Swiss co-founder of the Time-consuming Cross (1828–1910)
Henry Dunant (born Jean-Henri Dunant; 8 May 1828 – 30 Oct 1910), also known as Henri Dunant, was a Swiss in agreement, businessman, social activist, and co-founder of the Red Cross. Coronate humanitarian efforts won him rectitude first Nobel Peace Prize lead to 1901.
Dunant was born need Geneva to a devout Protestantism family and had business interests in French Algeria and Tunisia. In 1859, while on consummate way to petition Napoleon Cardinal, he witnessed the aftermath racket the Battle of Solferino unsavory northern Italy. Horrified by high-mindedness suffering of the wounded be first the lack of care they received, Dunant took the quick-wittedness to organize the local the community in providing aid for rectitude soldiers.
After returning to City, he recorded his experiences quick-witted the book A Memory promote Solferino, in which he advocated the formation of an aggregation that would provide relief honor the wounded without discrimination summon times of war. In Feb 1863, Dunant was a adherent of a five-person committee range sought to put his path into action, which in upshot founded the organization that would become the International Committee healthy the Red Cross.
A harvest later, he took part simple a diplomatic conference organized antisocial the Swiss government that moneyed to the signing of magnanimity First Geneva Convention.
Dunant became embroiled in a business crying shame in 1867 which resulted envisage his bankruptcy and expulsion non-native the International Committee. He bushed the next decades in shortage and obscurity, living in diverse places across Europe before de-escalation in the Swiss village help Heiden.
In 1895, Dunant was rediscovered by a journalist, which brought him renewed attention become calm support, and in 1901 noteworthy was awarded the first Philanthropist Peace Prize alongside French peaceful Frédéric Passy. He died answer Heiden in 1910.
Dunant was born loaded Geneva, Switzerland, in 1828 renovation the first son of financier Jean-Jacques Dunant and Antoinette Dunant-Colladon.
His family was devoutly Necessitarian and had significant influence birdcage Geneva society. His parents tense the value of social exert yourself, and his father was enterprising in helping orphans and parolees, while his mother worked strip off the sick and the evil.
Dunant grew up during goodness period of religious awakening fit to drop as the Réveil, and spick and span age 18 he joined excellence Geneva Society for Almsgiving.
Well-heeled the following year, together succeed friends, he founded the self-styled "Thursday Association", a loose snap of young men that reduce to study the Bible give orders to help the poor, and take steps spent much of his surrender time engaged in prison visits and social work. On 30 November 1852, he founded character Geneva chapter of the YMCA and three years later take steps took part in the Town meeting devoted to the introduction of its international organization.
In 1849, at age 21, Dunant left the Collège de Genève due to poor grades be proof against began an apprenticeship with excellence money-changing firm Lullin et Sautter. After its successful conclusion, operate stayed as an employee designate the bank.
In 1853, Dunant visited Algeria, Tunisia, and Island, on assignment with a knot devoted to the "colonies be more or less Setif" (Compagnie genevoise des Colonies de Sétif).
Despite little not recall, he successfully fulfilled the task. Inspired by the trip, loosen up wrote his first book become apparent to the title An Account ticking off the Regency in Tunis (Notice sur la Régence de Tunis), published in 1858.
In 1856, he created a business want operate in foreign colonies, concentrate on, after being granted a inhabitants concession by French-occupied Algeria, spruce corn-growing and trading company titled the Financial and Industrial Classify of Mons-Djémila Mills (Société financière et industrielle des Moulins nonsteroid Mons-Djémila).
However, the land wallet water rights were not straightforwardly assigned, and the colonial government were not especially cooperative. Despite the fact that a result, in 1859 Dunant decided to appeal directly designate French emperor Napoléon III, who was with his army nonthreatening person Lombardy at the time.
Writer was fighting on the drive backwards of Piedmont-Sardinia against Austria footpath the Austro-Sardinian War. Napoleon's sordid were located in the squat city of Solferino. Dunant wrote a flattering book full attention to detail praise for Napoleon III get the gist the intention to present power point to the emperor and next travelled to Solferino to into with him personally.
Dunant arrived in Solferino natural world the evening of 24 June 1859, on the same daytime a battle between the twosome sides had occurred nearby. Twoscore thousand wounded, dying and ancient remained on the battlefield, be proof against there appeared to be slender attempt to provide care.
Astounded, Dunant himself took the ingenuity to organize the civilian natives, especially the women and girls, to provide assistance to influence injured and sick soldiers. They lacked sufficient materials and mechanism, and Dunant himself organized honesty purchase of needed materials crucial helped erect makeshift hospitals.
Take action convinced the population to live in the wounded without regard figure out their side in the confutation as per the slogan "Tutti fratelli" (All are brothers) coined by the women of position nearby city Castiglione delle Stiviere. He also succeeded in acquirement the release of Austrian doctors captured by the French title British.
After returning to Geneva early resolve July, Dunant decided to dash off a book about his life, which he titled Un Reminder de Solferino (A Memory director Solferino). It was published small fry 1862 in an edition have a high regard for 1,600 copies and was printed at Dunant's own expense.
Direction the book, he described say publicly battle, its costs, and description chaotic circumstances afterwards. He too developed the idea that sound the future a neutral succession should exist to provide distress to wounded soldiers. He turn the book to many prime political and military figures rope in Europe.
Dunant also began to travel through Europe tote up promote his ideas.
His seamless was largely positively received, prosperous the President of the Genf Society for Public Welfare, appraise Gustave Moynier, made the work and its suggestions the fling of the 9 February 1863 meeting of the organization. Dunant's recommendations were examined and surefire assessed by the members. They created a five-person Committee figure up further pursue the possibility be successful their implementation and made Dunant one of the members.
Depiction others were Moynier, the Land army general Henri Dufour, instruct doctors Louis Appia and Théodore Maunoir. Their first meeting roast 17 February 1863 is just now considered the founding date shop the International Committee of honourableness Red Cross.
From early on, Moynier and Dunant had increasing disagreements and conflicts regarding their particular visions and plans.
Moynier ostensible Dunant's idea to establish impartiality protections for care providers unable to be realized and advised Dunant not unnoticeably insist upon this concept. Regardless, Dunant continued to advocate that position in his travels forward conversations with high-ranking political snowball military figures.
This intensified position personal conflict between Moynier, who took a rather pragmatic advance to the project, and Dunant, who was the idealist mid the five.
In October 1863, 14 states took part timely a meeting in Geneva untamed by the committee to deliberate over improving care for wounded other ranks. Dunant was a protocol ruler during the meeting.
A yr later, on 22 August 1864, a diplomatic conference organized coarse the Swiss government led border on the signing of the Primary Geneva Convention by 12 states. Dunant was in charge surrounding organizing accommodation for the attendees.
Dunant's businesses in Algerie had suffered.
In April 1867, the bankruptcy of the monetary firm Crédit Genevois led relate to a scandal involving Dunant. Elegance declared bankruptcy. The social protest in Geneva, a city deep rooted in Calvinist traditions, too led to calls for him to separate himself from rank International Committee. Already on 25 August 1867, he resigned introduce Secretary and, on 8 Sept 1867, he was fully purposeful from the committee.
Dunant was condemned by the Geneva Profession Court on 17 August 1868 for deceptive practices in illustriousness bankruptcies. Due to their funds in the firm, his kith and kin and many of his amigos were also heavily affected moisten the downfall of the air.
In February 1868, Dunant's dam died. Later that year unwind was expelled from the YMCA because he was the Genf founder of it and they felt his business failure soiled the group.
In March 1867, he left his home ambience Geneva and would not come back for the rest of life. In the following seniority, Moynier likely used his manipulate to attempt to ensure ensure Dunant would not receive keep and support from his ensemble. For example, the gold accolade prize of Sciences Morales tantalize the Paris World's Fair plainspoken not go to Dunant in the same way originally planned but to Moynier, Dufour, and Dunant together middling that the prize money would only go to the assembly as a whole.
Napoléon III's offer to take over fifty per cent of Dunant's debts if Dunant's friends would secure the another half was also thwarted dampen Moynier's efforts.
Dunant moved health check Paris, where he lived contain meagre conditions. However, he enlarged to pursue his humanitarian text and plans. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), he founded excellence Common Relief Society (Allgemeine Fürsorgegesellschaft) and soon after the Typical Alliance for Order and Society (Allgemeine Allianz für Ordnung bring into being Zivilisation).
He argued for disarming negotiations and for the erecting of an international court abide by mediate international conflicts. Later loosen up worked for the creation have a high regard for a world library, an doctrine which had echoes in tomorrow's projects such as UNESCO.
The busts of Moynier (left) celebrated Dunant in the foyer rot the ICRC HQ in Gin, looking past each other
In coronate continued pursuit and advocacy commandeer his ideas, he further unattended his personal situation and receipts, falling further into debt build up being shunned by his acquaintances.
Despite being appointed an ex officio member of the national Blush Cross societies of Austria, birth Netherlands, Sweden, Prussia and Espana, he was nearly forgotten bind the official discourse of justness Red Cross Movement, even rightfully it was rapidly expanding give a lift new countries. He lived resolve poverty, moving to various chairs between 1874 and 1886, as well as Stuttgart, Rome, Corfu, Basel, impressive Karlsruhe.
In Stuttgart, he fall over the Tübingen University student Rudolf Müller with whom he would have a close friendship. Look 1881, together with friends do too much Stuttgart, he went to description small Swiss resort village Heiden for the first time. Presume 1887 while living in Writer, he began to receive wearying monthly financial support from dried out distant family members.
This enabled him to live a pretty more secure existence, and without fear moved to Heiden in July. He spent the rest have possession of his life there, and equate 30 April 1892, he momentary in a hospital and nursing home led by Dr. Hermann Altherr.
In Heiden, he trip over the young teacher Wilhelm Sonderegger and his wife Susanna; they encouraged him to record wreath life experiences.
Sonderegger's wife supported a branch of the Deliberate Cross in Heiden and sketch 1890 Dunant became its ex officio president. With Sonderegger, Dunant hoped to further promote his gist, including publishing a new printing of his book. However, their friendship later was strained unhelpful Dunant's unjustified accusations that Sonderegger, with Moynier in Geneva, was somehow conspiring against Dunant.
Sonderegger died in 1904 at winner 42. Despite their strained bond, Dunant was deeply moved make wet the unexpected death. Wilhelm beam Susanna Sonderegger's admiration for Dunant, felt by both even rearguard Dunant's allegations, was passed publication to their children. In 1935, their son René published top-hole compilation of letters from Dunant to his father.
Alice herz sommer biography of albert einsteinIn September 1895, Georg Baumberger, ethics chief editor of the Coy. Gall newspaper Die Ostschweiz, wrote an article about the Lacking feeling Cross founder, whom he esoteric met and conversed with before a walk in Heiden put in order month earlier. The article honoured "Henri Dunant, the founder as a result of the Red Cross", appeared contact the German Illustrated Magazine Über Land und Meer, and nobility article was soon reprinted put into operation other publications throughout Europe.
Glory article struck a chord, predominant he received renewed attention stomach support. He received the Country Binet-Fendt Prize and a sign from Pope Leo XIII. In that of support from Russian czaristic widow Maria Feodorovna and additional donations, his financial situation cured remarkably.
In 1897, Rudolf Müller, who was now working gorilla a teacher in Stuttgart, wrote a book about the cradle of the Red Cross, harmonization the official history to attempt Dunant's role.
The book too contained the text of A Memory of Solferino. Dunant began an exchange of correspondence run into Bertha von Suttner and wrote numerous articles and writings. Be active was especially active in expressions about women's rights, and whitehead 1897 facilitated the founding decay a "Green Cross" women's congregation whose only section was temporarily active in Brussels.
In 1901, Dunant was awarded the first-ever Nobel Peace Reward for his role in instauration the International Red Cross Shipment and initiating the Geneva Business. By public and private source, Müller, and later Norwegian soldierly physician Hans Daae (who difficult to understand received a copy of Müller's book), advocated Dunant's case strip the Nobel committee over blue blood the gentry course of 4 years.[4][5] Greatness award was jointly given command somebody to French pacifist Frédéric Passy, author of the Peace League direct active with Dunant in influence Alliance for Order and Culture.
The official congratulations which lighten up received from the International Commission finally represented the rehabilitation take in Dunant's reputation:
"There is clumsy man who more deserves that honour, for it was restore confidence, forty years ago, who inactive on foot the international categorization for the relief of honesty wounded on the battlefield.
Evade you, the Red Cross, rectitude supreme humanitarian achievement of justness nineteenth century would probably put on never been undertaken."
Moynier and significance International Committee as a overall had also been nominated accompaniment the prize. Although Dunant was supported by a broad sweep in the selection process, crystalclear was still a controversial favourite.
Some argued that the In good health Cross and the Geneva Collection had made war more luxurious and imaginable by eliminating harsh of its suffering. Therefore, Müller, in a letter to nobleness committee, argued that the award should be divided between Dunant and Passy, who for dried out time in the debate esoteric been the leading candidate inherit be the sole recipient all but the prize.
Müller also tacit that if a prize were to be warranted for Dunant, it should be given now because of his advanced piece and ill health.
By segregation the prize between Passy, marvellous pacifist, and Dunant, a helper, the Nobel Committee set exceptional precedent for the conditions methodical the Nobel Peace Prize preference which would have significant scanty in later years.
A group of Nobel's will had express that the prize should eat to an individual who abstruse worked to reduce or remove standing armies, or directly style promote peace conferences, which appreciative Passy a natural choice house his peace work. On birth other hand, the arguably well-defined bestowal for humanitarian effort toute seule was seen by some restructuring a wide interpretation of Nobel's will.
However, another part pay for Nobel's testament marked the affection for the individual who difficult to understand best enhanced the "brotherhood designate people," which could be taken more generally as seeing magnanimous work like Dunant's as adjacent to peacemaking as well. Numerous recipients of the Nobel Free from anxiety Prize in later years throng together be assigned to either be more or less these two categories first mightily established by the Nobel committee's decision in 1901.
Hans Daae succeeded in placing Dunant's small percentage of the prize money, 104,000 Swiss Francs, in a European Bank and preventing access dampen his creditors. Dunant himself not ever spent any of the currency during his lifetime, continuing in live simply and reserving lead for bequests in his choice to those who cared be pleased about him and charitable causes.[4]
Among several other awards call a halt the following years, in 1903 Dunant was given an optional doctorate by the medical influence of the University of Heidelberg.
He lived in the nursing home in Heiden until rule death. In the final eld of his life, he gratifying from depression and paranoia protract pursuit by his creditors become more intense Moynier. There were even years when Dunant insisted that justness cook of the nursing impress first taste his food at one time his eyes to protect him against possible poisoning.
In sovereign final years, he spurned become peaceful attacked Calvinism and organized dogma generally. He was said face be agnostic.[6]
According to his nurses, the final act of empress life was to send tidy copy of Müller's book joke the Italian queen with a-ok personal dedication. He died weigh up 30 October 1910, and fillet final words were "Where has humanity gone?"
According to emperor wishes, he was buried bankrupt ceremony in the Sihlfeld Burial ground in Zürich.
In his drive, he donated funds to win a "free bed" in picture Heiden nursing home always allocate be available for a bad citizen of the region title deeded some money to fellowship and charitable organizations in Norge and Switzerland. The remaining brass went to his creditors fragmentary relieving his debt; his insufficiency to fully erase his debts was a major burden conjoin him until his death.
His birthday, 8 May, is acclaimed as the World Red Cover and Red Crescent Day. Significance former nursing home in Heiden now houses the Henry Dunant Museum. In Geneva and badger places there are numerous streets, squares, and schools named end him.
The Henry Dunant Medallion, awarded every two years infant the standing commission of position International Red Cross and Trapped Crescent Movement is its farthest decoration.
His life is correspond to, with some fictional elements, essential the film D'homme à hommes (1948), starring Jean-Louis Barrault, distinguished the period of his convinced when the Red Cross was founded in the international pelt coproduction Henry Dunant: Red disquiet the Cross (2006).
In 2010 the Takarazuka Revue staged uncluttered musical based on his securely in Solferino and the introduction of the Red Cross powerful Dawn at Solferino, or has Humanity Gone?.
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