5. Europa-Diskurs(e)

Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Opiłowska (Universität Wrocław, Europa-Gastprofessorin an der Universität des Saarlandes 2025)
18 Uhr, Campus A2 1 - Raum 0.01

The lecture draws on selected findings from the Horizon Europe B-SHAPES project, which re-examines the central role of borders in shaping contemporary perceptions of European societies in the 21st century, in the face of the challenge of re-bordering Europe. Using a narrative approach, we explore how borders influence societal views through three interrelated lenses: Euroscepticism in border regions, minority experiences, and border landscapes and cultural heritage. Focusing on border regions offers new perspectives on how borders are not just lines on a map, but active agents that influence collective narratives and identities, challenging traditional national histories and opening up new ways of understanding European identity.

In the lecture, I will present our theoretical framework, methodologies and key empirical findings. Particular attention will be paid to the dynamic processes of de- and re-bordering in Poland's south-western borderlands, and how these transformations shape local perceptions of Europe. Once symbols of division, borders have been re-imagined as resources for cross-border cooperation within the EU - yet recent trends of re-bordering reveal complex tensions. Through narrative analysis of local media, zine-making workshops, and interviews, we uncover the entanglement of de-/re-bordering tendencies and show how borderlanders navigate the tensions between internal Schengen and fortified external EU borders. Our findings challenge simplistic notions of Euroscepticism versus Euroenthusiasm, revealing instead a nuanced landscape where border narratives are ambivalent and multifaceted. While the Schengen Agreement has fostered cross-border connectivity and a sense of European identity, emerging re-bordering practices have reinforced perceptions of borders as barriers and Europe as an enclosed homeland. The case study presented serves as a microcosm of broader European tensions, where local experiences of de- and re-bordering intersect with global challenges such as migration, pandemics and geopolitical conflict. Ultimately, our research highlights the critical importance of integrating grassroots perspectives to understand how bordering processes shape perceptions of Europe.

Prof. Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig (ETH Zürich)
18 Uhr, B3 2 - Hörsaal 0.03

In den vergangenen 15 Jahren ist die Europäische Union durch eine Serie von Krisen erschüttert worden – von der Eurokrise bis zur aktuellen trans­atlantischen Krise. Krisen setzen die EU der Gefahr des Scheiterns aus, bieten aber auch Chancen zur Weiter­entwicklung. In einer vergleichenden Analyse der Krisen der EU geht der Vortrag der Frage nach, wie sich die EU unter dem Einfluss der Krisen verändert hat. Dabei nimmt er die krisen­bedingte Veränderung der Offen­heit und Kontrolle der externen und internen Grenzen der EU in den Blick. 

Prof. Dr. Timm Beichelt (Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt/Oder)
18 Uhr, B3 2 - Hörsaal 0.03

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