Europe as a community of values: The construction of the ‘European identity’ since the end of the Second World War

The reference to a ‘European community of values’ as the core of a shared European identity is now a central element of political rhetoric. From a historical perspective, however, it becomes apparent that such a reference to values, depending on the political and temporal context, underwent a significant transformation between the early 1950s and the 2000s. This article aims to describe this shift from the early phase of integration through the 1970s and 1980s to the turn of the millennium and to analyse the reasons for it. In doing so, it treats the concepts of ‘European identity’ and ‘community of values’ primarily not as political or social ‘realities’ but as historical sources.