Jean Rudolf von Salis

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Jean Rudolf von Salis

Jean Rudolf von Salis (born December 12, 1901 in Bern , † July 14, 1996 in Brunegg ) was a Swiss historian , writer and publicist .

Life

Jean Rudolf von Salis came from the Graubünden original noble family von Salis . He grew up bilingual (German / French) in Bern, influenced by the milieu of the old Bernese patriciate . After finishing high school in Bern, he studied history in Montpellier , Berlin , Bern and Paris . From 1925 to 1935 he lived in Paris and worked, among other things, as a correspondent for the Swiss newspapers Der Bund and Die Weltwoche . In 1935 he returned to Switzerland and took up the chair for history at the ETH Zurich , which he held for the next 33 years.

After two years of “abstinence” from journalism, Salis spoke again in various Swiss newspapers in 1938. When Switzerland was undergoing a tough test of domestic and foreign policy, he pleaded for reason, emotional distance, “sitting still” and for Swiss neutrality. Finding himself a journalist in the sense of reason of state had proved Federal entrusted him Marcel Pilet 1940 with the delicate task of foreign policy coverage from the studio Zurich the country transmitter Beromünster .

During the Second World War, von Salis became known far beyond Switzerland with his weekly program Weltchronik on Radio Beromünster as one of the very few uncensored German-speaking commentators on current affairs. His reports, sent on Fridays, were written in a calm, understandable, and factual tone. Despite the Federal Council's press censorship, he managed to give consolation and hope to many people in Germany and the occupied territories with strict objectivity and impartiality under the motto "Analysis is the best polemic" and "Censorship refines the style".

Because of his clear stance towards National Socialism, in which he was not allowed to address negative incidents in Germany or the Holocaust, the German government repeatedly asked the Swiss Federal Council to replace von Salis. His wish to join the editorial team of the liberal NZZ was dashed and was related to the NZZ's at times more critical attitude towards the Nazi regime.

From 1952 to 1964 he was President of the Pro Helvetia Foundation , which was founded in 1939 as an organization to promote national spiritual defense .

He was married to Elisabeth Huber and had a son, Thomas. He lived at Brunegg Castle for a long time . He was - until his death - a close friend and confidante of the cultural philosopher Jean Gebser . His cousin was the composer, painter and publicist Peter Mieg .

Awards

Jean Rudolf von Salis received the literary prize of the city of Bern, the Aargau literary prize , the Friedrich von Schiller medal, the culture prize of the city of Zurich and that of the canton of Graubünden, the prize of the Académie française , the great silver medal for services to the republic Austria . He was an officer in the French Legion of Honor , wore the Great Cross of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany and was an honorary doctor from the universities of Geneva, Vienna, Hamburg and Lausanne.

Fonts

literature

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Thomas von Salis, Brunegg: in the middle of Europe
  2. ↑ NZZ of December 8, 2001: The “Voice of the Nation” and its resonance
  3. ↑ Commentary on the landing of the Allies in Normandy Audio clip from the archive of Radio DRS.
  4. ↑ In contrast to the post-censorship in the press, he was subject to the stricter preliminary censorship
  5. ↑ Wendelgard von Staden: Night over the valley. A youth in Germany . Introduction by Marion Gräfin Dönhoff , 2nd edition, dtv, Munich 1996, p. 45, ISBN 3-423-25114-X .
  6. ↑ Der Weltchronist Article from the Coop newspaper
  7. ^ History of Switzerland: The world chronicle of Professor JR von Salis in the Second World War
  8. ↑ See Tages-Anzeiger , July 21, 2011 [1] .
  9. ↑ NZZ of December 31, 2004: Against the brown totalitarianism


personal data
SURNAME Salis, Jean Rudolf von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss historian, writer and publicist
DATE OF BIRTH December 12, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH July 14, 1996
Place of death Brunegg