Nationalising and Denationalising European Border Regions, 1800-2000 : Views from Geography and History

This text argues that the rise of the nation-state reinforced separation by borders as it nationalized people on either side. This process peaked around 1900, and was challenged in the post-war era by supra-national integration, globalization and the revolution in communication and transport.

Preface. List of figures. List of tables. Part I: Introduction. 1. 19th and 20th century borders and border regions in Europe: some reflections; H. Knippenberg, J. Markusse. 2. State borders in geography and history; H. van Dijk. Part II: Nationalising Border Regions. 3. The incorporation of Limburg in the Dutch state; H. Knippenberg. 4. Borders, ethnicity, and demographic patterns in the Russian Baltic Provinces in the late nineteenth century; C. Wetherell, A. Plakans. 5. Politicised borders: the case of Greek Macedonia; R. Van Boeschoten. 6. `A bleeding wound'', how border-drawing affects local communities: a case study from the Austrian-Slovene border in Styria; C. Promitzer. Part III: Denationalising border regions. 7. Relaxation of tensions in the multi-ethnic border province of South Tyrol: the importance of cross border relations; J. Markusse. 8. An anatomy of Basque identity: a geographical analysis of identity patterns in the Franco-Spanish border area; J. M. Beck. 9. The Austro-Hungarian border region: opportunities for and perspectives of regional development; A. Kampschulte. 10. Border effects and the cultural landscape: the changing impact of boundaries on regional development in Switzerland; W. Leimgruber. 11. City-networking and bottom-up development by transborder co-operation: the influence of local authorities in the Saar-Lor-Lux Region; C. Schulz. References. About the authors. Index.