1495, 1951, 1993. Do these numbers look familiar to you too, but you can’t connect them to a specific event right now? Never mind. For us, too, at first, they were numbers that were seemingly unrelated. But together, we started to ask. Join us for an Erasmus+ journey through time, through countries of the European Union, and explore with us!
The historical calendar says that the first organization, the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of today’s EU, was established by the 1951 Treaty of Paris. The EU itself was created in 1993 by the Treaty on European Union, also known as the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.
But a long time ago, before online shopping and fast deliveries, there was Jakob Fugger – a German trader who paved the way for European commerce. Nowadays, unlimited pan European trade without taxation and currency risks is one of the successful models of the European Union. However, its foundation had already been laid in the early centuries with the first European trading road, the Fugger Road. For three years (2020-2023) we have been following his story, and Europäische Fuggerstraße with our partners schools.
Who has joined the adventure?
Five schools, supported by the Erasmus+ fund from Augsburg (Germany), Sterzing (Italy), Banská Bystrica (Slovakia), Almadén (Spain), and Antwerp (Belgium). Together, we have uncovered the secrets of Fugger’s success and how it shaped our cities economically, socially, politically and environmentally.
Our mission?
To turn curious 14-16-year-old minds into sleuths of history, economics, and ethics. We digged into trade and mining, exploring how they’ve impacted our past and present. From uncovering Fugger’s riches to pondering the future of sustainable development, there’s no shortage of surprises!
And the best part?
We haven´t just learnd – we´ve created. Expect cross-curricular teaching materials, a blog bursting with project adventures, a video and podcast gallery public, exhibitions showcasing our students’ masterpieces, and even Europasses for all involved.
So, what’s the big takeaway?
Beyond boosting our students’ skills and knowledge, this project was all about building bridges – between countries, cultures, and classrooms. Through collaboration and innovation, we’re weaving a tapestry of shared experiences that celebrates the beauty of a united Europe with friendships for a lifetime.
But our story goes on:
Thanks to this project, the town of Almadén has once again put itself on the map of Europe by becoming part of the European Fugger Road project and in October 2025, plans to commemorate the arrival of the Fugger family with the IFYC25 – International Fugger Youth Conference as a major event.
Thank you for joining us on this epic quest, and let’s make history together!
