150 years of Konrad Adenauer

What guidance does Konrad Adenauer’s political legacy offer for today’s Europe?

At the joint invitation of the Goethe-Institut Brussels and its Europanetzwerk Deutsch program, the European Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union, numerous guests gathered on October 13, 2026, at the NRW Representation in Brussels to discuss a question that is as historic as it is timely: What can we learn from Konrad Adenauer for today’s Europe?

Following opening remarks by Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs, and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Dr. Beatrice Gorawantschy, Director of the European Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Dr. Tim Geiger from the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich-Berlin opened the evening with a keynote address on Adenauer’s contributions to European policy.  The focus was on the guiding principles that shaped Adenauer’s policies in the 1950s: Germany’s integration into the West, the safeguarding of democratic stability, peace, and prosperity, and the firm anchoring of Europe in a transatlantic partnership. It became clear that Adenauer never viewed Europe as an end in itself. Rather, European unification was for him the political response to the central challenges of the postwar era: overcoming nationalism, reconciliation with France, and integrating Germany into the Western community of values—goals that were never pursued for their own sake, but were always intended to serve the preservation of prosperity, peace, and freedom, and, in the long term, the unity of Germany.

Just how relevant Adenauer’s policies remain is also evident from the fact that many of the central questions of Adenauer’s European policy are once again on the agenda today: How closely should Europe cooperate? How much autonomy does Europe need vis-à-vis the United States? Can individual member states take the lead if not all are on board? And how does Europe assert itself in a world where major powers are once again increasingly engaging in power politics?
  In the panel discussion that followed, Jean-Claude Juncker, former President of the European Commission, Prof. Dr. Hélène Miard-Delacroix, Dr. Tim Geiger, and Nathanael Liminski—moderated by longtime ARD correspondent Helga Schmidt—discussed historical experiences, political responsibility, and the future of Europe. For Jean-Claude Juncker, too, Adenauer is a politician whose influence extends far beyond his own time: “Adenauer is actually a statesman of the 21st century.” His convictions regarding European unification, Franco-German reconciliation, and transatlantic relations are more relevant today than ever. 
  The Franco-German partnership also played a central role in the exchange. Prof. Dr Hélène Miard-Delacroix emphasised how important trust, optimism and political courage had been for the rapprochement between Germany and France. At the same time, she drew attention to the current resurgence of nationalist tendencies in many European countries and pointed out that European integration always requires a willingness to reconcile national interests in favour of common solutions.
  A recurring theme throughout the evening was Adenauer’s pragmatic political style. He pursued ambitious goals without allowing himself to be guided by the search for the perfect solution. For him, political action meant taking responsibility, reaching compromises and making progress step by step. European unification arose not out of perfection, but out of the will to find common responses to shared challenges despite differing interests.

Adenauer’s thinking on security policy also received particular attention. Nathanael Liminski recalled a remarkable statement from Adenauer’s final television interview with Günter Gaus in 1965. When asked about his greatest political disappointment, Adenauer replied without hesitation: the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC) in 1954.

It was precisely this historical review that took on particular relevance against the backdrop of current European security debates. According to Liminski, Adenauer’s response to the security challenges of his time was not a national army, but a European one. German soldiers were to form part of a joint European armed force, embedded within a supranational structure. The fact that the EVG ultimately failed due to opposition from the French National Assembly also illustrates that European integration has never been a straightforward process. Setbacks have always been part of Europe’s history.

Against this backdrop, Adenauer’s view of transatlantic relations also took on new relevance. Whilst gratitude towards the United States had been important to him, it had never replaced strategic thinking. As early as 1953, he warned: “Anyone who wants to be insured must pay a premium. Anyone who believes that Europe is insured by America without having to pay a premium is labouring under a fatal misconception.” His conviction was that Europe must be capable of acting on its own if it is to remain a reliable partner of the United States. Nathanael Liminski took up this point when he emphasised that Adenauer always proceeded on the basis of two solid pillars of the West. The more united Europe is, the more reliable transatlantic relations will be. If Europe succeeds today in viewing defence as a shared responsibility, in building up capabilities together and in coordinating procurement and planning more closely, it will become a partner that can be relied upon.
  Another of Adenauer’s ideas left a particularly strong impression on the evening: “No unity without freedom.” Freedom, democracy and the rule of law were highlighted by all the panellists as indispensable prerequisites for European unity.

As Dr Beatrice Gorawantschy emphasised, the challenge today lies in constantly communicating anew why Europe is important, what values unite Europeans, and why it is worth championing European cohesion. Or, in her words: “For us, preserving Adenauer’s European legacy means, above all, taking responsibility for the future of Europe.”
  In her closing remarks, Dr Julia Sattler, Director of the Goethe-Institut in Brussels, took up this idea: “European unification did not arise out of convenience. It arose out of courage.” Courage, patience, pragmatism and trust – these are what Europe still needs today, according to the panellists. And even if, according to Hans-Peter Schwarz, Adenauer should not be ‘glorified’ (as quoted by presenter Helga Schmidt), all the panellists nevertheless regarded Adenauer as a figure who embodied all these qualities.
  The more than 200 guests in attendance left no doubt as to the topicality of the subject and the relevance of the discussion; afterwards, they engaged in a lively exchange of views on the many ideas raised during the evening.
 
Our heartfelt thanks go to all the panellists, partners and guests for the diverse perspectives and the inspiring exchange of views.