Communicating united Europe

In the terrible aftermath of the second world war, the idea to unite the peoples of Europe and render further conflict impossible quickly gained ground. Early proponents of European integration such as Alcide De Gasperi, Robert Schuman, Altiero Spinelli, Jean Monnet, Konrad Adenauer, and others delivered impassioned messages for a peaceful, united Europe.
Their innovative, deeply pro-European ideas resounded with the war-ravaged citizens, communicating the urgency with which countries were called to unite and take concrete action to ensure a future of lasting peace.
Illustrated posters, which creatively synthesised vast concepts such as peace, unity, and democracy, effectively communicated the essence of these innovative, pro-European ideas and opinions, long before they would be consolidated in agreements and treaties. As publications that offered far greater public reach than party newspapers or political leaflets, posters became indispensable for circulating new ideas—a most powerful and enduring tool in a world without the internet or social media.
The use of posters to transmit political, programmatic, or celebratory messages was soon extended to publicise the myriad initiatives launched at all levels, across member states, to support the new political idea of European unity. Round tables, conferences, conventions, symposia, and opportunities for exchange and information flourished, each calling for a printed manifesto or programme as testament, if not legitimation, of the activity. The post-war division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs, and the Cold War, would only accelerate this important process.
Posters certainly served to inform and keep the public administrations of the EU member states up to date on European directives and regulatory measures. However, they also artistically illustrated the policies that were being dealt with over the decades in Brussels, Strasbourg, and other institutional headquarters throughout Europe. One could argue that this visuality has contributed as much — if not more— to the forging of a European consciousness as newspapers and news bulletins.

The Nicola Di Gioia collection: 70 years of ideas and accomplishments

The Nicola Di Gioia collection, comprising around 1500 posters, was assembled by Nicola Di Gioia, an official of the European Commission between 1962 and 2003 in the Directorate-General for Information and Culture. He collected the manifestos with an eye to remembering the work and energy that so many people have dedicated to the construction of Europe and the promotion of social, scientific, and cultural progress in the member states of the Union.
Di Gioia’s European manifestos very effectively tell new generations about the more than 70 years of ideas and accomplishments of men and women who passionately believed in the power of union for a prosperous and peaceful Europe. They offer us a lively and colourful journey through time and stimulate our interest in the unfolding of European Union history.
The actions the posters illustrate touch every area of citizens’ lives. To name a few, they illustrate initiatives in the areas of culture, education, sports, health, music, art, crafts, languages, exchange, the economy, social issues, anti-racism, Erasmus, opportunities for citizens, women, equal opportunities, individual rights, infrastructure, the single market, ECU, the euro, and the environment. The last, for example, emerged especially in the mid-1980s, with the establishment of dedicated ministries in each country, and an unprecedented deployment of awareness-raising initiatives aimed at safeguarding our planet.
The posters are also distinguished by their artistic value, some of which bear the signature of renowned artists such as Jean Michel Folon, Edwin Nagel, and Hugo Pratt.
There would be but a few traces of this immense legacy of European culture and politics had it not been for the foresight of a few institutions and individuals who appreciated the intense heritage offered by these printed manifestos.
Now deposited at the Historical Archives of the European Union, the Nicola Di Gioia collection is fully digitised, catalogued, and available for public consultation. It is creative testimony to the great work done by Europe’s institutions, governments, and citizens in building the European Union.

Fabio Di Gioia
Nicola Di Gioia Collection Administrator
Curator, ‘Posters of Europe’ exhibition