Juste Olivier

Who was Juste Olivier?

Juste Daniel Olivier, Swiss poet, was born near Nyon in the canton of Vaud; he was brought up as a peasant, but studied at the college of Nyon, and later at the academy of Lausanne.

Though originally intended for the ministry, his poetic genius inclined him towards literary studies. He was named professor of literature at Neuchâtel, but before taking up the duties of his post made a visit to Paris, where he completed his education and became associated with Sainte-Beuve, especially from 1837 onwards. He professed history at Lausanne from 1833 to 1846, when he lost his chair in consequence of the religious troubles.

He then went to Paris, where he remained till 1870, earning his bread by various means, but being nearly forgotten in his native land, to which he remained tenderly attached. From 1845 till 1860 Olivier and his wife wrote in the Revue suisse the Paris letter, which had been started by Sainte-Beuve in 1843, when Olivier became the owner of the periodical. After the war of 1870 he settled down in Switzerland, spending his summers at his beloved Gryon, and died at Geneva on 7 January 1876.