18/01/2022 Did you know?
The European Anthem marks this week its 50th birthday. Lauding shared values between nations, the prelude to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" was originally proposed by the Parliamentary Assembly and adopted by the Council of Europe in 1972.
At the European Council of June 1985, the Heads of State or Government chose the same anthem for the European Community as that adopted in 1972 by the Council of Europe.
The melody is taken from the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, composed in 1823, which sets to music the ‘Ode to Joy’, a poem written in 1785 by Friedrich von Schiller. However, Schiller’s words do not form part of the European anthem.