Globalizing Rural Areas. International Migrants in Rural Germany

in Domínguez-Mujica, Josefina (Ed.) Global Change and Human Mobility (2016)

International migrants sometimes decide to live in rural instead of in urban areas. These migrants can be clustered into different groups, e.g. amenity migrants, cross-border migrants, asylum seekers ... [more ▼]

International migrants sometimes decide to live in rural instead of in urban areas. These migrants can be clustered into different groups, e.g. amenity migrants, cross-border migrants, asylum seekers, training migrants and working migrants (seasonal and permanent). In rural areas in Germany, for example, in 2010 11.1 per cent of the population had a migratory background (Statistisches Bundesamt 2011). Even though this phenomenon of international migrants moving into rural instead of urban areas exists, it has long been neglected by researchers. The aim of this chapter is to investigate how international migrants support the development of a “globalized countryside” (Woods 2007). Afterwards we focus on two different German case studies. First, we analyse international migration into the district town of Merzig (Saarland). Second, we investigate cross-border migration into rural areas in the German-Austrian borderlands (Bavaria). Based on the results, in our conclusion we discuss the statement that international migrants globalize rural areas. [less ▲]

Internationalisierung der Gesellschaft und die Auswirkung auf die Raumentwicklung - Beispiele aus Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz und dem Saarland

Book published by Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung (2015)

In the context of globalisation and demographic change, the internationalisation of society is becoming increasingly important, why these anthology raises the awareness for this topic. The first part ... [more ▼]

In the context of globalisation and demographic change, the internationalisation of society is becoming increasingly important, why these anthology raises the awareness for this topic. The first part deals with the topic 'spatial construction through migrants', focusing on the culturally differentiated construction of spaces and landscapes from a theoretical point of view. From a social perspective, the shifts in such needs/requirements and values that people tie to different parts of their spatial environment are of particular interest. For example due to globalisation processes, identity constructions underlie a growing erosion process, concerning the understanding of space and landscape as well as their acquisition. Thus, the different levels of spatial planning are confronted with further differentiated demands in terms of space and landscape presenting major challenges. Based on different case studies, the second topic ‘migration and specific spaces’ that follows the theoretical considerations, reflects spatial demands of migrants and the potential of internationalisation. The selected case studies mainly deal with rural areas as well as the internationalisation in those cities which were not in the academic focus until now. At first, the focus is on the investigation of spatial acquisitions and demands of US-American, Muslim and Turkish migrants. Then the housing situation of migrants is the focal point. This includes the cross-border commuters at the German-Luxembourgish border. The following part is devoted to the potential which can be accompanied by the increasing internationalisation of the society. This is done on the one hand with a theoretical example of identity, home as well as inclusion and exclusion. On the other hand identities and self-attributions of repatriates (so called Aussiedler and Spätaussiedler) from former Soviet Union in Rhineland-Palatinate are discussed. Finally and based on the different articles, recommodations are derived and discussed for the future spatial development that arise in the course of internationalisation of society. The contributions of the anthology are made by: Julia Anslinger, Diedrich Bruns, Chantal Hermes, Jan Hilligardt, Martina Hülz, Bernhard Köppen, Olaf Kühne, Birte Nienaber, Florian Paech, Alexandra Reich, Ursula Roos and Antje Schönwald. [less ▲]

ESPON on the road - Bringing closer ESPON evidence for decision making

Report (2015)

The ESPONontheRoad project was a Transnational Networking Activity (TNA) of nineteen ESPON Contact Points (ECPs) with the aim to bring ESPON results closer for decision-making and thus increase the ... [more ▼]

The ESPONontheRoad project was a Transnational Networking Activity (TNA) of nineteen ESPON Contact Points (ECPs) with the aim to bring ESPON results closer for decision-making and thus increase the capitalisation of the ESPON Programme. During a year, participating ECPs brought ESPON closer to the local and regional level, and to citizens in physical and virtual forms. The project built a bridge between the issues on a local level and scientific evidence on EU territorial development policy themes. After taking stock of the most recent policy issues in each national context, ECPs formed transnational working groups to have a common understanding of the messages coming from ESPON results. These working groups designed the most appropriate and efficient form of communication for their target groups. In this way ESPON results were put into the macroregional context of West, South, North and Central-Eastern areas, and both the content-related and the organisational tasks were organised in a balanced way. The activity report summaries the goals of the project, presents how they were implemented and what are the lessons learnt. It concludes with recommendations for the future. [less ▲]

Phantomgrenzen im Kontext grenzüberschreitender Wohnmigration. Das Beispiel des deutsch-luxemburgischen Grenzraums

in Europa Regional (2015), 22(3-4), 114-128

The Schengen Agreement have opened many European borders and allowed border controls to virtually disappear. The effect of this opening can be illustrated especially well with the example of the German ... [more ▼]

The Schengen Agreement have opened many European borders and allowed border controls to virtually disappear. The effect of this opening can be illustrated especially well with the example of the German-Luxembourgish border region. Here, national borders have largely lost their dividing effect, which is reflected, amongst other things, in the very intensive daily mobility and residential mobility. This article shows that the diversity of the cross-border practices has relativised the national borders, which, however, persist in the form of new demarcations. This relationship of dissolvement and simultaneous continuity, as it is concisely described with the figure of thought “phantom borders”, will be examined by using example of cross-border residential migration. The number of Luxembourgers who recolate their residence to the German federal states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate has risen significantly in recent years. This article is based on data from four different empirical studies, which, using a variety of methods, were concerned with the developments of residential mobility in the border regions of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. The results are fundamentally in agreement that the massive residential migration has brought with it spatial differentiations and social demarcations on a local as well as on a regional level. These materialise and manifest themselves in different ways: easily accessible by public or private transport vs. not easily accessible; new residential developments vs. town and village centres, autochthonous vs. allochthonous, Luxembourgers vs. non-Luxembourgers. In all of these demarcation processes, the persistence of national categories is expressed, and they thus refer to the phantom-like continuity of territorial borders in general, as well as a clear incongruity of territorial borders and social demarcations in the context of residential migration in particular. [less ▲]

Vergleichende Analyse soziodemographischer Aspekte von Deutschen und Personen ausländischer Nationalität in ländlichen Regionen des Saarlandes

E-print/Working paper (2012)

Aufgrund der Lage des Saarlandes innerhalb der Großregion SaarLorLux sowie seiner montanindustriellen Geschichte haben sich in diesem Bundesland spezifische Migrationsformen, wie beispielsweise die ... [more ▼]

Aufgrund der Lage des Saarlandes innerhalb der Großregion SaarLorLux sowie seiner montanindustriellen Geschichte haben sich in diesem Bundesland spezifische Migrationsformen, wie beispielsweise die grenzüberschreitende Migration oder die klassischen Gastarbeiterwanderungen herausgebildet. Besonders die grenznahen Gemeinden zu Frankreich und Luxemburg weisen dadurch einen für ländliche Räume besonders hohen Ausländeranteil auf. So ziehen beispielsweise immer mehr Luxemburger in den grenznah gelegenen Landkreis Merzig-Wadern, so dass die Anzahl der Luxemburger in diesem Landkreis innerhalb von zwei Jahren von 605 (2005) auf 1.297 Personen (2007) anstieg (Statistisches Amt Saarland o.J.).Aus diesem Grund lag der Ausländeranteil in der Gemeinde Perl im Jahr 2009 bei 26,0 Prozent (vgl. Bertelmann Stiftung o.J.). Das Forschungsprojekt „Leben in der Fremde – Demographischer Wandel von Migranten im ländlichen Saarland“ verbindet den demographischen Wandel mit der Migrationsforschung und dem ländlichen Raum. Ziel des Projektes ist in erster Linie der Vergleich soziodemographischer Grunddaten zwischen Personen deutscher und ausländischer Staatsangehörigkeit sowie die Integration von Personen ausländischer Nationalität in die einzelnen Untersuchungsgemeinden. Im Artikel werden zunächst kurz der derzeitige Forschungsstand, das Projekt und die methodische Vorgehensweise erläutert. Es schließt sich ein Vergleich des demographischen Verhaltens von Personen deutscher sowie ausländischer Staatsangehörigkeit in den Gemeinden Perl und Schmelz an. [less ▲]

Integration türkischer Migrantinnen und Migranten in der ländlichen Kleinstadt Schmelz

in Migration und Soziale Arbeit (2012), 34(4/2012), 374-381

Demographischer Wandel und Familienfreundlichkeit

Book published by Selbstverlag der Fachrichtung Geographie der Universität des Saarlandes (2011)