A memory of Solferino
“ A memory of Solferino ” ( French original title: Un souvenir de Solférino ) is a book by the Swiss humanist Henry Dunant , published in 1862 , which was one of the decisive factors behind the founding of what is now known as the “ International Committee of the Red Cross ” (ICRC), known as the “Committee of Aid Societies for the care of the wounded ”was.
History of origin
During a business trip in June 1859, near the Italian town of Solferino , Henry Dunant witnessed the appalling conditions after the Battle of Solferino between the allied troops of Piedmont-Sardinia and France against the army of the Austrian Empire . He processed his experiences in "A Memory of Solferino". In it he described how he worked to care for the wounded on both sides. In addition to the vivid description of the battle, which was not based on his own experiences, in this book he encouraged the formation of voluntary aid organizations that were supposed to prepare in peacetime to help the wounded in war. He called for the conclusion of contracts in which the neutrality and protection of the war wounded and the people caring for them, as well as all the institutions established for them, were to be ensured.
Dunant published the book in Geneva in 1862 at his own expense and sent it to leading figures in politics and the military. Within a few years the book was translated into eleven languages.
Effects
As a result of “A Memory of Solferino”, the “Committee of Aid Societies for the Care of Wounded” was founded in 1863, which since 1876 has been known as the “International Committee of the Red Cross”. The first Geneva Convention , passed in 1864, is also largely based on suggestions from Dunant's “A Memory of Solferino”.
literature
- Henry Dunant: A Memory of Solferino . Self-published by the Austrian Red Cross, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-95-008010-4
Web links
- eBook from the Austrian Red Cross
- Audiobook at the Austrian Red Cross