Urbanität im ländlichen Raum. Wohnmigration in der deutsch-luxemburgischen Grenzregion

Studies on the connection of migration and urbanity are usually concerned with conditions and developments in cities. The possible presence of ‘urbanity’ also in rural space is the topic of the present contribution and will be discussed through the example of residential migration in the ‘Greater Region Saar-Lor-Lux’. The massive influx of residential migrants from Luxembourg into the border regions of the neighbouring countries is a relatively recent phenomenon, the main cause of which lies in the developments in the real-estate market in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This phenomenon is of special interest for the topic of migration in rural areas in two regards: on the one hand, because of the complex composition of the group of residential migrants, which is extremely differentiated regarding the dimension rural - urban; and on the other hand, because of the serious demographic changes, which the residential migrants have produced in individual border villages. Central to our study is the question, whether urban attitudes and practices become visible in German border villages, and, if so, how the migratory movement from Luxembourg influences this ‘rural urbanity’. Furthermore, taking the everyday practices of the residential migrants as starting point, this contribution considers the question, in how far the dichotomy urbanity - rurality presents a conceptual approach for the examination of individual and structural integration processes.