# Stéphane Hessel

_French diplomat, ambassador, writer, concentration camp survivor (1917–2013)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/stephane-hessel
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Stéphane Frédéric Hessel was a French diplomat, ambassador, writer, concentration camp survivor, Resistance member and BCRA agent. Born German, he became a naturalised French citizen in 1939. He became an observer of the editing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. In 2011 he was named by Foreign Policy magazine in its list of top global thinkers. In later years his activism focused on economic inequalities, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and protection for the post–World War II social vision. His short book Time for Outrage! sold 4.5 million copies worldwide. Hessel and his book were linked and cited as an inspiration for the Spanish Indignados, the Arab Spring, the American Occupy Wall Street movement and other political movements.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 20 October 1917 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P19))
- **Died:** 27 February 2013 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P570))
- **Place of death:** 14th arrondissement of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Laarbeek; Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P27))
- **Occupation:** diplomat; writer; political activist; French resistance fighter; poet; resistance fighter ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P106))
- **Education:** École Normale Supérieure; École alsacienne; London School of Economics and Political Science; École Libre des Sciences Politiques; Lycée Louis-le-Grand ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P69))
- **Official website:** engagezvous.com ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P856))
- **Positions held:** president (1985–1987) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P39))
- **Awards:** Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit; Four Freedoms Award – Freedom from Want; North–South Prize; Jean-Zay Award; Adam Mickiewicz award; Eugen Kogon Award; Prix de l’Académie de Berlin; Burgerschapsprijs Stichting P&V; honorary citizen of Brussels; honorary doctorate from the European University of Humanities ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110#P166))

## Questions

**When was Stéphane Hessel born?**  
Stéphane Hessel was born on 20 October 1917 in Berlin.

**What positions has Stéphane Hessel held?**  
Positions held by Stéphane Hessel include: president (1985–1987).

**Where did Stéphane Hessel study?**  
Stéphane Hessel was educated at École Normale Supérieure, École alsacienne, London School of Economics and Political Science, École Libre des Sciences Politiques.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Stéphane Hessel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Hessel) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q165110](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165110) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Stéphane Hessel, 2012 (cropped).JPG by Superbass (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A9phane_Hessel,_2012_(cropped).JPG)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Stéphane Hessel, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Stéphane Hessel, 2012 (cropped).JPG — Superbass, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Stéphane Hessel". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/stephane-hessel. Retrieved 6 November 2026.