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The founding fathers and other stories from the past

What do you know about the people who worked to create the kind of Europe we live in today: a Europe that has known continuous peace for over 70 years? We call them the 'Founding Fathers' of the EU.

date:  01/09/2017

We have created factsheets and video clips focusing on each of the 11 individuals who played a major role in the history of European integration. They were: Konrad Adenauer, Joseph Bech, Johan Willem Beyen, Winston Churchill, Alcide de Gasperi, Walter Hallstein, Sicco Mansholt, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, Paul-Henri Spaak, and Altiero Spinelli.

You can find these products on the Europa 'History' page which also gives a decade-by-decade account of the most important events in European history from 1945 onwards, and is updated on a monthly basis with the latest developments.

The A4 size factsheets in 22 languages can be printed directly from the web page. They can also be found as one publication in the series "The EU explained" (28 pages in A4, Catalogue number: NA-32-13-068-**-C)

And if you want to test your knowledge of EU history, why not try your hand at our 'Time Machine' game? See if you can beat our top scorers!

You might also wish to visit the Audivisual Library, which is full of photos and videos about EU history.