Preserving memory, sharing history: Luxembourg and the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950

The aim of the Study Morning is to explore the history of European integration from two angles: firstly looking at various key events in terms of their content, and secondly reflecting on how critical analysis can be used to shed more light on them. The idea is to begin by familiarising pupils in their final years at the European School (from a variety of specialisations including history, geography and political science) with the origins, content and consequences of the Declaration given by Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950 on the building of a united Europe. We will consider its impact on Luxembourg’s role in the European integration process, especially given the country’s status as a permanent capital of the European institutions, and explore the current challenges facing both Luxembourg and the continent as a whole. In this context, there will be a particular focus on the four fundamental freedoms of the EU – the free movement of people, goods, services and capital –, which are closely linked with Luxembourg’s political action for European integration, as reflected in the Schengen Agreements (signed on 14 June 1985), now an intrinsic part of the Community acquis. In terms of critical methodology, the goal is to encourage the pupils to engage in historical reflection based on a variety of sources (written texts, photographs, cartoons, audiovisual material, oral history, etc.) and to perform a detailed analysis and critical interpretation.