Boundaries and transborder relations,or the hole in the prison wall: On the necessity of superfluous limits and boundaries |
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| Authors: | Walter Leimgruber |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Geosciences, Geography Unit, University of Fribourg/Switzerland, Chemin du Musée 4, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | Boundaries can be seen as barriers or as places of contact. It has been suggested that we are “prisoners of borders”, of all
kinds of borders (political, religious, social, cultural, linguistic etc.). While this statement appears to be somewhat exaggerated,
it holds some truth. Boundaries are elements in spatial organization, and they influence daily life in many ways (not only
for people living right along them). The paper addresses the question if we must call ourselves “prisoners” or if we simply
have to live with all kinds of borders. Departing from theoretical observations, the paper discusses the various aspects boundaries
assume in the European context before looking at a few concrete Swiss examples. They reveal that even regions at a certain
distance of the state border will feel its effects (the case of Zurich airport), but the most important benefit can been drawn
by people living in the border area itself (through price differences between the two countries, as exemplified by the Swiss-Italian
border). There may be asymmetry on state borders, but this asymmetry can also swing around: the advantages often lie on both
sides. The paper concludes by pointing to the persistence of the boundary concept. They are a necessity for the organization
of space and society, but they are not absolute. There are always holes in these prison walls, and the examples where boundaries
were impermeable are probably rare. |
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| Keywords: | boundaries geography of advantage transborder cooperation |
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