Doctorate Honoris Causa Benito Mussolini

In 1937, at a time of rising totalitarianism, when the abuses of the Fascist Regime in Italy and Africa were clearly known to the Swiss public, the University of Lausanne awarded Benito Mussolini a doctorate honoris causa (d.h.c.). It did so knowingly, with the support of its political authorities.

This d.h.c. was immediately contested by a section of Vaud and national society. Since the post-war period, successive rectorships of the University have been called upon on several occasions to reconsider this honour and withdraw the d.h.c. posthumously.

In 1987, in response to such claims and to promote understanding of this shocking initiative, the Rectorate decided to make public all the documents that the University possessed on the 1937 event, in the hope that this would be the starting point for research into the circumstances surrounding the award of this d.h.c.

In 2020, the Directorate, once again called upon, considered that the position adopted since 1987 of publishing the documents in the file without taking an institutional position no longer met the expectations of society; It was no longer in line with the expectations of contemporary society, which is particularly sensitive to moral, ethical and political issues.

Convinced that UNIL must actively come to terms with this page in its history, the Direction has commissioned a group of experts from its faculties to help it reconsider its institutional position in the fairest possible way.

The report produced by this expert group, which is representative of all UNIL faculties, highlights the ethical, legal, political and moral issues raised by the 1937 decision and its subsequent institutional management. He acknowledged the full legitimacy of the indignation and unease aroused by the d.h.c., but also emphasised that an institutional response limited to the question of withdrawal would be incomplete. Indeed, apart from the fact that an act of withdrawal has no legal or regulatory basis, there is above all a risk that it would give the impression that UNIL is seeking to erase the past, or at the very least to make an economic withdrawal. However, to be appropriate, an institutional overhaul must provide an opportunity to constantly reaffirm the fundamental values of the University, accompanied by all possible measures to prevent the sad episode of 1937 from being repeated by the institution and also by its social and political environment.

The management of UNIL therefore clearly states that by awarding a d.h.c. to Benito Mussolini in 1937, the University of Lausanne failed in its mission and academic values based on respect for the individual and freedom of thought.

Rather than deny or erase this episode, which is part of its history, the Direction of UNIL wants it to serve as a permanent warning of possible ideological deceptions to which any person, institution - starting with UNIL itself - or society is exposed.

To this end, the Direction of UNIL is committing the institution and its community to a series of active moral actions that highlight the historical, legal, ethical and political issues of its past, so as to make them benchmarks in the face of the totalitarianisms of all times.