Constructing a Collective Memory in the Franco-German-Swiss Upper Rhine Region: European, Trans(national) or Regional?

Abstract

Cross-border regions in Europe have been often identified as models or testing places for European integration. The Franco-German-Swiss Upper Rhine Region has a long experience in cross-border cooperation since the 1960s, which should be a good starting point to construct a collective memory based on its image as an integrated borderland. Based on interviews with key witnesses of the cross-border region, this article shows, how these actors focus on three specific aspects to construct a collective memory: a memory that advocates the ideal of a “Europe of Regions”, a memory of reconciliation and a memory based on a common regional culture and history. It concludes by saying that, despite all efforts, in the absence of a common (trans)regional identity, it is extremely difficult to construct a common memory of the Upper Rhine Region.