Born in Konstanz. Died in Geneva. Does the name Wilhelm Heinrich Dufour Plaque resonate with you? It should. This plaque marks the birthplace of a man who shaped Switzerland.
The Wilhelm Heinrich Dufour Plaque commemorates Guillaume Henri Dufour. He was born here in Konstanz on September 15 1787. His parents lived in exile due to political issues in Geneva. They were allowed to return to Geneva when Dufour was two years old.
Guillaume Henri Dufour’s life was impressive. He was a Swiss military officer an engineer and a topographer. Dufour served under Napoleon I. Later he held the Swiss office of General four times. His first term began in 1847. He led the Swiss Confederation forces against the Sonderbund.
Dufour also had a hand in founding the International Red Cross. In 1864 he presided over the First Geneva Convention. This convention established rules for the treatment of the wounded in war. From 1838 to 1865 Dufour headed the Swiss Federal Office of Topography.
Now let’s jump back to Dufour’s early years. He attended school in Geneva. He studied drawing and medicine. Dufour joined the École Polytechnique in Paris in 1807. He studied descriptive geometry. Dufour graduated fifth in his class in 1809. He then studied military engineering in Metz.
In 1811 Dufour joined the French Army. He mapped fortifications on Corfu. Dufour was wounded in a naval battle in 1813. By 1814 he was a captain. He received the Cross of the Légion d’Honneur. This award recognized his work repairing fortifications in Lyon.
Dufour became a Swiss citizen again in 1817. He commanded Geneva’s military engineers. He was also a mathematics professor at the Academy of Geneva. From 1819 to 1830 Dufour taught at the military school of Thun. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was one of his pupils.
In 1827 Dufour became a colonel. He commanded the Federal army in field exercises. Dufour became chief of staff in 1831. Soon after he was appointed quartermaster-general. The Federal Diet commissioned him to survey Switzerland in 1833. He had already surveyed the canton of Geneva.
The final map was published between 1842 and 1865. It consisted of 25 sheets at a scale of 1:100000. The Dufourkarte covered the whole of Switzerland.
In 1847 the Catholic cantons tried to form the Sonderbund. This act split the country. The Federal Diet appointed Dufour General on October 21 1847. He led 100000 federal soldiers. Dufour defeated the Sonderbund in a short campaign. The conflict lasted from November 3 to 29. Fewer than one hundred people died.
Dufour ordered his troops to spare the injured. He sent an emissary to Fribourg in order to avoid a deadly battle. Dufour prevented foreign intervention. He helped the cantons agree on a common federal state in 1848. The Federal Diet gave him 60000 francs. Various cities and cantons also gave him honors.
Besides his role in the Sonderbund War Dufour was named General three more times. These appointments were for the Baden Revolution the Neuchâtel Crisis and the Second Italian War of Independence.
In 1863 Dufour joined a committee about helping the wounded in battle. This committee led to the International Red Cross. In 1864 he led the conference that created the First Geneva Convention.
Sixty thousand people attended Dufour’s burial in Geneva on July 16 1875.
There are other memorials to Dufour. An equestrian statue stands in Geneva. Plaques mark his homes in Geneva and Lovagny France. Many Swiss cities have streets named after him. His image appeared on the 20 francs note of the 1956 series. The Dufourspitze the highest Swiss mountain peak honors his cartography.
The Wilhelm Heinrich Dufour Plaque here in Konstanz. It’s a reminder of a great Swiss leader. Think about his impact as you continue your tour. His legacy extends far beyond this birthplace.