The Franco-Saar Cultural Agreement as a Shift in Cultural Policies

WITH THE ADVENT OF the Franco-Saar economic union and the rise of the European movement, Gilbert Grandval and his allies in the Saar government such as prime minister Hoffmann renewed their focus on cultural policies. By the spring of 1948 they increasingly believed that a cultural agreement was necessary to place Franco-Saar cultural relations on a firmer foundation. France and the Saar began negotiations on a cultural agreement in May 1948 and concluded in early December. This agreement was far-reaching, and its thirty-three articles dealt with important issues including the new university, the teaching of French in Saar schools, sports, and cultural exchanges. Furthermore, it transformed the Institut d’Études Supérieures de Hombourg into a new university, the Universität des Saarlandes. This new university moved from Homburg to a site just outside Saarbrücken that formerly was an army barracks. It opened its first semester in November 1948 as a full university under the leadership of Rector Jean Barriol. In describing the university, the Franco-Saar cultural agreement stated that it was through “the creation of a Saar university that the spirit that enlivens Franco-Saar cultural life expresses itself with the greatest originality and audacity.” Furthermore, the university's mission was to become an “institution with bilingual instruction that calls out to professors and students from all nations, proclaiming its ambition to become the symbol of European hope.”

The cultural agreement heavily committed France to the university and stipulated that the French government pay half of its budget and work out a system to recognize exams passed and degrees awarded in the Saar and France. In addition, France agreed to pay the salaries of titled professors, lecturers, assistants, and other personnel from France in disciplines such as French, History, Philosophy, Law, and Economics. The new university was governed by a French rector, who in turn was responsible to an administrative council, consisting of an equal number of Saar and French representatives and a French president.