Stéphane Hessel was born in Berlin in 1917 and died in Paris on 27 February 2013. Deported to Buchenwald as a Resistance fighter in 1944, he survived three German concentration camps. From then on, he felt a moral obligation to dedicate his life to the service of human rights. He finished his studies of philosophy and entered the diplomatic service. Within the UN he stood up for the ideals to which he had always felt attached: a world without atomic bombs, without concentration camps, without imperialism – a world in which human rights are respected. Even after the end of his official career, Hessel remained politically active, calling for law and justice, responsibility and civil courage – with sensational resonance.
