Special stamp to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier

To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier, Swiss Post is issuing a special stamp in honour of the life’s work of the two Red Cross founders.

The early history of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Red Cross owes much to two figures: Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier. The Genevans worked tirelessly to protect the lives and preserve the dignity of victims of wars and conflicts.

It was Henry Dunant who, deeply affected by the ravages of war he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino (1859), called for the formation of national aid organizations to train volunteers to care for the war wounded.  In 1863, he and four of his peers, among them General Guillaume-Henri Dufour and Gustave Moynier, founded a committee which became the modern-day ICRC, an act which, in 1901, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. Dunant’s laudable dedication was in stark contrast to the misfortunes of his personal life. The businessman went bankrupt and, in 1910, with his reputation in tatters, was to die in poverty in Heiden, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.  Gustave Moynier was the President of the ICRC from 1864 until his death.  The jurist was also highly instrumental in the formation of the Institut de droit international (“Institute of International Law”), thus playing his part in two organizations that were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier, Swiss Post is issuing a special stamp in honour of the life’s work of the two Red Cross founders. The stamp was created by designer and illustrator Martin Eberhard from Zurzach. It has a face value of CHF 1.90 and will be available and valid for postage as of 3 September 2010. Those of you who can’t wait until then can reserve your stamps ahead of time at the Swiss Post PhilaShop:  www.swisspost.ch/philashop.