Élysée Treaty

Élysée Treaty also known as the Treaty of Friendship, was established by Charles de Gaulle of France and Konrad Adenauer of Germany on January 22, 1963 for reconciliation between the two countries. With it, Germany and France established a new foundation for relations that ended centuries of rivalry between them.

Contents of the Treaty [edit]

The treaty called for consultations between France and West Germany on all important questions and an effort to come to a common stance. Regular summits between high level officials were also established.

Among the direct consequences of the Treaty are the creation of the Franco-German Office for Youth (l'Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse/Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk), the creation of Franco-German high schools and the twinning between numerous French and German towns, schools and regions.

The first meeting between the two heads of states took place at the private home of General de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises in September 1958. Since then, French and German heads of states have kept a strong relationship, often considered as being the engine of the European integration (see Franco-German cooperation).

To celebrate the 40 years of the signature of the Treaty, in January 2003, new forms of bilateral coordinations between the two countries have been created. For instance the Franco-German Ministerial Council meets twice every year. This celebration has also led to the creation for the first time of a common Franco-German History Coursebook to be used in both countries and foster a "shared vision" of history.