His fictional knight-errant rescued ‘imaginary damsels’, and spawned the word ‘quitoxic’. Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ (1547-1616) Don Quixote de La Mancha is the first modern novel, and sits among the top 10 most translated books. An ex-soldier, Cervantes was captured by pirates and enslaved in Algiers before writing the Western literary classic.
Robert Lewandowski (born 1988) is not only an icon of Polish and European football and one of the best strikers in the world, but also a successful entrepreneur. He invests mostly in innovative business ideas and promising startups. His civic engagement in charities supporting disadvantaged families and kids made him one of the most respected personalities in Polish public life.
A symbol of the peaceful transition from communism to democracy in Eastern Europe, writer and idealist Václav Havel (1936-2011) was transformed from an imprisoned dissident to the president of the Czech Republic. During the so-called Velvet Revolution, he showed that an important political change can be implemented in a non-violent way – even if it seems impossible.
Winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 15, swimmer Rūta Meilutytė (born 1997) became one of the youngest gold medallists ever. Born in Lithuania, she now lives and trains in the UK. She is the only swimmer in history to hold the Olympic, World and European titles at both senior and youth levels at the same time.
People once thought that the Earth was the centre of the universe, until Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) presented a new view of the world. The Renaissance-era polyglot and polymath’s heliocentric model placed the Sun at the centre of the solar system. Despite being banned by the church for over 200 years, the mathematician's book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, formed the basis of modern astronomy.
German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) created some of the world’s best musical masterpieces such as Moonlight Sonata or Für Elise. Despite the loss of his hearing, he wrote music that evoked the spirit of humanism: admiration for life, human strength and the power of solidarity. His 9th Symphony accompanied by Friedrich Schiller’s lyrical verse, Ode to Joy, was chosen as the European anthem.
A name synonymous with English literature, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet, playwright, actor and a genius of his native tongue. His plays have been translated into every major language and have inspired countless other artists. Proving that art and business can go hand-in-hand, he was a successful co-owner of a theatre company.
Could you solve the EU's biggest challenges in just 12 words?
A short story competition where participants share their vision, views and ideas for the future of Europe using only 12 words.
In October 2016 we ran a short story competition asking for people to do just that and the response was overwhelming! With over 300 entries on social media, participants addressed issues like freedom of movement and security, youth unemployment, climate change, education and more.
A photo competition showing what young people love about Europe and what they want to see more of.
We organised a photo competition showing what young people love about Europe and what they want to see more of. Each creative photo also had to include a 100-word caption.
We received over 130 stunning photographs on various topics from volunteering opportunities, sports and cultural events, to cleaning beaches! The owner of the best photo received a €400 travel voucher to further explore the diverse beauty of Europe.
The #EUvision vlog video competition asked participants to tell us their vision for the future of Europe in less than 10 seconds.
With over 110 entries on social media, participants addressed issues like freedom of movement and security, youth unemployment, climate change, education and more.
The five winners received a 500 euro travel voucher.
