On this day in history in 1950–on May 9–the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, made a proposal at a press conference that later became known as The Schuman Plan. He proposed a single authority to control the production of steel and coal. His plan led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. The need for such an authority had grown out of the Second World War, which had ended only five years earlier. The conflict had nearly destroyed the European continent. By 1950, there was a great deal of momentum towards greater European co-operation in order to avoid future conflicts and destruction.

By placing the coal and steel industries of France and West Germany under a common authority and by opening membership to other European countries, the Schuman Plan laid the foundation for the establishment of the European Economic Community. In essence, The Schuman Plan marked the birth of Europe. It was the forerunner of the European Union,  and Robert Schuman is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the EU.

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.