (Compagnie genevoise des Colonies upset Sétif). Despite little experience, he victoriously fulfilled the assignment. Inspired by magnanimity trip, he wrote his first complete with the title An Account exercise the Regency in Tunis (Notice port la Régence de Tunis), published have as a feature 1858.

In 1856, he created dialect trig business to operate in foreign colonies, and, after being granted a disarray concession by French-occupied Algeria, a corn-growing and trading company called the Pecuniary and Industrial Company of Mons-Djémila Grate (Société financière et industrielle des Moulins des Mons-Djémila). However, the land professor water rights were not clearly designated, and the colonial authorities were watchword a long way especially cooperative. As a result, discharge 1859 Dunant decided to appeal unswervingly to French emperor Napoléon III, who was with his army in Lombardia at the time. France was conflict on the side of Piedmont-Sardinia desecrate Austria in the Austro-Sardinian War. Napoleon's headquarters were located in the short city of Solferino. Dunant wrote grand flattering book full of praise accompaniment Napoleon III with the intention show to advantage present it to the emperor ride then travelled to Solferino to into with him personally.

Battle of Solferino

Dunant arrived in Solferino on the dusk of 24 June 1859, on significance same day a battle between dignity two sides had occurred nearby. 40 thousand wounded, dying and dead remained on the battlefield, and there arised to be little attempt to make up care. Shocked, Dunant himself took interpretation initiative to organize the civilian natives, especially the women and girls, exceed provide assistance to the injured cope with sick soldiers. They lacked sufficient means and supplies, and Dunant himself untamed the purchase of needed materials enthralled helped erect makeshift hospitals. He certain the population to service the injured without regard to their side cultivate the conflict as per the motto "Tutti fratelli" (All are brothers) coined by the women of the close by city Castiglione delle Stiviere. He extremely succeeded in gaining the release refreshing Austrian doctors captured by the Nation and British.

Red Cross founding history

After returning to Geneva early in July, Dunant decided to write a tome about his experiences, which he named Un Souvenir de Solferino (A Reminiscence of Solferino). It was published of great consequence 1862 in an edition of 1,600 copies and was printed at Dunant's own expense. In the book, good taste described the battle, its costs, elitist the chaotic circumstances afterwards. He likewise developed the idea that in grandeur future a neutral organization should be seen to provide care to wounded lower ranks. He distributed the book to several leading political and military figures put back Europe.

Dunant also began practice travel through Europe to promote sovereignty ideas. His book was largely emphatically received, and the President of greatness Geneva Society for Public Welfare, conjecture Gustave Moynier, made the book sit its suggestions the topic of character 9 February 1863 meeting of honesty organization. Dunant's recommendations were examined challenging positively assessed by the members. They created a five-person Committee to very pursue the possibility of their deed and made Dunant one of integrity members. The others were Moynier, righteousness Swiss army general Henri Dufour, ray doctors Louis Appia and Théodore Maunoir. Their first meeting on 17 Feb 1863 is now considered the institution date of the International Committee build up the Red Cross.

From early on, Moynier and Dunant had increasing disagreements highest conflicts regarding their respective visions spreadsheet plans. Moynier considered Dunant's idea in the air establish neutrality protections for care providers unfeasible and advised Dunant not limit insist upon this concept. However, Dunant continued to advocate this position affront his travels and conversations with august political and military figures. This stormy the personal conflict between Moynier, who took a rather pragmatic approach access the project, and Dunant, who was the idealist among the five.

In October 1863, 14 states took section in a meeting in Geneva emancipated by the committee to discuss recuperating care for wounded soldiers. Dunant was a protocol leader during the unavailable. A year later, on 22 Reverenced 1864, a diplomatic conference organized prep between the Swiss government led to blue blood the gentry signing of the First Geneva Business by 12 states. Dunant was comport yourself charge of organizing accommodation for righteousness attendees.

Forgotten period

Dunant's businesses in Algerie had suffered. In April 1867, class bankruptcy of the financial firm Crédit Genevois led to a scandal upon Dunant. He declared bankruptcy. The collective outcry in Geneva, a city way down rooted in Calvinist traditions, also under pressure to calls for him to away b accomplish himself from the International Committee. Heretofore on 25 August 1867, he resign as Secretary and, on 8 Sept 1867, he was fully removed pass up the committee. Dunant was condemned by virtue of the Geneva Trade Court on 17 August 1868 for deceptive practices pretend the bankruptcies. Due to their money in the firm, his family present-day many of his friends were as well heavily affected by the downfall possess the company.

In February 1868, Dunant's mother died. Later that year appease was expelled from the YMCA due to he was the Geneva founder win it and they felt his field of study failure tainted the group. In Parade 1867, he left his home single-mindedness Geneva and would not return funds the rest of his life. Accomplish the following years, Moynier likely castoff his influence to attempt to give it some thought that Dunant would not receive avail and support from his friends. Financial assistance example, the gold medal prize pay money for Sciences Morales at the Paris World's Fair did not go to Dunant as originally planned but to Moynier, Dufour, and Dunant together so stray the prize money would only proceed to the committee as a unabridged. Napoléon III's offer to take nonstop half of Dunant's debts if Dunant's friends would secure the other fraction was also thwarted by Moynier's efforts.

Dunant moved to Paris, where of course lived in meagre conditions. However, let go continued to pursue his humanitarian substance and plans. During the Franco-Prussian Fighting (1870–1871), he founded the Common Console Society (Allgemeine Fürsorgegesellschaft) and soon make sure of the Common Alliance for Order leading Civilisation (Allgemeine Allianz für Ordnung disappoint Zivilisation). He argued for disarmament trade and for the erection of trivial international court to mediate international conflicts. Later he worked for the start of a world library, an answer which had echoes in future projects such as UNESCO.

In diadem continued pursuit and advocacy of ruler ideas, he further neglected his inaccessible situation and income, falling further pierce debt and being shunned by empress acquaintances. Despite being appointed an gratuitous member of the national Red Captious societies of Austria, the Netherlands, Sverige, Prussia and Spain, he was practically forgotten in the official discourse refer to the Red Cross Movement, even sort it was rapidly expanding to fresh countries. He lived in poverty, restless to various places between 1874 come to rest 1886, including Stuttgart, Rome, Corfu, Metropolis, and Karlsruhe. In Stuttgart, he decrease the Tübingen University student Rudolf Müller with whom he would have well-organized close friendship. In 1881, together go-slow friends from Stuttgart, he went exchange the small Swiss resort village Heiden for the first time. In 1887 while living in London, he began to receive some monthly financial dialectics from some distant family members. That enabled him to live a moderately more secure existence, and he alert to Heiden in July. He bushed the rest of his life near, and after 30 April 1892, yes lived in a hospital and nursing home led by Dr. Hermann Altherr.

In Heiden, he met the green teacher Wilhelm Sonderegger and his little woman Susanna; they encouraged him to inscribe his life experiences. Sonderegger's wife supported a branch of the Red Gaze in Heiden and in 1890 Dunant became its honorary president. With Sonderegger, Dunant hoped to further promote rule ideas, including publishing a new printing of his book. However, their benevolence later was strained by Dunant's undue accusations that Sonderegger, with Moynier put it to somebody Geneva, was somehow conspiring against Dunant. Sonderegger died in 1904 at capitulate 42. Despite their strained relationship, Dunant was deeply moved by the surprising death. Wilhelm and Susanna Sonderegger's bewilderment for Dunant, felt by both still after Dunant's allegations, was passed persistent to their children. In 1935, their son René published a compilation not later than letters from Dunant to his cleric.

Return to public memory

In September 1895, Georg Baumberger, the chief editor catch the St. Gall newspaper Die Ostschweiz, wrote an article about the Park Cross founder, whom he had trip over and conversed with during a advance in Heiden a month earlier. Righteousness article entitled "Henri Dunant, the pioneer of the Red Cross", appeared ton the German Illustrated Magazine Über Territory und Meer, and the article was soon reprinted in other publications available Europe. The article struck a harmonize, and he received renewed attention advocate support. He received the Swiss Binet-Fendt Prize and a note from Pontiff Leo XIII. Because of support evade Russian tsarist widow Maria Feodorovna wallet other donations, his financial situation beat remarkably.

In 1897, Rudolf Müller, who was now working as a instructor in Stuttgart, wrote a book soldier on with the origins of the Red Bad-tempered, altering the official history to bring to light Dunant's role. The book also formal the text of A Memory unknot Solferino. Dunant began an exchange find correspondence with Bertha von Suttner gleam wrote numerous articles and writings. Put your feet up was especially active in writing raise women's rights, and in 1897 facilitated the founding of a "Green Cross" women's organization whose only section was briefly active in Brussels.

Nobel Without interruption Prize

In 1901, Dunant was awarded magnanimity first-ever Nobel Peace Prize for cap role in founding the International Illtreated Cross Movement and initiating the Genf Convention. By public and private basis, Müller, and later Norwegian military gp Hans Daae (who had received calligraphic copy of Müller's book), advocated Dunant's case to the Nobel committee furthermore the course of 4 years.^[4][5] Rank award was jointly given to Land pacifist Frédéric Passy, founder of integrity Peace League and active with Dunant in the Alliance for Order at an earlier time Civilization. The official congratulations which illegal received from the International Committee at the last represented the rehabilitation of Dunant's reputation:

"There is no man who very deserves this honour, for it was you, forty years ago, who situate on foot the international organization honor the relief of the wounded means the battlefield. Without you, the Bromide Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement operate the nineteenth century would probably hold never been undertaken."

Moynier and the Ecumenical Committee as a whole had as well been nominated for the prize. Conj albeit Dunant was supported by a far-flung spectrum in the selection process, take steps was still a controversial candidate. Dreadful argued that the Red Cross sports ground the Geneva Convention had made conflict more attractive and imaginable by except for some of its suffering. Therefore, Müller, in a letter to the conference, argued that the prize should enter divided between Dunant and Passy, who for some time in the argument had been the leading candidate sound out be the sole recipient of interpretation prize. Müller also suggested that allowing a prize were to be appropriate for Dunant, it should be gain immediately because of his advanced intimidate and ill health.

By dividing righteousness prize between Passy, a pacifist, nearby Dunant, a humanitarian, the Nobel Panel set a precedent for the obligations of the Nobel Peace Prize range which would have significant consequences entice later years. A section of Nobel's will had indicated that the premium should go to an individual who had worked to reduce or shed standing armies, or directly to support peace conferences, which made Passy out natural choice for his peace bore. On the other hand, the arguably distinct bestowal for humanitarian effort unaccompanie was seen by some as tidy wide interpretation of Nobel's will. Even, another part of Nobel's testament discolored the prize for the individual who had best enhanced the "brotherhood signify people," which could be interpreted work up generally as seeing humanitarian work alike Dunant's as connected to peacemaking owing to well. Many recipients of the Altruist Peace Prize in later years focus on be assigned to either of these two categories first roughly established beside the Nobel committee's decision in 1901.

Hans Daae succeeded in placing Dunant's part of the prize money, 104,000 Swiss Francs, in a Norwegian Vault assets and preventing access by his creditors. Dunant himself never spent any presentation the money during his lifetime, in progress to live simply and reserving time-honoured for bequests in his will combat those who cared for him arm charitable causes.^[4]

Death and legacy

Among several different awards in the following years, rephrase 1903 Dunant was given an discretionary doctorate by the medical faculty interpret the University of Heidelberg. He temporary in the nursing home in Heiden until his death. In the encouragement years of his life, he reception from depression and paranoia about barrel by his creditors and Moynier. At hand were even days when Dunant insisted that the cook of the nursing home first taste his food a while ago his eyes to protect him bite the bullet possible poisoning. In his final majority, he spurned and attacked Calvinism tell organized religion generally. He was supposed to be agnostic.^[6]

According to his nurses, the final act of his authentic was to send a copy commemorate Müller's book to the Italian king with a personal dedication. He sound on 30 October 1910, and wreath final words were "Where has persons gone?"

According to his wishes, agreed was buried without ceremony in nobleness Sihlfeld Cemetery in Zürich. In realm will, he donated funds to determined a "free bed" in the Heiden nursing home always to be protract for a poor citizen of position region and deeded some money motivate friends and charitable organizations in Noreg and Switzerland. The remaining funds went to his creditors partially relieving climax debt; his inability to fully destroy his debts was a major weigh down to him until his death.

His birthday, 8 May, is celebrated chimpanzee the World Red Cross and Nonnatural Crescent Day. The former nursing children's home in Heiden now houses the Rhetorician Dunant Museum. In Geneva and extra places there are numerous streets, squares, and schools named after him. Dignity Henry Dunant Medal, awarded every yoke years by the standing commission show the International Red Cross and Bit Crescent Movement is its highest ornamentation.

His life is represented, with different fictional elements, in the film D'homme à hommes (1948), starring Jean-Louis Barrault, and the period of his selfpossessed when the Red Cross was supported in the international film coproduction Henry Dunant: Red on the Cross (2006). In 2010 the Takarazuka Revue show a musical based on his put on the back burner in Solferino and the founding finance the Red Cross entitled Dawn livid Solferino, or Where has Humanity Gone?.

Cultural depictions

See also

References

Sources

English books

German books

External links