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First Rotary Clubs in Europe 1920 through 1923* 

The dates listed are the dates the clubs were organized, and the numbers following the date are club numbers, not District numbers. The club numbers were no longer valid after WWII.

Europe - excluding Ireland & the UK

1. Madrid, Spain Oct 1920 (806)

2. Paris, France April 1921 (905)

3. Barcelona, Spain January 1922 (1145)

4. Kristiania, Norway February 1922 (1211) – Oslo, Norway

5. Copenhagen, Denmark November 1921 (1251)

6. Amsterdam, Holland November 1922 (1336)

7. Utrecht, Holland March 1923 (1481)

8. Toulouse, France June 1923 (1495)

9. Ostend, Belgium July 1923 (1512)

10. Lyon, France April 1923 (1536)

11. Brussels, Belgium 1923  (1550)

*Rotary International Archives Department, From the 1924 Official Directory

(Archivist's notes)

Madrid, Spain is currently in District 2200

Barcelona, Spain is currently in District 2210

Kristiania, Norway has been Oslo, Norway since 1925 and is currently in District 2310

Current Zone & District numbers for all 10:

Madrid, Spain - Zone 10 - District 2200

Paris, France - Zone 11 - District 1660

Barcelona, Spain - Zone 10 - District 2210

Kristiania (Oslo), Norway - Zone 16 - District 2310

Copenhagen (København), Denmark - Zone 16 - District 1470

Amsterdam, Holland - Zone 13 - District 1580

Utrecht, Holland - Zone 13 - District 1570

Toulouse, France - Zone 11 - District 1700

Ostend, Belgium - Zone 13 - District 1620

Lyon, France - Zone 11 - District 1710

The dates on the list I sent were organization dates not admittance dates. That's the way it used to be done in the Official Directory. Sometime over the years, the date was changed to the admittance year of the club. This doesn't change the charter date, only the year in the OD. Copenhagen and København are the same club. It was organized in November 1921 and the admittance to Rotary and the Charter date is early 1922.

Cyndi Beck, Rotary Archives

18 December 2001