1923: Paneuropean Movement

In 1923, Richard Nikolaus Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894–1972) published a booklet titled Paneuropa on the unification of European states. The Paneuropean Movement subsequently emerged, and included almost all of Europe. Paneuropa, which was soon after translated into many languages, become the bible of this European unification movement. It was based on the idea of the unification of European states in order to prevent an internal European conflict between Germany and France, to counter the emerging economic power of the USA with a “Paneuropean” one, and to be able to stand united against Bolshevism.

Mutual military arbitration and guarantee agreements as well as the creation of a Paneuropean customs union would form precursors toward a “United States of Europe”. The core of the Paneuropean Movement was the office in the Vienna Hofburg; from here, branch offices were established in almost all European capitals. To disseminate the idea, the founder organised Paneuropean congresses, gave out Paneuropean journals and engaged in additional promotionally effective measures. In 1938, Coudenhove had to flee from Austria and then, in 1940, he went into exile in New York, where he tirelessly propagated the idea of Paneuropa. In 1946, he returned to Europe, founded the European Parliamentary Union, whose presidency he filled until 1954. In the same year, he reorganised the Paneuropean Union, which exists to this day. In 1972, Coudenhove died in Schruns, where, in 2017, the Coudenhove-Kalergi fountain was dedicated. Coudenhove was awarded the first Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 1950.