In May 1940, air raids and bombing sorties carried out by the Luftwaffe destroy a large part of Rotterdam’s Old Town.

‘The Council of Europe …No forecasts. I declare the first sitting open ... I hereby close the final sitting.' In August 1949, the German satirical magazine Der Tintenfisch speculates on the effectiveness of the new European institution.

Stamp issued in 1969 by the Luxembourg Post Office to mark the 25th anniversary of the Benelux Customs Convention.

Der französische Plan für eine Europäische Gemeinschaft für Kohle und Stahl wird absichtlich geheim gehalten. Anfangs werden nur neun Personen ins Vertrauen gezogen: Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, Bernard Clappier, René Pleven, René Mayer, Pierre Uri, Étienne Hirsch, Robert Marjolin und Paul Reuter.

The issue of where to locate the permanent seats of the institutions of the European Coal and Steel Community remained undecided for a long time. According to the cartoonist of the satirical newspaper Der Tintenfisch, one must prepare for all eventualities: ‘The Sculpture Department of the Federation of Plastic Arts may have an interesting proposal for your town …’

‘Josy, good old Josy, so you managed to bring something back from Paris?' On 5 August 1952, in the Socialist daily newspaper Tageblatt, the Luxembourg cartoonist Simon portrays the key role played by Joseph Bech, Luxembourg Foreign Minister, in the agreement reached by the Six to have the seat of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) located provisionally in Luxembourg.

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) High Authority building, in Place de Metz, Luxembourg.