The French Revolution of 1789 was the starting signal for the demand for a modern constitution across Europe. In the revolutions of the 19th century, this was the decisive point of contention, while the crises of the 20th century led to radical reorientations in constitutional matters, and the European Union presents member states with an entirely new situation. It becomes clear that constitutional development can only be viewed from a pan-European perspective, as each new constitution was influenced by different European models. Anita Prettenthaler-Ziegerhofer traces the fundamental European constitutional developments from 1789 to the present day. She describes the pioneering constitutions and their respective influence on other states. Furthermore, she illustrates the impact of this development on the current state of the modern constitutional state.