Denis de Rougemont

Biography

First steps

Denis de Rougemont is the son of Georges de Rougemont, Pasteur, and of Anne Sophie, born Bouvet. The family of Rougemont is probably originating in the Franche-Comté; she was established in Neuchâtel as of the 14th century. In 1784, it received a “recognition of old nobility” of the King Frederic II (Neuchâtel was then a Prussian Principality). The family members of Rougemont also belonged to the Council of State of Neuchâtel.

Denis de Rougemont attends the elementary school with Couvet of 1912 to 1918. This experiment will inspire later the to him Méfaits of the State education (1929). From 1918 to 1925, he attends the Latin College, then the gymnasium of Neuchâtel (science section). In 1923, he writes a first article on " Henry de Montherlant and the morals of the football" , published in the literary Week of Geneva . From 1925 to 1927, it follows the courses of the University of Neuchâtel, in Faculty of Arts; he attends the courses of psychology and the seminar of Jean Piaget on genetic epistemology, and the course of max Niedermann on the linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure. In 1930, the end of its studies is sanctioned by an Arts degree (French, German, history, psychology, philosophy).

Professional beginnings

The same year, Denis de Rougemont is established in Paris, where it ensures the literary direction of the Editions I Serve (which will publish Søren Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, Nicolas Berdiaeff, Ortega there Gasset…). Belonging to the mobility of the Non-conformistes of the Thirties it meets then collaborates with, in particular, Gabriel Marcel, Emmanuel Mounier, Alexandre Marc, Arnaud Dandieu, Robert Aron. In 1932, in Frankfurt, it takes part in a meeting of young European revolutionary groups, then with the launching of two groups personalists and their reviews, Esprit (with Emmanuel Mounier and G. Izard) and the New Ordre (with in particular Robert Aron, Arnaud Dandieu, Alexandre Marc). He also collaborates in the review Plans , is cofounder of Hic and Nunc (of tendency barthienne). Lastly, he collaborates in the Nouvelle French Review where he presents in 1932, a " Book of claims of youth française".

In 1933, Denis de Rougemont marries Simone Vion (which he will divorce in 1951), with which he will have two children, Nicolas and Martine. The editions I am useful go bankrupt the same year; of Rougemont finds itself then with unemployment, or rather " en" unemployment, since it will regard this period as favourable with the intellectual reflections. During these two years, lived partly in interior exile on the Ile de Ré, Denis de Rougemont will write the Journal of an unemployed Intellectual (published in 1937). In 1934, it publishes Politique of the Person , and translated, in 1935, the Dogmatic one of Karl Barth.

Until 1936, Denis de Rougemont is reader at the University of Frankfurt and editor association of the Nouveaux Books (until 1939). He publishes in 1936 Penser with the Hands, then a test on the physiognomical Vision of the Monde. From March in June 1938, Denis de Rougemont harnesses himself with the drafting of one as of his major works, the Love and the Occident . In October of the same year, it publishes the Journal of Germany and, in November the booklet of Nicolas de Flue, oratorio of Arthur Honegger.

Until the release of the Second world war, D. of Rougemont still publishes many articles in Esprit , L New Ordre , the Nouvelle French Review , the Revue of Paris , and the chronicles to the Figaro .

Period of war

Denis is mobilized in September 1939 in the Swiss army. At the time of the entry of the Germans in Paris, it writes an article which is worth the lightnings of the Swiss government to him: he is condemned to 15 days of military prison (which he passes in fact in his office and with gifts of the hierarchy). Denis de Rougemont then founds the Ligue of Gothard, a Swiss group of resistance to victorious European Fascisms and writes his Manifeste . After having written a polemical article in the Gazette of Lausanne , Denis de Rougemont is sent at the end of August 1940 to the United States, officially to give conferences on Switzerland to it. He settles close to New York in October of the same year.

After having written and publishhaving published The Heart off Europe: Switzerland , it attends creation in Carnegie Hall of the oratorio Nicolas de Flue . He travels to Argentina from July at November, attending the circle " Sur" , joined together by Victoria Ocampo, of which he is the host. He gives several conferences and publishes in Spanish his book on Switzerland. The day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, it returns to New York. Professor since 1942 at the Private school of the High Studies (French University in exile), then writer with the Office off War Information , " the Voice of America speaks in Français" , he writes in five weeks the Share of the Devil , which appears at the end of 1942. He meets Saint-John Perse, Saint-Exupéry, Marcel Duchamp, André Breton, max Ernst, André Masson, Bohuslav Martinů, Edgar Varèse, but also R. Niebuhr, D. Mac Donald, or the count Coudenhove-Kalergi.

Post-war period

In 1946, Denis de Rougemont publishes in New York les" Letters on the Bomb atomique" following the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which deeply shocked it. In April 1946, Denis de Rougemont returns to Europe. September 8th, 1946, it publishes its first speech on the union of Europe. From return to the United States, it spends 5 days in prison to Ellis Island, for reasons which were never cleared up. In 1947, of Rougemont meets Albert Einstein in Princeton, discusses the problems of the union of Europe. In July of the same year, it turns over definitively to Europe, it is established in Ferney-Voltaire, in the residence which was that of the author of Ingenuous.

Engaged in favor of European construction, Denis de Rougemont makes at the end of the month of August 1947 the inaugural speech of the first Congress of “the European Union of the federalists” in Montreux, from which the Congrès will leave $the Hague in 1948, and makes the promotion of a European Center of the Culture of which he will be later director.

In May 1948, of Rougemont gives reading, at the time of the closing session of the Congress of $the Hague, (chaired by Winston Churchill) of the Message to Europeans , who it was charged to write to release the direction of the demonstration. He writes and publishes Europe concerned and the Suite neuchâteloise . In November, he is elected acting general of the European Union of the Federalists. In 1949, of Rougemont opens in Geneva, under the auspices of the European Movement, a " Office of études" charged with preparing the European Conference of the culture. This one is held in Lausanne from December 8th to 11th under the presidency of S. of Madariaga. Denis de Rougemont is the general reporter.

In 1950, Denis de Rougemont takes part in Berlin with the demonstrations which will give rise to the Congrès for the freedom of the culture, that it will chair thereafter, of 1952 to 1966. He writes and makes distribute to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe the " Letters with the Deputies européens" and the Call writes which will be read in the name of the 6000 European students expressing in front of the Council of Europe. It governs the creation of the European Center of Culture (CEC), from where are resulting from many European institutions (in particular the European Association of the festivals of music, but also the CERN). It Founds in 1963 of the Academic institute of European studies which since became the European Institut of the university of Geneva (IEUG).

In the years 1970 it will contribute to the development of the movement ecologist. He is founding member of the Groupe of Bellerive (1977), body of reflection on the orientations of the industrial society and author of work pioneers on the dangers of the nuclear power. He creates with Jacques Ellul the Ecoreupa group and, in 1978, the review Cadmos .

Denis de Rougemont dies in Geneva on December 6th, 1985.

Principal aspects of the thought of Denis de Rougemont

Denis de Rougemont is regarded in particular as one of the large thinkers pioneers of the idea to institute a European Fédéralisme.

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