"homme des frontières"
Chapel in Scy-Chazelles, Dept. Moselle, Région Grand Est, France, with the tomb of the "père de l'Europe", Robert Schuman; photo by die arge lola/regiofactum 2006, illustrant les drapeaux des États européens au-dessus de la tombe de Robert Schuman (1886, Luxembourg – 1963, Scy-Chazelles) dans l’église Saint Quentin près de Metz.Schuman est considéré comme le père fondateur de l’Europe unie et moderne. Tout au long de sa vie, il a œuvré en faveur de la paix.
Ministre des affaires étrangères français, il posa les jalons d’un marché commun pour l’industrie lourde en créant, depuis 1950, la
Communauté européenne du charbon et de l’acier (CECA): Europäische Gemeinschaft für Kohle und Stahl : Europeese Gemeenschap voor Kolen en Staal (EGKS) : Communità europea del carbone et dell'acciaio (European community for Coal and Steel).
Schuman, who was born in Luxemburg, called himself "homme des frontières".
Rund 30 Prozent der Europäer*innen leben in Grenzregionen, cross-border
communities with proper goals, aesthetics, languages, resources and
competences.
Schuman fasste seine
Überzeugungen und Richtlinien in dem 1963 veröffentlichten Buch Pour
l'Europe zusammen. Es lohnt sich, diese Quelle zu studieren.
Bis heute
wartet sie auf Übersetzungen, in andere Sprachen, einen Übertragung in die Gegenwart.
Renate and Peter, who are living in Great Britain, have interpretated some paragraphs for us by their translation:
"On the contrary, one should teach the deeper causes of the antagonisms that have torn humanity apart; the futility of the sacrifices, imposed by so many dynastic and ideological wars on the peoples who had to suffer frivolous ambitions and fanaticism.
On the other hand, there is cause to point out the real commonality of ideas and aspirations, which in varying degrees has always existed between peoples and was stifled by instigated and exploited passions.
Although it is legitimate in this account of history to consider national aspirations and values, especially at the time of the emergence of national unity, one should stop looking at them primarily as a struggle for the political boundaries or rivalry of the races; because, if the meaning of history is traced back to these two concepts, then one arrives at nationalism or racism. Above these external circumstances and struggles, which have determined the course of history to this day, there are also mental affinities and common interests in the past that we must recognize in order to use them as the driving forces for the future.
Without wanting to improve history retroactively, we reject fatalism (...). History lessons should offer the students a less pessimistic, but a more constructive image of the future."
Robert Schuman, Für Europa, Hamburg/Paris/Genf 1963, Ende Kapitel II, Reprint Robert-Schuman-Stiftung 2010, p.39-40
