Introduction
The European Spectator was founded in 2007. The growing demand for information about European cooperation and European integration led to the establishment of this service and medium. Europe's growing integration and interdependence means that national, regional and local business and governments can only be understood by an adequate knowledge of history, politics and culture in a European context. Societies, culture and law we characterize today as 'national' often have European roots. The Roman invention of concrete, wine drinking and city-planning, the Flemish invention of oil painting or 19th century's revolutions did not occur in a vacuum, but as a result of cross border developments, contacts and interdependence. The European Spectator highlights the most relevant developments from this perspective. Many readers will be surprised about the European (or international) roots of their societies, economies and culture.
News
The Holy Sepulchre in Pisa
The Duomo of Pisa was established at the heyday of the medieval city-republic of Pisa. As proven by the two famous inscriptions on the façade of the Romanesque Cathedral, in 1064 the first stones of the Cathedral were laid at the time of Bishop Guido (bishop...
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The Bosses of Dordrecht
The city of Dordrecht is the oldest and until the mid sixteenth century most prominent town in the former County of Holland. The real beginnings of the town lies around 1150 and in 1220 the count gave the town city rights. The city was a centre of international trade....
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The modern Middle Ages or medieval modern Mankind
The modern taste for souvenirs is strikingly close to the collecting instincts of Christian pilgrims. Auctions of belongings of famous movie or pop stars, the pilgrimage status of the tomb of Elvys Presly, the football shoes of the legendary Pele or a simple talisman...
Read more »Successful European Cooperation: The Legal Heritage
The history of the European courts in Strasbourg and Luxembourg starts long before their foundation after the Second World War. The legal history of Europe reveals a long common tradition of cooperation, integration and concepts of the juridical and appellate system,...
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L’ Europe romane est une realité. Celle-ci fut peut-être la première, depuis le rève romain, à avoir donné à l’Europe une réelle unite politique, de langage plastique et de culture. X.Barral I Altet, Contre l’art roman ? Paris 2006.
Current Projects
The European Supreme Courts: a Portrait through History
Why are the European courts a success and what makes the European legal system such a unifying pillar of European cooperation ? And, an even more relevant question, is the present European court system sustainable in the long run ? For many politicians, judges, lawyers, officials and the general public, the European courts are often still regarded as ‘foreign’ courts in far away countries. In fact, they are an integral part of each national system, but often target groups do not feel it that way. In a not too distant past the perspective was totally different however. This project wants to give the present European courts a ‘face’ and above all a history, rooted in a legal heritage that goes back to medieval times. At a time when European and international courts of justice have never been more relevant, an accessible overview of the rich traditions and practice of European supreme courts which will appeal to every member of the legal community across...