Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Borders in Central Europe After the Schengen Agreement pp 103–123Cite as

Boundaries and Transborder Relations: The Case of Switzerland

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 626 Accesses

Abstract

Political boundaries separate different political systems, but can also be an incentive for cooperation. This dualism mirrors two different approaches: the political system protects its territory and the economic system needs exchange. Three different border effects result from these two opposing attitudes: direct effects (the doubling of infrastructure on either side) and induced effects (the visible signs of state authority). Both are directly related to the political system. Indirect effects, on the other hand, result from economic considerations: differences in salaries and prices provoke flows of workers and consumers in the direction of maximum advantage. By using Switzerland as an example, we show how transborder contacts can arise, how they can be gradually expanded and what the consequences are. The region of Basle, a trinational conurbation, is an excellent example to demonstrate the evolution of such cooperation, which started at the local scale but expanded further north into the upper Rhine valley and triggered the creation of other regional cooperation associations. It is an excellent example of how a population with a common history can collaborate across national (and even external EU) boundaries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Members were Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Finland became an associate member in 1961, Iceland joined in 1970 and Liechtenstein in 1991.

  2. 2.

    Switzerland had been an emigration country until the 1880s, but following industrialization it needed additional labour and the country became increasingly dependent on immigrants.

  3. 3.

    There are four federal referenda dates (weekends) in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. Cantons usually place their referenda on these dates but are free to use other dates as well.

References

  • Annaheim, H. (1950). Die Raumgliederung des Hinterlandes von Basel. Wirtschaft und Verwaltung, Vierteljahreshefte, Statistisches Amt des Kantons Basel-Stadt, 9/3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annaheim, H. (1952) Basel und seine Nachbarlandschaften. Eine geographische Heimatkunde. Lehrmittelverlag des Kantons Basel-Stadt. 3.A. 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annaheim, H. (1963). Die Basler Region – Raumstruktur und Raumplanung. Akademische Vorträge an der Universität Basel, 3, 89–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annaheim, H. (Ed.). (1967). Strukturatlas Nordwestschweiz. Oberelsass, Südschwarzwald, Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn.

    Google Scholar 

  • BFM. Available http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home/themen/fza_schweiz-eu-efta.html. Accessed 05 November 2012.

  • Bundesrat, S. (2010). Armeebericht 2010, Bern.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conference Transjurassienne. (2012). Available http://www.conference-transjurassienne.org/. Accessed 18 November 2012.

  • Conseilduleman. (2012). Available http://www.conseilduleman.org/. Accessed 17 November 2012.

  • CRFG ed. (2012). Available http://www.crfginfo.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=92. Accessed 17 November 2012.

  • Eder, S., & Sandtner, M. (2000). Staatsgrenzen in der TriRhena – Barriere oder Stimulus? Regio Basiliensis, 41(1), 15–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etzioni, A. (1973). Interdependenz und politische Einigung. In D. Frei (Ed.), Theorien der internationalen Beziehungen (pp. 210–214). München: Piper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eucor-uni. Available www.eucor-uni.org/. Accessed 11 November 2012.

  • EVD-PUE. (2012). Frankenstärke und Preise. Eidgenössisches Volkswirtschaftsdepartement, Preisüberwachung, Bern.

    Google Scholar 

  • Favez, J. C. (2005). Freizonen, Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz. 4 (pp. 787 f). Basel: Schwabe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation as of 18 April 1999 (Status as of 11 March 2012), English translation without legal force.

    Google Scholar 

  • Funk, M. (2010). Der Einzelhandel und Einkaufsbeziehungen in Grenzorten am Oberrhein. Regio Basiliensis, 51(3), 189–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Girtler, R. (1992). Schmuggler. Von Grenzen und ihren Überwindern. Linz: Veritas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guichonnet, P., & Raffestin, C. (1974). Géographie des frontières. Paris: PUF.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hassinger, H. (1927). Basel, Beiträge zur Oberrheinischen Landeskunde, Festschrift zum 22. Deutschen Geographentag in Karlsruhe (pp. 103–130). Breslau: F. Hirt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haag, M., Hammer, A., & Schade, U. (2007). S–Bahn TriRhena – Stand und visionen. Regio Basiliensis, 48(1), 37–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haefliger, C. (2003). Institutionelle grenzübergreifende Initiativen in der EuroRegion Oberrhein. Regio Basiliensis, 44(2), 175–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • IBK. (2008). Leitbild der Internationalen Bodenseekonferenz (IBK) für den Bodenseeraum, Konstanz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leimgruber, W. (1987). Il confine e la gente. Interrelazioni spaziali, socilai e politiche fra la Lombardia e il Canton Ticino, Varese: Lativa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leimgruber, W. (1999). Border effects and the cultural landscape: The changing impact of boundaries on regional development in Switzerland. In H. Knippenberg, J. Markusse (Eds.), Nationalising and denationalising European border regions, 1800–2000: Views from geography and history. Geojournal Library 53, 199–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leimgruber, W. (2005). Boundaries and transborder relations, or the hole in the prison wall. On the necessity of superfluous limits and boundaries. GeoJournal, 64(3), 239–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leimgruber, W. (2013). The Swiss Jura. Reflections on marginality. Hrvatski Geografisk Glasnik (Croatian Geographical Bulletin), 75(1), 5–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leimgruber, W. (2016). Legal and illegal border trade, Paper presented to a seminar on ‘Spatial analyses of Baneh border city, Kurdistan’. Tehran (Iran) May 8, 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lezzi, M. (1996). Grenzregionen: Aussenschweiz und Innereuropa. Geographica Helvetica, 51(2), 101–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lezzi, M. (2000). Porträts von Schweizer EuroRegionen. Transboundary cooperation in Switzerland. Schriften der Regio 17, Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malchus, V. v. (1975). Partnerschaft an europäischen Grenzen. Integration durch grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit. Bonn: Europa Union Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchal, G. P., Mattioli, A. (1992). Nationale Identität – allzu Bekanntes in neuem Licht. In G. P. Marchal, A. Mattioli (Eds.), Erfundene Schweiz. Konstruktionen nationaler Identität – La Suisse imaginée. Bricolages d’une identité nationale (pp. 11–20) Zürich: Chronos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michna, R. (2009). Verbrauchermobilität im südlichen Oberrheingebiet – Einzelhandelsverflechtxungen im trinationalen Grenzraum. Regio Basiliensis, 50(3), 169–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miroglio, A. (1970). Le sens et la valeur des frontiers. Revue de psychologie des peoples, 25(3), 276–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohr, B. (2000). Grenzgängerverflechtungen in der Regio TriRhena. Regio Basiliensis, 41(1), 27–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mrohs, E., Heukels, J. M. (1970). Die Grenze – Trennung oder Begegnung. ‘S-Gravenhage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oberrheinkonferenz. Available http://www.oberrheinkonferenz.ch/. Accessed 07 November 2012.

  • OCSTAT. (2012). Les travailleurs frontaliers à Genève en 2011. Informations Statistiques 21, Genève, Office Cantonal de la Statistique.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opferkuch, D. (2007). Zur Entwicklung des Verkehrswesens in der Regio TriRhena seit den 1980er Jahren. Regio Basiliensis, 48(1), 3–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opferkuch, D. (2012). Neues aus der Regio. Regio Basiliensis 53(1+2), 101–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piveteau, J. L. (1969). Le sentiment d’appartenance régionale en Suisse. Revue de Psychologie des Peuples, 24, 284–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raffestin, C., Guichonnet, P., & Hussy, J. (1975). Frontières et sociétés. Le cas franco-genevois. Lauanne: L’Age d’Homme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapporto d’attività della Comunità di Lavoro Regio Insubrica per l’Anno 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Razpour, M. (2014). Investigation of Factors and Consequences Analysis of Border Informal Economy in Spatial Changes of Baneh Border City. Master thesis, School of Architecture and urban studies, Iran University of Science & Technology (IUST), Teheran.

    Google Scholar 

  • Regbas. Available http://www.regbas.ch/d_home.cfm. Accessed 07 November 2012.

  • Schröder, E. J. (2000). Die Regio TriRhena als grenzüberschreitender Wirtschaftsraum. Regio Basiliensis, 41(1), 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • SECO. Available https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/de/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/Freihandelsabkommen/Liste_der_Freihandelsabkommen_der_Schweiz.html. Accessed 26 May 2016.

  • Spichtig, B. (2011). Grenzüberschreitende öffentliche Statistik am Beispiel der trinationalen Agglomeration Basel – Abbildung funktionaler Räume in ihrer gesamten Ausdehnung. Regio Basiliensis, 52(2), 123–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swiss-Impex ed. (2012). Available https://www.swiss-impex.admin.ch/. Accessed 29 November 2012.

  • Swiss Statistics. Available http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/03/02/blank/data/05.html. Accessed 25 May 2016.

  • Ticino Statistical Office. (2016). Available http://www3.ti.ch/DFE/DR/USTAT/index.php?fuseaction=temi.dati&p1=35&p2=151&p3=160&proId=159. Accessed 26 May 2015.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Geography unit, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland

    Walter Leimgruber

Authors
  1. Walter Leimgruber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Walter Leimgruber .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Havlíček

  2. Department of Geography, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

    Milan Jeřábek

  3. Department of Geography, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic

    Jaroslav Dokoupil

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Leimgruber, W. (2018). Boundaries and Transborder Relations: The Case of Switzerland. In: Havlíček, T., Jeřábek, M., Dokoupil, J. (eds) Borders in Central Europe After the Schengen Agreement. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63016-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63016-8_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63015-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63016-8

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation