ABSTRACT
The present-day German-Polish border is of recent creation. It was established in the wake of the second world war by the victorious allied powers and brought about the forced westward expulsion of millions of Germans and Poles. Suffice it to say that a genuine German-Polish rapprochement and a political normalization of the border were only possible after the momentous political changes of 1989–1990 and the conclusion of new bilateral treaties reaffirming the will of both countries to promote peaceful coexistence. The German-Polish Treaties of November 1990 and June 1991 reconfirmed the Oder and Neisse Rivers as the permanent boundaries between the two countries and established cooperation frameworks based on principles of good neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence. They represented essential steps for a genuine German-Polish rapprochement and an indispensable precondition for the development of cross-border planning cooperation. This fact alone indicates that the construction of a German-Polish cross-border region – irrespective of the spatial level involved – has remained, and for some time will remain, a highly artificial and yet necessary and desirable project. While there can be no doubt that economic problems, structural deficiencies and prejudices continue to represent major challenges for cross-border cooperation, I argue that EU policies have promoted learning processes, such as those advocated by Hans-Joachim Bürkner in this book. In other words, I contend that there is a need for a sense of belonging to a common neighbourhood and region, born of Polish and German history. I also contend that, despite the existence of ‘exclusionary’ mentalities within the region, impacts of all policies and institutions can be identified that have been at work since the opening of the border in 1991. Cross-border cooperation has offered considerable potential for developing local government capacities, local networks and civil society initiatives.
