2 euro Germany 2013, The 50th anniversary of the signing of the German-French Friendship Treaty (Élysée Treaty)

2 Euro Commemorative Coins Germany 2013, German-French Friendship Élysée Treaty





Élysée Treaty 
Élysée Treaty also known as the Treaty of Friendship, was established by Charles de Gaulle of France and Konrad Adenauer of Germany in the Salon Murat of the Élysée Palace on January 22, 1963 for reconciliation between the two countries. With it, Germany and France established a new foundation for relations that ended centuries of rivalry between them. The treaty called for consultations between France and West Germany on all important questions and an effort to come to a common stance. Regular summits between high-level officials were also established. Among the direct consequences of the Treaty are the creation of the Franco-German Office for Youth (l'Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse/Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk), the creation of Franco-German high schools and the twinning between numerous French and German towns, schools and regions. The first meeting between the two heads of state took place at the private home of General de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises in September 1958. Since then French and German heads of state have kept up this strong relationship, often considered as the engine of European integration. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty, in January 2003 new forms of bilateral coordination between the two countries were created, such as the Franco-German Ministerial Council, which meets twice a year. This celebration also led to the creation for the first time of a common Franco-German History Coursebook to be used in both countries and foster a shared vision of history.