Joseph Adolphe Rovan (born Joseph Adolph Rosenthal in Munich, Germany on July 25, 1918, died July 27, 2004), was a French philosopher and politician, and is considered a spiritual father of post-war Europe. Initially born into the Jewish faith, on Whitsunday 1944 he was received into the Catholic Church. Rovan was active in the French Resistance during World War II and was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Résistance for his services. In 1944, he was arrested by the Gestapo and survived 10 months in the Dachau concentration camp. It was during this time that he converted to Catholicism. In 1945, after his return to France, he wrote in the magazine Esprit the article "L'Allemagne de nos mérites," where he suggested that the creation of a democratic Germany on the ruins of the Third Reich was the responsibility of the Allies. Rovan has also been awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the Ordre National du Mérite, the German Order of Merit with Star, and the Bavarian Order of Merit. He died in a swimming accident in France. External links Telegraph Obituary Joseph Rovan 1918 births 2004 deaths Accidental deaths in France Deaths by drowning in France 20th-century German Jews 20th-century French philosophers Jews in the French resistance French Roman Catholics Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Resistance Medal Recipients of the Ordre national du Mérite Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Sport deaths in France Lycée Carnot alumni French male non-fiction writers Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature) Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism 20th-century French male writers