Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palais de l'Europe is a modern building designed by architect Henry Bernard and inaugurated in 1977. It houses the seat of the Council of Europe, an international institution founded in 1949 to promote cooperation between European States. This building replaced several temporary places, including the Maison de l'Europe, built in 1949 by Bertrand Monnet and destroyed in 1977 to give way to the current lawn leading to the Palais.

Prior to 1977, the Council of Europe occupied temporary premises, such as the Strasbourg University Palace and the Maison de l'Europe, a concrete building designed to meet the institution's initial needs. The construction of the Palais de l'Europe marked a major milestone in the anchoring of Strasbourg as the European capital, symbolizing the stability and sustainability of the continental institutions.

The Palais de l'Europe is distinguished by its impressive architecture: a 106-metre cube with a height of 38 metres, with a total surface area of 64 000 m2. It consists of seventeen meeting rooms, one Chamber for the Parliamentary Assembly and administrative offices. Its exterior, with red, silver and brown tones, makes it a recognizable monument in the Strasbourg landscape.

Until 1999, the Palais shared its hemicycle with the European Parliament, before the European Parliament moved to the Louise-Weiss building on the other side of the Ill River. The site is now a strong symbol of a united Europe, accessible via Strasbourg public transport, such as the E line of the tramway.

The Palais de l'Europe also marked philatelic history: several Council of Europe member countries, including France, Germany and Italy, issued stamps to its effigy between 1977 and the 1980s. These postal programmes demonstrate its political and cultural importance in Europe.

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