Welcome to the London Review of Books podcast. You can unlock the entire LRB archive for free for 24

hours by visiting lrb.com.uk, forward slash open. On the 5th of July, 1956 on the Boulevard de la Fois in

Luxembourg, construction began on a school designed to create a new type of being. The mission statement

in Latin was sealed in parchment and buried next to the foundation stone. In future myth,

attributed to the progenitor of the EU Jean Monnet, it was actually written by Marcel de Combeus,

a member of his cabinet.

In English it runs, in this school building, children from Germany, Belgium, France, Italy,

Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and from other countries which are interested in the construction

of a unified Europe, will assemble from their early childhood to the time of their university,

educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices,

acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures,

it will be borne in on them as they mature that they belong together.

Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride,

they will become in mind Europeans,

schooled and ready to complete, and consolidate the work of their fathers before them,

to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.

To achieve this grand aim, 60 schools inspectors from six countries convened in Luxembourg to agree on a syllabus that would combine national traditions and enable university entrance anywhere.

The French and Italians insisted on including philosophy, the Dutch on English.

Many countries wanted mandatory religious studies, which the French vehemently opposed,

and so an ethics class was decided on as a compromise.

Pupils would study most subjects in their own language,

but would learn geography and history in a foreign language and from a foreign point of view.

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