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20 Francs Centennial death of Henry Dunant
Nobel Peace Prize winner for founding the Red Cross
Born in 1828, Henry Dunant grew up in an upper middle-class environment. In 1859 he chanced upon the site of the bloody battle of Solferino, that had left almost 40,000 dead and wounded. Shocked by what he saw, he set about organising volunteers from the local population to treat and look after the wounded to the best of their ability – without regard to their side in the conflict.
Three years later, he recounted his experience in a book entitled "Erinnerung an Solferino" (A Memory of Solferino). In this book he called for an international agreement to protect the victims of war. He also proposed that "aid organisations" be set up in every country. In times of peace, they were to train volunteers to support the armies' medical services in the event of war. This provided the impetus for the establishment of the Red Cross, which was founded with Henry Dunant's assistance in 1863.
After being forced to declare bankruptcy, he wandered around Europe in meagre circumstances for years, finally settling in Heiden in the Appenzell region in 1887. A journalist discovered him in the district hospital there in 1895 and brought him to public attention. Numerous awards and donations were bestowed upon him. In 1901 he even became the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Henry Dunant died on 30th October 1910 at the age of 82.
Text: SRC Metal .835 Silver Weight: 20g Diameter: 32.8 mm Mintage: 50.000
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