published in: Internationale Schulbuchforschung | International Textbook Research, Vol. 21, No. 2, Berghahn Books, New York City, 1999, pp. 147-161
History textbooks have always occupied a special place in the Council of Europe's work because of their importance in the formation of young people's attitudes to other countries, cultures and races. This article traces the main stages in the Council's activities on history textbooks, including its long-standing co-operation with the Georg Eckert Institute. It also describes the support which the Council has given to the preparation of new history textbooks and curricula in Central and Eastern Europe, the problems of writing history textbooks in multicultural societies, and the challenge which the traditional history textbook is facing from the new information technologies. From time to time, there are calls for a single European history textbook, and the article recalls that the Standing Conference of the European Ministers of Education has rejected the "idea of trying to impose a uniform or standardised version of European history on schools in member states". The article concludes with a reflection on the impact of the Council of Europe's many conferences, studies and recommendations on history textbooks, and it suggests that the unprecedented possibilities for dissemination offered by the internet should ensure that the Council's current activities on history textbooks and history teaching reach a much wider public than their predecessors.
