www.ssoar.info Establishing functional interrelations and political governance: on the way to a cross-border metropolitan region of Szczecin Aring, Jürgen Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Aring, J. (2017). Establishing functional interrelations and political governance: on the way to a cross-border metropolitan region of Szczecin. Europa Regional, 23.2015(3), 11-16. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168- ssoar-52892-0 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Deposit-Lizenz (Keine This document is made available under Deposit Licence (No Weiterverbreitung - keine Bearbeitung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Redistribution - no modifications). 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Bericht: Establishing functional interrelations and political governance − On the way to a cross-border metropolitan region of Szczecin Bericht Bericht: ESTABLISHING FUNCTIONAL IN- Establishing functional interrelations and political governance − TERRELATIONS AND POLITICAL GOVER- On the way to a cross-border metropolitan region of Szczecin nance − On the way tO a crOss- BORDER METROPOLITAN REGION OF JÜRGEN ARING SzczECIN Abstract Zusammenfassung The formation of a cross-border metropolitan region of Szczecin Funktionale Verflechtung und regionale Governance – has passed the first stages, but it is still a long way to go. One of Schritte auf dem Weg zu einer grenzüberschreitenden Me- the reasons for a slow step-by-step-development is the “burden tropolregion Szczecin of history”, meaning the new definition of the German-Polish bor- Die Bildung einer grenzüberschreitenden Metropolregion Szcze- der after World War II and the long-lasting charged relationship cin ist seit den 1990er Jahren auf den Weg gekommen, doch im between the two countries. With the radical changes in Europe Vergleich mit grenzüberschreitenden Metropolregionen an der in 1989/90, Poland’s entry into the EU in 2004, and the open- Westgrenze Deutschlands stehen Verflechtung und Integration ing of the labor markets, this situation improved considerably. In noch am Anfang. Eine Ursache der vorsichtigen, schrittweisen fact, since these events the cross-border functional interrelations -Entwicklung ist die „Last der Geschichte“ nach 1945. Mit den (labor market, housing market, shopping, crafts and services, for- radikalen Veränderungen in Europa in den Jahren 1989/90, die eign direct investments) have prospered. Similarly, the develop- in den Beitritt Polens in die EU im Jahr 2004 und einige Jahre ment of institutional arrangements shows progress. Within this später zur Öffnung der Arbeitsmärkte mündeten, haben sich die process, however, realizing concrete projects in the local and re- Chancen für eine grenzüberschreitende regionale Integration gional context is much easier than the coordination of interests erheblich verbessert. Etwa seit 2004 zeigt sich eine wachsende on the large scale of states and nations. An important step in the funktionale grenzüberschreitende Verflechtung bei Berufspend- development process of an institutionally stipulated cross-border lern, am Wohnungsmarkt, beim Einkaufsverkehr, in Dienstleis- metropolitan region occurred in 2010, when different local and tung und Handwerk sowie bei Direktinvestitionen. In ähnlicher regional actors on the Polish side joined for a metropolitan ini- Weise zeigt die Entwicklung der institutionellen Regelungen Fort- tiative.1 schritte, insbesondere bei der Realisierung regionaler Projekte. Schwieriger gestaltet sich die großräumige Governance, weil aus - dem Blickwinkel der Nationalstaaten andere Interessen in den Vordergrund rücken. Einen wichtigen Schritt in der Entwicklung Cross-border-development; (cross-border) metropolitan re einer institutionell festgelegten grenzüberschreitenden Metropol- gion; functional interrelations; regional governance; European region markierte das Jahr 2010, als sich verschiedene lokale und integration regionale Akteure auf der polnischen Seite einer grenzüberschrei- tenden, metropolitanen Initiative anschlossen. - Grenzüberschreitende Entwicklung; (grenzüberschreitende) Metropolregion; funktionale Beziehungen; regionale Govern ance; Europäische Integration 1 This paper is based on research carried out during the search for partners for the ImeG (Initiative for cross-border metropolitan regions of Germany) in the years 2011/2012. Apart from the analysis of literature and planning documents interviews with experts were conducted. In this regard I want to thank Marek Dutkowski, Stanis- law Dendewicz, Lilly Wolny, Petra Schmitt and Frank Segebade for their information and reflection. 11 Europa Regional 23, 2015 (2017) I 3 The burden of history - - that could be lost to Germany again. It took the counties of Uckermark and Vorpom The Polish-German cross-border met until the German reunification in 1990 to mern-Greifswald on the German side of - ropolitan region of Szczecin has yet to ultimately confirm the international state the border. It measures up to about 30,000 - pass the stage of simply being an idea or of the Polish-German border. The experi km² and is home to 2.077 million people, - - a concept. The functional and political re ences on the German side of the border 81 % of which live in Poland and 19 % in - ality still shows a different picture, even were similarly complex and charged, al Germany. The region is quite large, but out though the situation improved step by step though the official GDR-rhetoric of social side of the urban parts of Szczecin rather - since the end of the cold war in 1989/90. istic friendship administered otherwise. rural and only scarcely populated. Apart Throughout socialism, Poland and the The weight of the Polish-German his from the coastal area of the Baltic Sea, this GDR celebrated an official friendship, but tory in the border region is quite heavy is also the case on the German side. The it had no direct effect on the population and still affects the relationship. However, population density averages at about 70 - in the border-regions. Today, the Europe respondents on both sides of the border inhabitants per square kilometer, but there Agreement in 1994 and the foundation of emphasize that the relationship has im are strong differences between the urban - the Euroregion ‘Pomerania’ in 1995 can be proved considerably over the last two and rural areas. Around Szczecin (405,000 seen as first steps of a new policy. Poland’s decades. Knowledge and experience sub inhabitants) there are only a few semi- - - entry into the European Union in 2004 was stitute for obsolete stereotypes resulting large cities, namely Stargard Szczeciński a fundamental premise for further inte in better cross-border cooperation. (70,000), Świnoujście (40,000), and Pase Spatial Structures - gration and the institutional co-operation walk (17,000) (see Map 1). within cross-border networks. However, in As the region is large in size, the distanc - - everyday life the working population had Today, the metropolitan area of Szczecin es within the region are quite long as well. to wait for free cross-border transition un comprises the region of the West Pomera It is about 113 km from Szczecin to the til Poland and Germany opened their labor nian Voivodeship on the Polish side and port city of Świnoujście, about 149 km to - markets in 2007 and 2012, respectively. Szczecin The institutional improvements sup Location and distances porting a stronger integration in the Slupsk cross-border metropolitan region went A S E hand in hand with a learning process in B A L T I C - both population and politics. People had - Greifswald Koszalin Woj. to get over the history of nationalism, feel 149 km pomorskie - (Pommern) ings of superiority, war, destruction, per Świnoujście Peen secution, and relocation, Theseth were trau e 113 km matizing events of the 20 century and Re Mecklenb.- ga Vorpommern deeply burned into the collective memory Woj. zachodniopomorskie (Westpommern) of Poles and Germans. Pasewalk While –before World War II – Szczecin 41 km Szczecin I na was a prospering bourgeois German city Stargard Szczeciński a r located in one day’s traveling distance to d 47 km O POLEN Berlin, after the war it became a Polish city Pila - DEUTSCHLAND located at the Western border, far away H a v e from the capital Warszawa.