'The ''Franco-German duo'' and Europe as seen in cartoons (1945–2013)' project

General presentation

 

Caricature de Behrendt sur le traité d'amitié franco-allemand 13 février 1963

Cartoon by Behrendt on the Franco-German Treaty of Friendship
(13 February 1963)

(c) Fritz Behrendt

 

On 22 January 1963, French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed a formal bilateral treaty at the Élysée Palace to strengthen the links between the two countries in terms of security and diplomacy. Known as the ‘Élysée Treaty', it marked the beginning of a friendship between France and Germany which is still very much alive today, setting the seal on the reconciliation between the two countries and laying the foundation for lasting peace in Europe.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty, the CVCE published a subject file in 2013 on ‘The "Franco-German duo" and Europe as seen in cartoons (1945–2013)'. The file outlines the history of the relationship between France and Germany over the past 60 years, particularly focusing on the contribution this ‘duo' has made to the European integration process and how it has been portrayed in illustrations in the French and German press. The gradual development of closer relations between France and the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War paved the way for significant progress in the establishment of the European Communities, and cooperation between the two countries has been a driving force in reviving the European integration process on many occasions.

The cartoons selected for this file offer a quirky, often ironic look at this key historical period characterised by the building of a united Europe, illustrating both the progress and the setbacks of the ‘Franco-German engine'.

Prior to publication, the subject file on ‘The "Franco-German duo" and Europe as seen in cartoons (1945–2013)' underwent peer review by a committee composed of the following experts:

  •  Dr Ursula E. Koch, Emeritus Professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
  • Walther Fekl, Lecturer and Researcher (retired) at European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder)
  • Jean-Claude Gardes, Professor at the University of Western Brittany

Project manager: Marco Gabellini

For further information