Stars of Europe

At the initiative of the province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht, the Europe Monument was erected to mark the 10th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, which made the European Union (EU) a free economic market without trade restrictions or customs duties and with one common currency, the euro. Italian artist Maura Biava was commissioned to design the artwork in 2001. Maura Biava studied at the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. Together with the architect Ruby van den Munkhof, she developed a website during the design phase of the artwork, where anyone could make suggestions for a concept of the artwork's content.

The artwork consists of aluminium poles with stars rotating in the wind. There are 35 stars: 12 large and 23 small, which together symbolise the unification of Europe. The big stars refer to the 12 countries that formed the original European Economic Community until the 1992 European summit in Maastricht. The 23 smaller stars refer to the new member states that have joined since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty and the establishment of the European Union in 1992. In total, there are now 28 member states; therefore, of the 35 stars, 7 are not yet in use. Also painted on the poles are texts with quotes from famous writers, philosophers, journalists and politicians who have made a statement about the cultural and economic cooperation of European states.