In the aftermath of World War II, Baron Kurd von Hardt (1889-1958), having no successor, decided to invest his fortune in an enterprise dedicated to reconciling Europeans through the study of their common heritage in classical culture.
He created a library specializing in Greek and Latin authors, ancient history and philosophy with almost 40,000 volumes in a unique setting with unparalleled conditions for study and research, for a modest financial contribution. 

To organise the Entretiens sur l’Antiquité classique, an annual conference on a particular theme attended by eminent scholars. The proceedings are published in a collection.