Border Memories and the Refiguration of Economic Relations. A Comparative Study of Two Twin Cities in Europe.

This paper explores the relationship between border memories and the socio-spatial refiguration of cross-border economic relations in European twin cities. Using the case studies of Guben/Gubin on the German-Polish border and Rheinfelden/Rheinfelden on the German-Swiss border, we analyse how practices of remembering and forgetting, along with their materialisations, influence economic dynamics and spatial arrangements. Drawing on the theoretical framework of spatial figures, we conceptualise border memories as socio-spatial phenomena that shape and are shaped by economic activities. The study focuses on the spatial figure of place as a key logic through which border memories are embedded in socio-economic practices. In Guben/Gubin, industrial production plays a central role in shaping cross-border interactions, while in Rheinfelden/Rheinfelden, the energy sector underscores economic interdependence. These twin towns illustrate how border memories inform place identities and, in turn, establish the conditions for cross-border economic relations. Memory frames, memory practices, and memory materialities serve as crucial elements in this dynamic process, linking the past with contemporary economic interactions. Through a comparative analysis of these case studies, the paper highlights both the differences and commonalities in how border memories influence economic relationships and spatial refiguration. By identifying the socio-spatial processes that underpin remembering and forgetting in these contexts, the study provides transferable insights into the role of memory in shaping economic border regions.