Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894-1972), of noble descent, is regarded as a visionary and pioneer of the European Union. In 1922, he founded the Paneuropean Movement in Vienna, which soon spread from Austria to other countries. In 1938, he fled from the Nazi regime through Switzerland to the USA. There, he succeeded in gaining politicians and friends for his idea. Upon his return to Europe, he became embroiled in the conflict over the leadership of the Paneuropean Movement. As the initiator of the Parliamentary Union and its gradual development into the Council of Europe, he set in motion a process that would lead many years later to the establishment of the European Union. In 1966, Coudenhove-Kalergi presented a memorandum for the future of Europe at the Xth Vienna Paneuropean Congress, which is still regarded as an important guideline today. Coudenhove-Kalergi served as an advisor to, among others, Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou.