In 1995 the European Centre for Modern Languages was located in the Mozarthof
The charming Mozarthof villa is situated in the university quarter of Graz
The Centre was offically opened on 9 May 1995 - Europe Day. Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Peter Leuprecht, at the inauguration
The Mayor of Graz, Alfred Stingl - who was instrumental in bringing the Centre to the city of Graz
Some things don't change - there was standing room only...
John Trim, Project Director for Modern Languages at the Council of Europe, made the keynote speech
The equipment and location may have changed but, as today, Georg was the interpreter back then!
There was a feeling of anticipation in the air!
Claude Kieffer was the Centre's 1st Director - here at the ECML's 1st colloquy
Also at the first colloquy in December 1995 - what you don't see is the 1 metre of snow outside - that had fallen overnight....
Lots of firsts ...the first ECML workshop - moderated by Tony Fitzpatrick
A visit by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Daniel Tarschys. The neighbours at the Mozarthof were somewhat surprised by the fleet of diplomatic vehicles accompanying him...
Since 1996 trainees have played a very important role at the ECML
In 1997 the ECML organised its first 'external' workshop in Sarajevo - it was held in the Energoinvest building which still visibly reflected the signs of the conflict
The ECML staff - as it was in 1997 - age shall not wither them...
An early workshop on regional and minority languages coordinated by Miguel Strubel - OHPs were popular in those days!
Benoit Cliquet is not only an interpreter but a skilled cartoonist: Through his drawings, he often reflects the amusing side of ECML events - such as...
...the popularity of lunchtime pizzas in the early days of the ECML
...the intercultural dimension ...
and the lack of space in the resource centre!
After almost 100 workshops in the Mozarthof and an increase in the number of member states (28 in 2000), it was decided that larger premises were needed
In October 2000 the new premises in Nikolaiplatz were inaugurated. The event was attended by the Mayor of Graz, Alfred Stingl and the Governor of Styria, Waltraud Klasnic
Walter Schwimmer, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, officially opened the relocated and enlarged ECML home
Herta Müller, the writer and future winner of the Nobel prize for literature made the keynote speech
Michel Lefranc was the 2nd Director of the ECML
The inauguration marked a new stage in the Centre's life - a flurry of accessions of new member states followed
Josef Huber - the ECML Deputy Director
With the publication of the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Year of Languages in 2001, the ECML was developing a higher profile
The Centre's conference in 2003 celebrated the completion of the Centre's 1st medium-term programme comprising 25 projects
The conference also marked the arrival of a new ECML Director, Adrian Butler
Dagmar Heindler, the Chair of the ECML Governing Board, played a major role in the Centre's establishment and its early years
Some 25 publications were produced by the projects within the first 4-year progamme
Joe Sheils, Head of the Council of Europe's Modern Languages Division,was a regular visitor to the ECML
Rolf Schärer with Hermine Penz at the ECML project fair
Ursula Newby with Alfred Stingl
Mireille Cheval, Vice chair of the ECML Governing Board
David Newby preparing to present his project at the conference
Publications galore!
ECML publications appeared to grow on trees
Janua Linguarum - the gateway to languages brought to the stage at a school in Graz
The polaroid map …a common sight at earlier ECML workshops - before digital cameras took over...
Situated right in the centre of Graz - on a good day the ECML building has a great view of the Schlossberg and the St Nikolaus statue - neither of which you can see in this picture!
The ECML likes anniversaries and the 10th anniversary was no exception!
The colloquy organised for the 10th anniversary was a 'looking back to go forward' event
It involved a group of future language teachers from all the ECML member states
Moderated by David Newby, the event had a special focus on the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages
It combined this with another important occasion...
The donation of the John Trim resource collection to the ECML
On this occasion John Trim received the prestigious Council of Europe Pro Merito medal from the Deputy Secretary General
Leonard Orban, the European Commissioner for Multilingualism, visits the ECML
The European Day of Languages was literally taking off. A competition was organised to see how far an EDL balloon from Graz could fly
The winner from Papua New Guinea has unfortunately still not collected his prize...
The project meeting of Linguistic diversity and literacy in a global perspective
Neville Alexander, who authored the publication Linguistic diversity and literacy in a global perspective was a frequent visitor to the ECML between 2004-2007
An ECML exhibition in the foyer of the Council of Europe hemicycle during a session of the Parliamentary Assembly
The ECML 2007 conference presenting the results of the ECML's 2nd programme. Adrian Butler with Lucija Cok, ECML project coordinator and Minister of Education for Slovenia
The ECML reaches beyond Europe. Joe Lo Bianco from Australia gave a keynote speech at the 2007 conference - despite some jet lag! He had advised on language policy at the Sydney Olympics
Susanna Slivensky, the Deputy ECML Director - with a watchful Adrian Butler!
Adrian Butler with Harald Hartung from the European Commission
Project fairs were getting bigger and better
The payment of excess luggage on return plane flights was a topic of conversation
Impressions of the conference - Michael Ostrowski, pictured here, has gone on to produce a number of successful films
Valuing ALL languages
A slightly weary looking ECML 'enlarged' conference team - post event
We do like anniversaries - the 15th anniversary of the Centre in 2010
The Austrian Federal Minister for Science and Research, Beatrix Karl, spoke at the event
Austrian television was also on hand to record the occasion
A round table at the conference with Xavier North
Waldemar Martyniuk took over as ECML Director. Here with the Deputy Secretary General, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni
Waldek with Rolf Schärer, David Little, Gunter Abuja and Joe Sheils
The first meeting of the Professional Network Forum: INGOs working together in the area of language education and assessment
The 2011 conference presenting the results of the Centre's 3rd programme - opened by the current Mayor of Graz, Siegfried Nagl
Cutting the ribbon to open the project fair
Conferences are not all work - on the way to the reception, some of the participants showed off their hopscotch skills - others just stuck with the scotch...
Marisa Cavalli, ECML programme consultant, moderating a workshop
A language exhibition at Graz museum - which now hosts the annual language festival in Graz on the occasion of the European Day of Languages
Jim Cummins delivering the keynote speech at the conference
Sauli Takala - programme consultant and great friend to the ECML
Someone has to 'support' the conference
10 years of the European Day of Languages in... India!
The sun shines on the ECML
John Trim's last visit to the Centre in 2012 for the ACTFL-CEFR symposium
Sarah Breslin presents the ECML at the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, in the presence of the Austrian President, Heinz Fischer, and Secretary General Jagland
The ECML conference, 'Quality education and language competences for 21st century' taking place under the Austrian chairmanship of the Council of Europe in 2014
Peter Brown (EAQUALS), Jutta Gehrig (Goethe Institut) and Paula Matilla (Finnish National Board of Education) at the the event which was hosted in the Old University of Graz
The panel discussion on using technology in the classroom
A Graz language network discussion in the 'needle' of the city's impressive Kunsthaus
The one and only island in Graz is taken over by the European Day of Languages
Gunter Abuja (Austrian Language Competence Centre) is interviewed by a budding reporter
The Graz language festival organised on the Day of Languages involves a wide variety of cultural activities - including theatre
It is never too early to start learning a language - here pre-birth learning!
Ursula Newby, the Chair of the ECML Governing Board, releasing a balloon never to be soon again (the balloon that is…)
Lifelong learning - recipients of a 'prestigious' EDL certificate
Promoting excellence in language education through song. One of the many cultural activities hosted at the ECML
The ECML Director under siege for European Day of Languages' wristbands
The ProSign project focusing on the teaching of sign languages has broken new ground for the ECML
A ProSign conference hosted at the Karl-Franz university in Graz
The ECML's 2015 conference presenting the results of the 'Learning through languages' programme
The 'Use of ICT in language teaching and learning' training and consultancy initiative has coordinated over 30 workshops all over Europe since its launch in 2013
The work of the ECML reaches beyond the borders of Europe - a group of Japanese language teachers at the Centre's conference on the European Portfolio of Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL)
The EPOSTL is currently available in 15 languages - including Japanese
Europe Day 2016 at the Joanneum museum in Graz
…followed by some promotion for the European Day of Languages
The European Day of Languages event in Graz involves around 2000 participants each year - with treasure hunts, language challenges, quizzes, theatre, dance, language cafés…
The event receives generous support from the city of Graz and the province of Styria
In 2018 these were just some of the priorities in language education defined by member states for the the Centre's next programme
A cake inspiring innovation in language education…the title of the ECML's 2020-23 programme
Having had our cake and eaten it … we also tried the same with the European Day of Languages
In 2019 the ECML launched the Handbook of language challenges (based on OLBI's risk-taking initiative) . The handbook now exists in 25 languages thanks to the National Relays for the Day
The coordinators of projects selected for the 2020-23 programme at their first meeting in the ECML
The ECML 25th anniversary conference on 5 December 2019 - the sign rapper Signmark opens the event
Director General of Democracy, Snežana Samardžić-Marković delivers the keynote speech
Martina Vuk, State Secretary for Education, Slovenia with Alfred Stingl, former Mayor of Graz
Kristina Cunningham from the European Commission with Paul de Sinety, délégué général à la langue française et aux langues de France
Frank Heyworth, who has been an integral part of the ECML activities since 1998, most recently as programme consultant. He has been an author on 6 of the Centre's publications
Frank Heyworth, who is stepping down as ECML programme consultant, receives a well deserved standing ovation - a fitting close to the 25th anniversary conference