The Borders and Boundaries of Europe

On the European continent, borders have been drawn and redrawn through wars, annexations and peace treaties. They have shifted countless times in some areas and have remained constant in others. They have come to symbolically represent the essence of a nation in certain cases, or a seemingly insurmountable cross-border conflict in others. The consolidation and militarization of frontiers has been accorded immense political and strategic value throughout the centuries. At the same time, alliances, cooperations and, in more recent decades efforts at regional integration, have reduced the significance of some borders to administrative formalities or zones rich with various forms and types of exchanges. Europe’s history has thus been a combination of efforts aimed at maintaining borders and efforts aimed at transcending them.