HiStories - Bertha von Suttner - A Woman Ahead of Her Time

This event commemorated Baroness Bertha Von Suttner (1843-1914) of Austria, the leading figure of the 19th century peace movement, who paved the way for the creation of the League of Nations. Bertha was an extraordinary woman, an internationalist who was ahead of her time, and continues to provide inspiration to those who believe in the progress of humanity through reason, tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Founder of the Austrian Peace Society and other pacifist organizations in Europe, Bertha helped to establish the International Peace Bureau in Bern. She also played an important role in the Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907, that led to the creation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. As a life-long friend of Alfred Nobel, she inspired him to create the Nobel Peace Prize, and was the first woman to receive it in 1905.  

In this session, experts led us on a fascinating journey of her life and ideas, sharing new research findings about her works. 

This session also mentions unique documents and secondary sources about Bertha Von Suttner found at the UN Library & Archives Geneva.  

This session was part of our HiStories Series.

Participating in this session:

Opening Remarks

 Ms. Tatiana VALOVAYA, Director-General, UNOG

Speaker

Dr. Hope Elizabeth MAY, Professor, Central Michigan University and initiator of the Bertha Von Suttner Project 

Moderator 

Mr. Colin WELLS, Project Manager, Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives