The Longest Spring in History: On Interpreting the Transformations on the Polish-German Border on the Eve of Its Closure

Abstract

The article deals with the processes of debordering and rebordering on the Polish-German border, focusing on how the so-called everyday experts from the region interpreted these changes in 2018. The research was conducted in the cities of Słubice and Gubin and the adjacent rural areas, using individual structured in-depth interviews. The data analysis was inspired by grounded theory. According to the interviewees, cultural, legal, and economic differences significantly influenced the experiences and interactions at the border despite the blurring of physical borders. The analysis of the way of interpreting the debordering and rebordering also allows us to understand the characteristics of the narratives shaping the thinking about the transformations of the region at that time and their significance for integration processes and the creation of interstices. In the discussion, I argue for reorienting contemporary studies on the Polish-German border toward rebordering as well as for a more careful analysis of the accompanying narratives, emphasizing how these interpretations can condition the course of future events, such as what happened with the closing of borders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

• bordering
• polish-german cooperation
• interstices
• socio-spatial changes
• covid-19