Learn How to Pronounce Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi
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Meaning and Context
Richard Nikolaus Eijiro von Coudenhove-Kalergi, born in Tokyo in 1894 to an Austro-Hungarian diplomat father and a Japanese mother, was a visionary Austrian-Japanese politician, philosopher, and geopolitical writer whose seminal 1923 manifesto, "Pan-Europa," established him as a foundational pioneer of the European integration movement. His life's work, dedicated to overcoming nationalist divisions through peaceful political and economic union, led him to found the Pan-European Movement (Paneuropa-Union) in 1926, an organization that directly influenced later statesmen and provided the intellectual blueprint for institutions like the European Union. A prolific author, Coudenhove-Kalergi's concepts of continental federation and his warnings against geopolitical fragmentation positioned him as a key historical figure in 20th-century political thought, whose advocacy for a united Europe based on shared Christian-humanist values earned him the inaugural Charlemagne Prize in 1950 and a lasting legacy as a prophet of European unity.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The name "Coudenhove-Kalergi" presents several common spelling and pronunciation challenges. The most frequent errors involve the first element, "Coudenhove," which is often misspelled as "Coudenhov," "Coundenhove," or "Coudenhouve." The hyphen is crucial and should not be omitted or replaced with a space. The second element, "Kalergi," is sometimes incorrectly written as "Kalergy" or "Calergi." In full, the name is occasionally mistakenly rendered as "Richard von Coudenhove Kalergi" without the hyphen, or the aristocratic "von" is incorrectly capitalized as "Von." Pronunciation can also be difficult, with the correct approximation being "KOO-den-hoh-veh kah-LAIR-ghee." When referencing his movement, "Pan-European" is the standard term, though the original German "Paneuropa" is also used historically; common typos here include "Paneuropean" or "Pan-Europa."
Example Sentences
Historians credit Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's 1923 book, "Pan-Europa," with planting the earliest coherent seeds for a continental political union.
The inaugural Charlemagne Prize was awarded to Coudenhove-Kalergi in 1950 for his lifelong dedication to the cause of European integration.
Despite facing opposition in the interwar period, the Pan-European Movement founded by Coudenhove-Kalergi provided a critical forum for intellectual debate on the continent's future.
His bi-continental heritage deeply informed Coudenhove-Kalergi's philosophical commitment to transcending national and racial prejudices.
Modern scholars often revisit Coudenhove-Kalergi's writings to understand the ideological origins of the European project.
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