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Jean Henry Dunant (1828–1910)

1901 Peace

For actions developing the organization of the Geneva Conventions of 1863 and 1864 and the International Red Cross, created by these conventions.

Jean Henry Dunant seemed destined to dedicate his life to others. The son of a respected and prosperous couple, he grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, admiring his parents’ philanthropic efforts within their community. At the age of six, he went with his father, Jean Jacques, on a visit to a penitentiary in Toulon, France. For the little Dunant, the sight of the chained prisoners was shocking and had lasting effects. Later in life, this memory led him to dedicate his Sunday afternoons to visiting prisoners.

Entering the world of business, Dunant first went to Algeria, where he managed an estate. A number of difficulties arose for him in the French territory, however, due to his Swiss citizenship. He decided that the best hope of resolving his problems was to speak personally with Emperor Napoleon III and convince the Emperor to grant him concessions to explore new lands. When news arrived that Napoleon III was leading French troops in Italy to expel the Austrians at what was to be the Battle of Solferino, Dunant made his way north to meet the Emperor.

When he arrived at Solferino, however, his intentions were shattered upon witnessing the violence of the fighting. When the battle was over, one of the bloodiest of the 19th century, Dunant put his own concerns aside and began ministering to the needy. In 1862 he published A Memory of Solferino. The book brought him fame and presented a detailed plan to create a structure aimed at supporting the wounded in times of war. This effort led to the formation of the International Red Cross, which he established in 1863. It was recognized a year later by the Geneva Convention, and the idea was worthy of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

Dunant set aside his business concerns to dedicate himself to helping others, and it is no surprise that he went bankrupt in 1867. After his setbacks in business, which also involved some of his friends in Geneva, Dunant was no longer welcome in his hometown. Instead he chose to live in Heiden, a small Swiss town, where he lived mostly in obscurity. He fell ill in 1892 and was transferred to the hospital in Heiden, where he would die 18 years later.

After 1895, while Dunant remained hospitalized, he was recognized more frequently and was honored with various prizes, including the Order of Christ in 1897, awarded by Portugal. Dunant, who never married or had children, maintained his generosity to the end, giving the money from his prizes to those who cared for him in the hospital and to humanitarian institutions in Norway and Switzerland.

Frédéric Passy also received half of the prize.