The impact of the Corona crisis on borderland living in the Danish-German border region with a special focus on the two national minorities

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 2020, the Sars-CoV-2 (also known as the COVID-19/Coronavirus) crisis resulted in the closure of most of Europe’s borders, both external and internal. What consequences does this have for border regions as living spaces? This article uses the Danish-German border region as an example for the complex impact of the Sars-CoV-2 crisis on a European borderland. A special focus is placed on the region’s reciprocal national minorities on either side of the border. This article shows that these groups have been most impacted by the nation state measures of restricting and controlling access across the border, as this has reduced their opportunities of kin-state contact and interaction.