Stéphane Hessel

Born in Berlin in 1917, he studied in France where he obtained French citizenship before joining the army. He was arrested by the Gestapo and transferred to the Buchenwald camp, from which he escaped. He was captured again and imprisoned in the Dora camp, where he unsuccessfully attempted to escape. He eventually managed to escape while being transferred to Bergen-Belsen. After the war, he was involved with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, founded an association to aid Africa and Madagascar, and was active in the "Coalition for the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence," among other organizations. He was honored multiple times for his contributions. He served as a French Ambassador and was an officer of the Legion of Honor. He passed away in Paris on February 27, 2013, at the age of 95.