January 22: Franco-German Day
Manuel Van den Broucke, sports, society and politics correspondent, January 22, 2025
Origins of Franco-German Day
Franco-German Day has its origins in the desire to celebrate the cooperation born after the Second World War and strengthened by the Élysée Treaty, signed on January 22, 1963, between General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. This text, often considered the foundation of modern friendship between France and Germany, formalized a series of bilateral commitments in the fields of education, defense and culture. Forty years later, in 2003, President Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder decided to establish January 22 as "Franco-German Day" in order to highlight this relationship and invite younger generations to discover the language and culture of the neighboring country.
Political institutions involved
The Franco-German Council of Ministers, created in 2003, meets regularly to set common priorities in areas such as the economy, ecology, and security. The Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly, established in 2019, brings together 50 members of parliament from each country to harmonize legislation and encourage cross-border projects. The Franco-German Defense and Security Council coordinates military actions, notably through projects such as the Franco-German Brigade, created in 1989.
The Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ)
The Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ), founded in 1963 as part of the Élysée Treaty, has as its main mission to strengthen ties between young people from the two countries through exchange and mobility programs. Each year, the OFAJ supports around 9,000 projects involving more than 200,000 participants, covering areas such as education, culture, sport and civic engagement.
The contribution of the Franco-German University (UFA)
The Franco-German University (UFA), created in 1997, is a network of academic cooperation bringing together more than 200 institutions of higher education in France and Germany. It facilitates the establishment of binational programs allowing students to obtain a double degree recognized in both countries. Each year, the UFA supports more than 6,500 students and 300 doctoral candidates in programs covering disciplines ranging from technology to the humanities.
History of Franco-German friendship before 1963
As early as the late 19th century, intellectuals and artists, such as the French philosopher Henri Bergson and his German counterpart Wilhelm Windelband, advocated intellectual cooperation. After the First World War, the creation of the Franco-German Historical Commission in 1925 reflected a desire for academic rapprochement. The 1920s also saw the signing of the Locarno Pact (1925), in which the two nations pledged to respect their borders. In the 1930s, cultural initiatives, such as exchanges between the universities of Heidelberg and the Sorbonne, sought to promote dialogue.