| Birth: | May 8, 1828 | | Death: | Oct. 30, 1910 | 
Social Reformer. Born Jean Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland, he became a successful Swiss businessman and social activist who eventually died a pauper. In 1859 while on a business trip he saw the chaos and despair of the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy and documented his thoughts in his book "Un Souvenir de Solférino" (A Memory of Solferino). The book was composed of three parts: the battle; the battlefield after the fighting and its chaotic disorder, despair and misery and efforts to care for the wounded in the small Italian town of Castiglione; and the third part as a plan to deal with such calamity. The plan envisioned nations of the world forming relief societies to provide care for such wounded with each society sponsored by a governing board that would appeal for volunteers, train them to aid the wounded on the battlefield and provide care during recovery. As a result of his self-published book, the International Committee of the Red Cross was formed in 1863; it was based on his ideas and he was became cofounder. He disappeared out of the public eye from 1875 to 1895 until he was rediscovered in Heiden, a village in Switzerland, by a school teacher, Wilhelm Sondereffer, who told the world he was still alive. In 1901 Dunant received the Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy. Dunant did not personally use any of the prize money but rather donated it to charities, a few friends, and for a permanent hospital bed in Heiden for the poor. Died a pauper in Heiden, Switzerland. (bio by: Fred Beisser)
Search Amazon for Henry Dunant | | | Burial:
Friedhof Sihlfeld
Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Fred Beisser
Record added: Dec 09, 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 12638647 |
|
|
|
|
(3.8 after 13 votes)
