Feature photo: An information stand in 2014
Immediately after the Second World War, European federalists from all over the world came together again and began to realize their ideas, which they concisely summarized in Switzerland on September 21, 1946 in 12 theses (Hertensteiner Programme), for the benefit of all European citizens. European federalists were also immediately found in Heilbronn and began to work on a common peace Europe in the 1940s of the last century.
The Heilbronner district group of the EUROPA-UNION Germany was one of the first political associations in the future Baden-Württemberg. After the successful unification of three countries to form our current Baden-Württemberg, the Heilbronn EUROPA-UNION was re-established on Saturday, May 9, 1953 as the Heilbronn district association of the EUROPA-UNION Germany. Since that time, we “European Federalists” have been working voluntarily for our common Europe under the international umbrella organization of the European Movement and the World Federal Association, thus working in society towards a united, democratic and federal Europe in peace, freedom and prosperity.
We are proud that the European Union has now become a matter of course for all EU citizens and that many of us know neither money exchange nor border controls.
However, we also regret that economic and political crises are occurring in our Europe, caused by national mistakes and a lack of willingness to change, which threaten the very existence of the European Union. Today, more than ever, it is important to stand up for and promote our Europe. We must defend the goals and successes we have already achieved and continue to move forward as a united European, if possible to the United States of Europe.
To this end, in Heilbronn we try to clarify the importance of the European integration process by providing information about political, social and cultural developments, by promoting tolerance and international understanding and by promoting contacts with our neighbors and to convince all citizens of the need for personal commitment to our Europe .
To this end, we deal with European topics at lecture events, discussion forums, congresses, association and specialist seminars and inform the public at rallies and street campaigns about how things should and must continue with the European Union; the Hertenstein program continues to be our guiding principle.
The annual "Meeting point Europe“ on Kiliansplatz in Heilbronn and the annual award ceremonies for the European competition are, in addition to the trips to the European institutions organized several times a year, our figureheads, with which we want to firmly anchor the European idea among the citizens and also in the schools of the city and district of Heilbronn .
Above all, we would like to gain new supporters among teachers and students so that we can familiarize our young people with Europe at an early stage.
For our members, we offer additional trips and events within Europe, with which we want to promote mutual acquaintance and further strengthen the understanding of other cultures. Our partner city trips, the trips "into the blue" or our "family celebrations" on the Gaffenberg are now an integral part of our members' annual plans.
We would also be happy to invite those interested in Europe to come to our regular European round tables, an informal platform for the exchange of information and ideas, which is supplemented by additional discussion evenings for members, in which we discuss European topics and prepare related proposals, which are then discussed further within the association at meetings and congresses and be decided. With these resolutions, we then enter into discussions with politicians, political actors and civil servants at all levels in order to further implement and realize our ideas for a common Europe.
Although we have already achieved a great deal in the last few decades and most of it has now become a matter of course for all citizens of the Union, we are not resting on our laurels, but are engaging again and more intensively in the political debate. We want to reform the existing European institutions, improve recognized contractual mistakes and bureaucratic inadequacies, continue to update the Lisbon Treaty and ultimately achieve a European constitution.
We want a Europe of citizens! We want the "United States of Europe" as a strong partner for the other nations and alliances of our world! We want peace, human rights, democracy, federalism, solidarity and subsidiarity for everyone on earth! In the spirit of the Hertensteiner program, we want to make our contribution to the development and to a world federation of peoples!
"You can't get any movement larger than five people without including at least one fucking idiot."
Kim Stanley Robinson, Green Mars (1995: 315)
