The Collège Calvin, formerly the Collège de Genève, is the oldest public

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

History

On February 24, 1428, the ''Conseil Général'' of

decided to establish a college in Rive, near the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

, and near the . In it was taught the liberal arts and university studies, which Genevan people had previously had to go abroad to study. After the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

, school was made obligatory and free for poor people on May 21, 1536. A new college was founded, this time in the Franciscan convent. It was not until May 29, 1559, after the Leges Academiae Genevensis (Order of Collège de Genève) that work began on the actual building of a new official Collège de Genève and Université de Genève. This building would eventually house the Collège de Genève alone. The original edifice is now part of a complex, with a wing added in the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

, another wing and building in the 19th century, and a final building added in 1987. The Collège de Genève was renamed the Collège Calvin in 1969, after its founder, the French Protestant reformer

System

The Collège Calvin is one of the Postobligatory Secondary Education Schools in Geneva, specifically under the ''Formation Gymnasiale'' collèges. Students who want to pursue an education past the (obligatory) Cycle d'Orientation enter the four-year college from 15 to 19.

Notable alumni

* Joseph Baskin * Marc Bonnant *

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

* : Les trois demoiselles du père Maire, Le centenaire de Jean Jacques, L'école du dimanche *

Henry Dunant Henry Dunant (born Jean-Henri Dunant; 8 May 182830 October 1910), also known as Henri Dunant, was a Swiss humanitarian, businessman, and social activist. He was the visionary, promoter, and co-founder of the Red Cross. In 1901, he received the ...

* Philippe Monnier: Le livre de Blaise *

Gustave Moynier Gustave Moynier (21 September 1826 – 21 August 1910) was a Swiss Jurist who was active in many charitable organizations in Geneva. He was a co-founder of the "International Committee for Relief to the Wounded", which became the International Co ...

* Marcel Junod * Didier Pittet * Jan A. Rajchman (1911-1989) *

Ferdinand de Saussure Ferdinand de Saussure (; ; 26 November 1857 – 22 February 1913) was a Swiss linguist, semiotician and philosopher. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiotics in the 20th century. He is wide ...

(1857-1913) * Jean Starobinski *

Rodolphe Töpffer Rodolphe Töpffer ( , ; 31 January 1799 – 8 June 1846) was a Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist. He is best known for his illustrated books (''littérature en estampes'', "graphic literature"), which are possibly ...

(1799-1846) * Andrew Le Mercier (1692-1764) *

Augustin Pyramus de Candolle Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candoll ...

(1778-1841)

References

External links

Official Collège Calvin Website

Schools in Geneva Educational institutions established in the 1550s 1559 establishments in Europe {{Switzerland-school-stub