Belgium · 150 years of Rotes Kreuz in Belgien

The establishment of the Belgian Red Cross (Belgisches Rotes Kreuz) is connected with the international Red Cross movement. Its impetus came from the Swiss businessman Henry Dunant after the Battle of Solferino in 1859. He had observed the inadequate care provided to wounded soldiers and proposed voluntary aid societies that would treat the wounded regardless of their affiliation. This initiative led to the later International Committee of the Red Cross (Internationales Komitee vom Roten Kreuz) in Geneva in 1863.

The Belgian Red Cross (Belgisches Rotes Kreuz) was founded on 4 February 1864 and is therefore one of the early national Red Cross societies. The first Geneva Convention was adopted in the same year. It regulated the protection of wounded soldiers and medical personnel in wartime. The red cross on a white background was established as a protective emblem; its colours are the reverse of those of the Swiss flag and refer to the place where the movement originated.

The organisation’s work was not limited to armed conflicts. Its tasks also include disaster relief, first-aid training, blood donation services, social support and participation in the search for missing persons and the restoration of family contacts. Its foundation consists of the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The Belgian organisation also reflects the federal and multilingual structure of the country. Its activities are primarily supported by a Dutch-speaking and a French-speaking community association; the German-speaking community is also taken into account organisationally. This explains why the country’s two major national languages regularly appear alongside one another in public presentations of the organisation.

The period from 1864 to 2014 marked the round anniversary of one and a half centuries. It was also suitable as the occasion for a commemorative circulation coin because the Red Cross is both a Belgian institution and part of a cross-border humanitarian movement. The theme thus combines national history with the rules of international humanitarian law and internationally organised aid.