In recent years, the call for a European identity has become louder from political and societal circles. In her current study, Carsta Langner explores the reasons behind this. Does the European Union need an identity for the functioning of democratic processes, or should community concepts distract from performance deficits? The European identity represents a relatively young phenomenon. Therefore, it serves as a good subject to understand the general process of the emergence of collective identities, which always carry inherent dangers. Carsta Langner follows the discourse on this topic to search for possible contents of a European identity. She impressively illustrates how these contents are inscribed into the collective memory through textbooks.