The Europe List

What connects Europeans? Who's the greatest artist on the continent? Which country has the best cuisine? Germany's Goethe Institute posed these questions to complete its "Europe List." It surveyed more than 22,000 people in 24 languages and 30 countries. The greatest number of hits in the online survey: democracy, Don Quixote and Da Vinci. Here are some of the other results.

"Culture" is what connects Europeans - that's what most respondents said in the survey. "Community" and "the freedom to travel" were also top on the list. Europe's most important contribution to global culture is democracy, most respondents said. Governance by the people thus scored just ahead of classical music (image) and letterpress printing.

Not only Europeans were surveyed. Some 294 Egyptians also participated in the online survey and showed a particular interest in Germany: 63 percent of them said that of all the European countries, they would like to live in Germany for a while. Germany represents the future of Europe more than any other country, 81 percent said.

The Egyptians answered the question about Europe's most important architectural structure just as the group at large did: the Eiffel Tower topped the list at 25 percent of responses. But the response also depended on nationality: Greeks rated the Acropolis the most important, while the Coliseum was favored among Italians. Oddly enough, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate was the favorite among the French.

Selecting a film from the European canon proved more difficult. The Italian film "Life is Beautiful" topped the list at eight percent. The heartbreaking movie is an Italian comedy-drama about a Jewish family during World War II. The German film "The Lives of Others" reached the number two spot. It also addresses historical events - the spying that occurred in East Germany.

Those surveyed were of a more unanimous opinion in the "most important artist" category. At 25 percent, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) grabbed top spot. Da Vinci was multi-talented: A painter, sculptor, architect, anatomist and engineer all rolled into one. He created the "Mona Lisa," the most famous painting in the world. The mysteriously smiling lady hangs in Paris' Louvre museum.

The most gripping character of European literature comes from Spain: the anti-hero Don Quixote. Novelist Miguel de Cervantes published the parody of the hidalgo in 1605. Madrid has long honored the character with a monument (photo). But Don Quixote did not top everyone's list. In the Baltic states, respondents chose childhood heroines such as Pippi Longstocking.

There was a surprise in the "most important politician" category. It wasn't a statesman of history, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel who garnered top spot - at 18 percent. Englishman Winston Churchill, who defended Great Britain against Adolf Hitler during World War II, followed. Former German Chancellor Willy Brandt - who worked towards European reconciliation in the 1970s - took third place.

According to the respondents, the most important European invention is letterpress printing. German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg (photo) invented the first printing press in the mid-15th century. Great Britain's steam engine took second spot, and the invention of the automobile in Germany took third place.

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic was voted Europe's greatest European athlete. Seventy-two percent of participating Serbs voted for the player, who was ranked number 1 on the ATP world-ranking list from July 2011 to July 2012. German Formula 1 and world record holder Michael Schumacher ranked second at seven percent, followed by Swiss tennis star Roger Federer.

Italian cuisine is the food of choice among the respondents, with 42 percent calling it the best. But some countries chose their own cuisine as their favorite: the Portuguese, Spaniards, the French and Greeks. French cuisine took second place in the overall rating.

How important is Europe for each person? Even in the difficult times of euro and economic crises, the responses were encouraging. Forty-three percent called themselves "European" through-and-through. Some 74 percent of participating French people said that. The majority of participating Portuguese, Danes, Dutch and Hungarians said the same. Just under half of Germans clicked this particular box.

The continent is mixed regarding the future of Europe. Lithuanians, Bulgarians, Serbs and a majority of Germans have a positive attitude about the future of Europe. Those respondents in crisis-ridden EU member states see it differently. A majority of Spaniards said "so-so" or "bad" in response to the question.

The Europe List is not a representative survey. Berthold Franke, director of the Goethe Institute in Brussels, explains the intention behind it: "It gives us the opportunity to discuss Europe's cultural identity in a new and different way." In the coming weeks, intellectuals such as writer Umberto Eco will discuss the results in various media and on the Europe List homepage.