ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to exemplify the relation and, more generally, the role of structures in transregional studies by focusing on infrastructure. Infrastructure is still a relatively young term. The reason for the rapid expansion of the telegraph was that telegraphy had proved to be efficient and useful for several groups of actors. By the turn of the nineteenth century, a worldwide global telegraph network had come into existence that connected all continents and their landline systems, and had brought most of the important population and business centres in direct touch with each other. Due to the separation of communication from the existing means of transport, telegrams were fast, mostly disregarded geographical distance, and by far outpaced other forms of communication – but they had their drawbacks and limitations, too. When it came to the establishment and maintenance of long-distance connections, these aspects of telegraphy could pose formidable problems.
