Son of an Austro-Hungarian count and diplomat and a Japanese lady, the cosmopolite philosopher, writer and politician Count R. Coudenhove-Kalergi became one of the pioneers of European federation and unity by publishing in 1923 the book "Pan-Europa". In 1926 he founded the 'International Paneuropean Movement' which inspired A. Briand in his 'Memorandum on the Organization of a Regime of European Federal Union' in 1930. After the war, having come back from the United States of America to Europe, he joins the pro-European circles and movements efforts by founding in 1947 the 'European Parliamentary Union' and in participating in 1948 in the Hague peace congress. All along his lifetime he advocated a peaceful, humanistic, multi-ethnical and -cultural Europe which included Eastern Europe. His are amongst others the ideas of creating common European institutions and symbols like a flag and an anthem, and a single currency.
He was the first recipient of the 'International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen' in 1950.
The archives of R. C.-K.are kept by the 'Centre d’archives et de recherches européennes: Institut européen de l'Université de Genève'.