What is a human being worth in war?

8 April 2016. Just over 150 years ago, the Geneva Convention laid down rules for the protection of people in armed conflicts. Against the background of the migration crisis and a great number of international trouble spots, the subject of international humanitarian law is more topical than ever. Thanks to the Geneva Convention of 1864, the fate of people injured in war, of refugees, prisoners of war and civilian victims gained in importance and was recognised worldwide. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the events of Geneva, the Henry Dunant Museum has staged a special exhibition.

Food for thought

What is a human being worth in war? What happens when people step on landmines? Who is responsible for the victims of an armed conflict? What can we understand by a “humane war”? In an armed conflict, what happens to individuals, their dignity, their physical integrity and their human rights? The production of the exhibition “…what matters is the human being” at the University of St.Gallen provides information about the historical backgrounds and makes people think about humanitarian issues.

Direct insights thanks to modern technology

The exhibition works with an interactive orchestration which turns a visit into an experience thanks to “augmented reality”. At the information desk in the Main Building, each visitor is given an iPad, through whose camera additional information, contents, videos or interactive animations are opened in connection with certain exhibits. When the tablet computer is placed on the reproduction of the painting of the Geneva Convention, an audio encyclopaedia will open with A-Z information about the whole spectrum of international humanitarian law.

Opening times of the exhibition

The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge in the Main Building (01) of the HSG from 11-29 April 2016 on Mondays to Fridays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. In addition, the exhibition will be open on Saturday, 16 April, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m; at 12 noon, Josef Büchelmeier from the Henry Dunant Museum will give an introductory address.

Picture: photocase.de / .marqs