About
Denis de Rougemont (1906-1985) was a Swiss writer and essayist, a leading figure of personalism and European federalism. After studies in Neuchâtel, Vienna, and Geneva, he moved to Paris in 1930 and co-founded the reviews Esprit and L'Ordre Nouveau. His essay Love in the Western World (1939) analyzed the myth of passionate love through the legend of Tristan and Iseult. Exiled in the United States during World War II, he taught in New York and worked for Voice of America. Back in Europe, he participated in the Congress of Europe in The Hague (1948) and founded the European Centre for Culture in Geneva in 1950. He advocated for a federal Europe and published numerous works on Switzerland and the future of Europe.
* 1906-09-08 — † 1985-12-06
Major works
- Politique de la personne (1934)essay
- Penser avec les mains (1936)essay
- L'Amour et l'Occident (1939)essay
- Nicolas de Flue (1939)dramatic legend
- L'Avenir est notre affaire (1977)essay
Key milestones
- 1930Moved to Paris and co-founded the reviews Esprit and L'Ordre Nouveau.
- 1948Served as rapporteur for the Cultural Committee at the Congress of Europe in The Hague and drafted the 'Message to Europeans'.
- 1950Founded and directed the European Centre for Culture in Geneva.
Themes
personalismEuropean federalismpassionate loveintellectual commitmentSwiss identity
Sources: hls-dhs-dss.ch · cvce.eu · oxfordreference.com