European institutions in Strasbourg European Studies, CEES) of the University of Strasbourg and subtitled itself "École européenne de gouvernance" (European Governance School). Another related academic institution is the Institut des hautes études européennes (IHEE), located in the Art Nouveau former Villa Knopf (built 1903–1905), close to the Parliament and the CoE. This school was founded in 1953 and was then called "Centre universitaire des hautes études européennes" (University Center for higher European Studies). The École Européenne de Strasbourg has been inaugurated by French education minister Xavier Darcos on 4 September 2008. It is the first school of its kind in France. Strasbourg also serves
History of Strasbourg its flourishing economy attracted many Germans. This could explain the difference between the rural vote and the one in Strasbourg. After the war, many Germans left Strasbourg and returned to Germany; some of them were denounced by the locals or expelled by the newly appointed authorities. The Saverne Affair remains vivid in the memory of many Alsatians. In 1920, Strasbourg became the seat of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, previously located in Mannheim, one of the oldest European institutions. It moved into the former Imperial Palace. When the Maginot Line was built, the "Sous-secteur fortifié de Strasbourg"