ABSTRACT
Since the end of Soviet rule and the disappearance of the Iron Curtain - one of the most hermetical lines of division between people in modem times - the theme of 'border' has paradoxically been drawing more attention in Eu rope than before. Not only is there promising new research emerging, but whole conferences are dedicated to it. For example, in 1998 the joint con vention of the Austrian, German and Swiss sociological associations brought the term to the forefront when the organizers chose the title 'Grenzenlose Gesellschaft' ('Borderless Society'). Although there have been predecessors, such as the convention of the Austrian Sociological Associa tion with its overriding theme 'Gesellschaft an Grenzen' ('Society at Border lines') in 1987, the interest in the theme is currently much wider. Not only is more research on this topic available, but the term 'border' is being used increasingly, and more or less appropriately, in all areas of social science. Its growing use indicates a demand for theoretical clarification. In the fol lowing I will try to show how this challenge has been met in studies on borders in Central Europe: how the term 'border' is used and whether further theoretical insights can be drawn from the studies.
