Arno Stern
Arno Stern was a German-born French pedagogue and researcher.
Life and career
Stern was born on 23 June 1924, in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. He attended a school there for three years before emigrating to France with his parents after Hitler came to power. After the outbreak of World War II, the family continued to flee to Switzerland. Together with around 300 other refugees, Stern spent his youth there in a makeshift factory building until the end of the war. During this internment period, the refugees were looked after by aid agencies that provided them with books, including about art history. He was a refugee for 12 years. Stern also used his limited free time to draw in these years. After years of internment and statelessness, Stern returned to France with his family after the war and became a French citizen.He was married to Michéle Stern and the couple have two sons and André Stern ) and a daughter. His first son, Bertrand, went to school but did not like it there, which is why his later born children were unschooled.
Over time, the media became aware of Stern's work. He was interviewed several times, reports were made and he wrote articles about his work.
UNESCO also became aware of Stern and delegated him as an expert to the first international congress on art education in Bristol. On 9 September 2019 Stern was honored by UNESCO and the Paris-Sorbonne University.
Stern turned 100 on 23 June 2024. He died a week later, on 30 June.