Max Kohnstamm (*1914) is a pioneer of post-war European unification. As Jean Monnet’s right-hand man he was closely involved in the establishment and design of the European Union (EU) as we know it today. Up to the present day he devotes himself to a solid European and international community of law, aimed at effectively banning unilateral power aspirations and interstate violence. As a surviver of Hitler’s ‘Nacht und Nebel’ the young Dutch diplomat and former secretary to Queen Wilhelmina found himself both impressed and greatly inspired by Monnet’s campaign for supranationally organising the states of Europe as an alternative for war. Kohnstamm acted as secretary-general of the ‘first European government’, the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community. In 1956 he left office to assist Monnet and the latter’s Action Committee for the United States of Europe. The two men constituted a team that exerted far-reaching influence behind the scenes of European and global diplomacy. In 1974 Kohnstamm became the first president of the European University Institute in Florence. In later years he played a remarkable role in Jacques Delors’ policy drive for completing the EU’s Common Market.
Anjo G. Harryvan and Jan van der Harst lecture and publish on foreign affairs and European integration.
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Bibliographic data
Copyright year
2011
ISBN-Print
978-3-8329-5810-7
ISBN-Online
978-3-8452-3295-9
Publisher
Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series
Veröffentlichungen der Historiker-Verbindungsgruppe bei der Kommission der EG
Volume
13
Language
English
Pages
186
Product type
Book Titles
Table of contents
ChapterPages
Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 2 - 15
List of Abbreviations No access Pages 16 - 16
The parental home, student years and journey to America No access Pages 16 - 42
War years No access Pages 42 - 63
Private Secretary to Queen Wilhelmina No access Pages 64 - 77
The Hirschfeld Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs No access Pages 77 - 97
With Monnet at the High Authority No access Pages 98 - 111
Lobbyist for Europe No access Pages 111 - 129
Principal of the European University Institute No access Pages 130 - 145
The Second Action Committee for Europe No access Pages 145 - 161
Conclusions No access Pages 162 - 166
Max Kohnstamm’s Curriculum Vitae No access Pages 167 - 168
Sources and Literature consulted No access Pages 169 - 178
