Stéphane Hessel, whose 2010 essay Time for Outrage! sold millions of copies globally, navigated a life defined by displacement and diplomatic service. Born in Berlin in 1917, he migrated to Paris during his childhood before serving the French state across a long career that spanned the Second World War and the evolution of international human rights institutions.
Wartime Resistance and Survival
Before his diplomatic career, Hessel participated in the resistance against the Vichy government. He trained with the French intelligence service, the Bureau central de renseignement et d'action, to organize communications networks. Captured by the Gestapo, he was deported to the Buchenwald and Dora concentration camps. He narrowly escaped execution by assuming the identity of a deceased prisoner and eventually escaped during a transfer to Bergen-Belsen, meeting advancing United States Army troops in Hannover.
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Post-war, Hessel joined the United Nations, serving as an assistant to Henri Laugier. He acted as an observer during the editing of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Throughout his career, he held various positions, including his role as president from 1985 to 1987. Named an ambassador for life, he remained active in groups such as the Jean Moulin Club and the French Jewish Union for Peace, consistently advocating for humanitarian issues and political reforms.
Literary Impact
In his later years, Hessel gained significant international attention for his writing. His short book, Time for Outrage!, and his subsequent work, Get involved!, urged readers to adopt the spirit of the resistance to address contemporary economic inequality and environmental concerns. His work was translated into numerous languages, reflecting a wide reach that earned him recognition as a significant global thinker.
Fast facts
- Born: 1917, Berlin
- Died: 2013, 14th arrondissement of Paris
- Citizenship: France and Germany
- Notable works: Time for Outrage!, Get involved!
- Education: École alsacienne, Lycée Louis-le-Grand, École Libre des Sciences Politiques, London School of Economics and Political Science, École Normale Supérieure
- Award: North–South Prize (2004)
- Award: Prix de l’Académie de Berlin (2011)
- Burial site: Montparnasse Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Time for Outrage!?
The book, published in 2010, became a global bestseller that encouraged citizens to engage in non-violent insurrection against perceived social and political injustices.
What was Hessel's role at the United Nations?
He served as an assistant to the vice-secretary general in charge of economic and social affairs and acted as an observer during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
