Europadenkmal

The Europadenkmal stands near Bobenthal, a village in the Palatinate Forest close to the French border. It sits on the south-eastern edge of Sankt Germanshof, an Ortsteil of Bobenthal in the district of Südwestpfalz. The site lies about 170 metres above sea level beside the Wieslauter stream. The Landesstraße 478 passes just north-east of the monument, while the French Departementsstraße 334 continues the route across the border. A short distance south-west flows the same river that marks the frontier. The monument was dedicated on 9 September 2007 to recall an earlier gathering. On 6 August 1950 hundreds of students from nine countries met at this spot. They called for a united Europe in peace and freedom with a European parliament. The inscription on the stone honours that first assembly and its ideals. Visitors reach the Europadenkmal along a quiet road through woodland. A simple stone pillar rises from a small paved area, surrounded by beech and oak trees. The Wieslauter glints between the trunks a few metres away. On clear days the French village of Weiler appears across the shallow river. The border itself is unmarked, so the monument quietly reminds walkers of Europe’s shared history.