Dr. Reuben Hecht was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1909 and grew up in Basel, Switzerland, where, as a young man, he served as a leader in the 'Blue-White' (Kachol-Lavan) Zionist youth movement. Between 1928 and 1933, he studied at the universities of Munich, Berlin, and Heidelberg, and was active in associations of Zionist academics (K.J.V.). In 1933, he was awarded a doctorate in political science by the University of Heidelberg. In addition to his primary professional field, he also studied archaeology, art history, the history of the ancient world, the natural sciences, theater, and journalism. His interest in collecting archaeological artifacts and art developed in tandem with his Zionist zeal; the two pursuits remained intertwined throughout his life.
Earlier in the century, Dr. Hecht’s father and uncle had established the Neptun-Rhenania concern—a group of companies that operated transport lines along the Rhine, Main, and Neckar rivers. This served as the foundation for Dr. Hecht’s business training from a young age, and he remained involved in this sector until the very end of his life.
In 1936, Dr. Hecht immigrated to Palestine, and in 1939, he traveled to Europe on a mission for the Irgun (Etzel). He established "Aliyah Bet" (illegal immigration) offices in Zurich and Paris, represented the Irgun in various countries, and was active in the global Revisionist organization "HaTzohar" as well as the New Zionist Organization (NZO). During World War II, Dr. Hecht served as a representative for various Jewish rescue organizations in Switzerland, and following the war, he was involved in rescue operations in Western Europe.
Dr. Hecht returned to Israel immediately following the establishment of the state and proposed that the provisional government construct a network of grain silos at Israel’s ports. In 1950, he was granted the concession to establish "Dagon – Batei Mamgurot LeYisrael Ltd." (Dagon – Grain Silos of Israel) at the Port of Haifa. In 1981, he also established the Ashdod Grain Silos. Dr. Hecht served as a personal advisor to Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, accompanying them on official missions and state visits, and made a significant contribution to articulating the Israeli position, particularly in Western European countries.
Since the establishment of the State, Dr. Hecht served as a member of various government committees in the fields of culture and the arts—including the Bank of Israel’s public committee for the design of banknotes, coins, and commemorative coins—as well as the Archaeological Council and the Israeli Council for Culture and Arts (under the Ministry of Culture and Sport). He was one of the initiators and founders of the University of Haifa, serving on its Board of Governors and Executive Committee from 1971 until his death in 1993. In 1973, he established the Herzl Institute for the Study of Zionism at the University of Haifa, and in 1974, he founded the Reuven Hecht Chair in Zionism and History.
In 1978, he conceived the "Path of the Generations"—an archaeological park within Carmel Park. In 1984, he initiated and established the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa. That same year, Dr. Hecht became the first recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Haifa.
Dr. Hecht received numerous awards and honors in the fields of economics, society, and culture; among these, in 1986, he was awarded the Special Humanitarian Award by B'nai B'rith International. The highlight was the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Contribution to Society and the State, received in 1988.
Dr. Hecht passed away in 1993 and was laid to rest in the Etzel and Lehi section of the cemetery in Haifa.
