The anthology Le droit d'être un homme, published in 1968, serves as a testament to the life's work of a thinker who dedicated her career to the study of freedom. Jeanne Hersch emerged from Geneva to become one of the most prominent Swiss philosophers of the twentieth century, bridging the divide between existentialist inquiry and institutional pedagogy.
Academic Formation and Early Career
Born in 1910, Hersch pursued an extensive academic path across several European institutions. Her studies took her to the University of Geneva, the University of Freiburg, the École pratique des hautes études, and Heidelberg University. During the early 1930s, she studied under the existentialist Karl Jaspers. Between 1933 and 1956, she worked as a teacher at the International School of Geneva, where she instructed students in French, Latin, and philosophy. During the 1940s, she also participated in the doctoral colloquium led by Paul Häberlin at the University of Basel, supported by a scholarship from the Lucerna Foundation.
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In 1936, Hersch co-founded the Association of Friends of Republican Spain alongside André Oltramarre. Serving as the secretary of the Central Committee, she oversaw the organization’s dual objectives of providing material assistance and information during the Spanish Civil War. Her international influence grew in the 1960s when she directed the philosophy division of UNESCO from 1966 to 1968. She remained involved with the organization’s executive commission between 1970 and 1972.
University Appointment and Scholarly Recognition
In 1956, Hersch secured a professorship at the University of Geneva, marking a notable milestone as one of the first women to attain such a position at a Swiss university. She remained in this role until 1977. Her intellectual contributions were acknowledged through several honors, including the Amiel Prize in 1936 for L'illusion philosophique, the Book Guild's Literary Prize in 1941 for Temps alternés, and the Adolphe Neuman Prize in 1947. In later years, she received the Ida Somazzi Award in 1970, the Albert Einstein Medal in 1987, and the Karl Jaspers Prize in 1992. She also held an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel.
Final Years
Following her retirement as a professor emeritus at the University of Geneva, Hersch remained active in intellectual debates, including public disagreements regarding university appointments. She resided in Geneva throughout her life, where she eventually died in 2000. Her remains are interred at the Cemetery of Kings.
Fast facts
- Born: 1910, Geneva, Switzerland
- Died: 2000, Geneva, Switzerland
- Education: University of Freiburg, University of Geneva, École pratique des hautes études, Heidelberg University
- Professorship: University of Geneva (1956–1977)
- UNESCO role: Head of philosophy division (1966–1968)
- Notable anthology: Le droit d'être un homme (1968)
- Awards: Albert Einstein Medal (1987), Karl Jaspers Prize (1992)
- Burial place: Cemetery of Kings
Questions readers ask
What was the focus of Jeanne Hersch's philosophical work?
Her scholarship focused heavily on the concept of human freedom and the development of human rights discourse.
Where did Jeanne Hersch teach?
She taught for 33 years at the International School of Geneva and served as a professor at the University of Geneva.
Achievements
- Karl Jaspers Prize — 1992
- Albert Einstein Medal — 1987
- Held posts at University of Geneva and International School of Geneva
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