Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet was a French civil servant, entrepreneur, diplomat, financier, administrator, and political visionary. An influential supporter of European unity, he is considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union.
Monnet in 1952
Monnet birthplace on 9 rue neuve des remparts in Cognac
Monnet spent much of his youth in a mansion inside the Monnet Cognac compound, repurposed in 2018 as a hotel
Front page of De Telegraaf, 4 September 1921, with central image featuring Monnet (right) together with Eric Drummond (left) as one of the two key officials of the League of Nations, above the Palais Wilson in Geneva
Founding fathers of the European Union
The founding fathers of the European Union are men who are considered to be major contributors to European unity and the development of what is now the European Union. The number and list of the founding fathers of the EU varies depending on the source. In a publication from 2013 the European Union listed 11 men. All but one were from the Inner Six of the European Union.
The monument "Homage to the Founding Fathers of Europe" in front of Robert Schuman's house in Scy-Chazelles by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, unveiled 20 October 2012. The statues represent the four founders of Europe – Alcide De Gasperi, Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet and Konrad Adenauer.
Image: Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild F078072 0004, Konrad Adenauer
Image: Joseph Bech (detail)
Image: Johan Beyen 1955 (1)
