European Border Region Studies in Times of Borderization: Overview of the Problem and Perspectives

Abstract

Since at least the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of borders could no longer be overlooked. This global development has also penetrated the European border regions along with the virus. There, European border region studies is now confronted with events that it has thus far hardly had to deal with. This article addresses such events and elaborates on the interplay of borderization and deborderization processes in the context of “covidfencing”. For this purpose, social negotiation processes of border closures in the Greater Region SaarLorLux and in the German–Polish border area are discussed as “people’s resilience”. This article considers how European border region studies can deal with events and questions in times of borderization. Drawing on international border studies, the research agenda can be extended to everyday cultural issues. In addition, the common concept of borders can be adjusted in order to make the border more accessible as a subject of everyday cultural negotiations.  Keywords: COVID-19, covidfencing, border, borderization, deborderization, cross-border commuters, border studies, everyday culture, bordering, resilience.