We report on resonant magnetic x-ray scattering and absorption spectroscopy studies of exchange-coupled antiferromagnetic ordering of Eu 3+ magnetic moments in multiferroic Eu 1−x Y x MnO 3 in the absence of an external magnetic field. The observed resonant spectrum is characteristic of a magnetically ordered 7 F 1 state that mirrors the Mn magnetic ordering, due to exchange coupling between the Eu 4f and Mn 3d spins. Here, we observe long-range magnetic order generated by exchange coupling of magnetic moments of formally nonmagnetic Van Vleck ions, which is a step further towards the realization of exotic phases induced by exchange coupling in systems entirely composed of non magnetic ions. The interplay between local spin and orbital magnetic moments is an important factor in a large variety of magnetic ordering phenomena exploited in present day applications. In special cases, even with magnetic moments present, a system can form a nonmagnetic singlet ground state. Prominent examples are rare-earth and transition-metal ions with the f or d shell missing one electron for half filling. Here the orbital and spin moments can cancel out generating a J = 0 ground state. However, having only a small energy spacing between the ground state and the first magnetic triplet state, magnetism can in such systems be generated by symmetry breaking external stimuli such as magnetic or electric fields. In the case of magnetic stimulus this is known as Van Vleck magnetism and offers fascinating possibilities for new applications, for example for a magnetic sensor that is itself nonmagnetic. From a more fundamental point of view such systems are candidates for a variety of novel states of matter characterized by hidden order [1], Bose-Einstein condensation, or quantum phase transitions [2,3].A paramount example of a formally nonmagnetic ion being susceptible to external magnetic fields is the Eu 3+ ion with S = 3 and L = 3, having a J = 0 nonmagnetic ground state. Van Vleck magnetism has long been known to contribute to the paramagnetic moment of Eu 3+ [4][5][6][7]. For this ion, the symmetry breaking by an external magnetic field mixes the 7 F 1 state into the ground state, yielding a finite magnetic moment. A more recent example of this mechanism is the observation of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) in EuN under an applied magnetic field of 5 T, which is explained by magnetic field induced admixture of 7 F 1 into the 7 F 0 ground state [8]. The possibility of spin ordering without external electric or magnetic stimulus in the case of a vanishing total magnetic moment has been discussed theoretically, setting up the possibility of an unconventional phase transition in which the spin correlation length diverges but there is little or no change in the magnetic properties [9]. * joerg.strempfer@desy.de While these previous studies revealed the presence of Van Vleck magnetic moments, experimental proof of intrinsic long-range magnetic order of Van Vleck ions is missing. The perovskite-structure rare-earth (RE) manganites R...