Zivilgesellschaft, ländlicher Raum und Grenzregion: ein deutsch-polnisches Beispiel

Abstract

For years there have been significant structural and intercultural attempts to reduce the significance of the division the Oder border constitutes in the perception of the local population on both sides of the river. Nonetheless, this division remains present and stifles contacts between the two sides, with mutual interests restricted primarily to the material sphere (availability of jobs, education, goods). In youth exchanges especially we find that outside of these material interests the majority of participants has no existing links to the other side of the border. Yet intercultural exchange that is based on interests and motivation to learn about each other is necessary to truly reduce the barriers constituted by the border, and increase the radius of movement for the rural population. Increasingly, this well-known and often referenced deficit-oriented view on the German-Polish border region is being contradicted by positive developments. There are various cooperations, joint projects and events that bring together people from both sides of the border and decrease distance through personal contact. Many important steps to a joint development of the border region have been taken in the past 12 years and we can point to many areas in which new, cross-border structures have been growing. These developments are encouraging and should create interest in the opportunities for future developments of transnational civil society in the German-Polish border region. In the article the author raises the following issues: he discusses the areas and conclusions which result form the literature on the subject of the transnational projects of civil involvement, and presents chosen associations, organisations, and initiatives on the German-Polish border region – their aims, chances, and difficulties.