Where the “fathers” lived

"The union of Europe was a dream not widely shared. Yet it has become a hope for many and is, today, a necessity for us all": these words, pronounced by Konrad Adenauer, represent the "motto" of the initiative "The museum-houses of the fathers of Europe", a network that unites the homes of four personalities who are considered among the main inspirers of European integration: the Frenchmen Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet, the German Adenauer and the Italian Alcide De Gasperi.The memory of great men. The buildings in question, dating to different periods and having as their common denominator the fact that that they were long inhabited by the four statesmen, have gradually been turned into museums to their memory: centres that disseminate their political ideals and respective legacies. Now the foundations or institutions to which these houses belong have created a "network" aimed at "describing and supporting the values of the founding fathers". "Today these houses evoke the memory of these great Europeans", but they are not merely "historically charged sites: they are also places where a wide public can come to discuss current affairs and future challenges". The houses are in fact open to visitors; they show the rooms – invariably very modest, though well cared for – in which the "fathers" lived; offer materials for the study of history; and are also used as venues for conferences, exhibitions and events focused on issues in some way linked to the construction of Europe in the political, social, economic, cultural and religious field. The proposal of "political tourism". In particular the network of the museum-houses recently launched the proposal of "political tourism": an invitation to visit the four buildings, preferably during the spring or summer. That belonging to Jean Monnet (1888-1979) is situated at Houjarray, not far from Paris, and currently the property of the European Parliament; all practical information – situation, visits, opening hours, cultural activities, use of the library – can be found on the website www.jean-monnet.net. The home of Robert Schuman (1886-1963) is situated at Scy-Chazelles, near Metz, in the region of Lorraine; the website is www.cg57.fr. The home of Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967), in turn, is at Bad Honnef, in the region of North Rhineland-Westphalia; website www.adenauerhaus.de. Lastly that of Alcide De Gasperi (1881-1954) is located at Pieve Tesino, not far from Trento; information on it can be found on www.degasperi.net.  Returning to the founding values to build the future. "The administrations of the four museum-houses" – explained their curators during a conference held at the EU Economic and Social Committee headquarters in Brussels on 5 May, marking Europe Day – "intend to reinforce their action in support of European education and the promotion of memory". They outlined a kind of programme aimed at "promoting awareness" of the opportuneness, if not of the "necessity", of the European project, as it was envisaged by the " founding fathers" between the late 1940s and early 1950s. On the same occasion, Irini Pari, vice-president of the Economic and Social Committee, which is backing the initiative, declared: "The EU cannot be satisfied just to exist. It must become a major protagonist on the world scene and be the spokesman of a vision of the future beneficial for its citizens. Only thus shall citizens share the European adventure". But to look to the future we always need a "reference to the values" that inspired the creation of Europe and to the roots of integration. The point was underlined by EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger: "Europe must rediscover its values to be able to reinforce itself and tackle the challenges of globalization".Discovering a personal universe. Naturally, just as each of the founding fathers has his own particular biography, so each of the four museum-houses has its own history, often pointed out in the historical reconstructions of their protagonists or their autobiographies. For example Adenauer lived at Bad Honnef from 1937 to his death: "The house – explain its custodians – permits us to gain a precise idea of the personal world of this great statesman". The same goes for the house of Robert Schuman, situated in a small town in Moselle: the building, rustic in type, enables the public to visit the study of the man who inspired the European Coal and Steel Community, preserved just as he left it, with his books, as well as the few rooms to which Schuman withdrew at weekends. It was here that he studied the draft of the Declaration that now bears his name and that had been prepared by Monnet; he put the finishing touches to it here and presented it in public on 9 May 1950. Schuman is buried in the ancient little church situated opposite his house. The residences of De Gasperi and Monnet also enable us to conjure up their world and immerse ourselves in their thoughts; they also offer a series of annual events and meetings for the study of European issues open to scholars and youth.