Pan-Europe as a political-intellectual project - Richard Count Coudenhove-Kalergi and his ideas of a united Europe

Richard Nikolaus Count Coudenhove-Kalergi, the first recipient of the Charlemagne Prize in 1950, stands at the very beginning of the prize’s history. He is even more closely associated with the origins of a European idea that continues to resonate today—the “United States of Europe”—albeit conceived quite differently from how the unification process eventually took shape in the “Europe of institutions.”

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Charlemagne Prize last year, Route Charlemagne and the Historical Institute of RWTH Aachen University organized a conference focusing on Coudenhove-Kalergi and his idea of Pan-Europe. This conference proceedings volume brings together contributions from current research that contextualize central aspects of Coudenhove-Kalergi’s thought and actions, analyze the Charlemagne Prize award ceremony as a moment of remembrance politics, and examine the relevance of his proposals against the backdrop of today’s EU crises. The volume is available for purchase. The editors, Ines Soldwisch and Frank Pohle, will be happy to sign copies upon request.

Admission: free

Organizers: City of Aachen, International Charlemagne Prize

The event is part of the official program for the 2026 Charlemagne Prize award ceremony honoring former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.