Carolingian “Europe”? A Contribution to the history of the idea of Europe

Abstract

The “integration of Europe” taking place in our own times is, among other things, a huge ideological undertaking. Part of that undertaking entails the appropriation of history for the political project of building a “European Union”. One aspect of that appropriation of history is the rooting of Europe as political community in historical times and places where Europe as such did not exist. Popular among such ideological constructs is presenting the Carolingian Empire as the predecessor of our contemporary “united Europe”. By analyzing Early Medieval usages of the word Europe, the author argues that it is unwarranted to speak of any clear “idea of Europe” in the Carolingian period or, in turn, to portray the Carolingian Empire as the “first Europe” and a potential model for today's “integration of Europe”.