The European Union is a unique political experiment in history and, despite all its difficulties, a forward-looking model of peaceful coexistence. But what are the roots of this union of states, and what are its intellectual foundations? Jürgen Elvert traces the idea and concept of Europe from antiquity to the 20th century in a broad, cultural-historical introductory chapter, and then details the course of European integration from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952 to the initially failed constitutional treaty of 2005 in three chapters. It is an analysis of our political reality at the most current level, which is essential for contemplating the future of Europe.