Strong turnout of young Red Cross volunteers at Dunant commemoration

As dusk settled over the town of Heiden on 30 October 2025, visitors made their way toward the former district hospital where Henry Dunant spent the final 15 years of his life. Inside the historic building, a dignified ceremony marked the 115^th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Red Cross. The rooms on the second floor, once Dunant’s living quarters, are today part of a museum dedicated to his life and work. Redesigned and reopened in spring 2025, the exhibition was brightly illuminated for the occasion, drawing a steady stream of visitors throughout the evening.
    The museum soon filled with Red Cross delegations from across the region, representing a wide range of ages. Their uniforms bore the names of their places of origin: Rottweil and Ravensburg in southern Germany, several towns in Austria’s Vorarlberg region, and numerous Swiss associations. Among them was a delegate from Munich who remarked that this was his fiftieth time attending such a commemoration. Civilian guests and local residents mingled easily with the volunteers dressed in red.
    Shortly after 6 p. m., participants gathered on the museum terrace. There, a replica of the Peace Bell – saved intact from Nagasaki – stood as the central symbol of the evening, flanked by flag bearers from the various associations. In his welcoming address, the chairman of the museum association turned particular attention to the many young volunteers present, describing their strong turnout as a hopeful sign for the future of the Red Cross. Earlier, many of them had signed the visitors’ book using ink and fountain pens, echoing the writing tools of Dunant’s own time.
    One by one, guests were invited to ring the bell, gripping the thick rope firmly to set the heavy instrument in motion. From there, they moved on to members of the Heiden Johanniter group, who handed each participant a lit pitch torch. The resulting procession formed a long, glowing line as it made its way up the main road toward Henry Dunant Square.
    At the square, an imposing memorial stone depicts Dunant with his arm raised, as if calling on future generations to remember his mission. A local brass band played solemn music as the crowd gathered. A representative of the Swiss Red Cross – who had previously overseen humanitarian operations in the Middle East – addressed the assembly. Speaking especially to the younger volunteers, he recalled the organisation’s core principles of impartiality, neutrality and universality, and emphasised the everyday work of local Red Cross groups in assisting people in need, responding to accidents and emergencies, and supporting communities in difficult situations.
    Encircled by torchlight, the flag bearers stepped forward and slowly lowered their flags in tribute to the Red Cross founder. The ceremony concluded with a solemn song.
    Afterwards, participants moved on to the Kursaal, where warm refreshments awaited them. A barley soup prepared by the Vorarlberg delegation of the Austrian Red Cross in a large field kitchen vehicle proved especially welcome. Many attendees, familiar with one another from past meetings or relief operations, lingered in conversation.
    Outside, white Red Cross minibuses lined the road – vehicles more often associated with emergency deployments, but on this evening serving to transport visitors home – bringing the commemorative gathering to a quiet close. •