Frankfurt (Oder)–Słubice
Overview
General context and history
The town of Frankfurt first developed on the western bank of the Oder; later the town was extended over to the eastern bank and the suburb of Dammvorstadt. After the Second World War, the new German-Polish border ran along the Oder, separating the eastern suburb, renamed Słubice, from the rest of Frankfurt. During the communist era, relations between the two towns were very weak, mainly because they were inhabited largely by refugees displaced following Germany and Poland’s loss of their respective eastern territories. Nevertheless, in the mid-1960s, a slight opening of borders allowed some factories in Frankfurt (Oder) to employ around 800 Polish workers from the border region. After 1971, the abolition of visas between Poland and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) allowed the development of the territory on a cross-border scale. In 1981, the GDR unilaterally closed the border; it remained hermetically sealed until the reunification of Germany in 1990.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the situation was not very favourable (notably because of a lack of communication and of knowledge of the neighbouring language and culture) and Polish citizens had to obtain a visa in order to cross the border, now transformed into an external border of the European Union. The two towns suffered from a bad image because of the poor economic situation, especially on the German side where many industries went bankrupt.
Between 1988 and 2008, the population of Frankfurt fell by around 26,000. In parallel, on the Polish side, the population slightly rose, as Słubice benefited from its position on the border. A number of small businesses, markets and petrol stations established themselves there in order to attract German consumers, Słubice thus developing a form of dependence in relation to the German side of the border. Local cross-border flows and the first actions of cooperation began to appear in the 1990s. Situated on the important road-link between Berlin and Warsaw, which sees high volumes of international transit traffic, both towns decided to build new bypasses and bridges in order to improve traffic flow in the conurbation.
Frankfurt and Słubice have made every effort to change their image and to exploit their strategic situation. With regard to the economy, the towns have set up a joint-venture in Frankfurt and a special economic zone in Słubice to attract more international investment. Several microelectronics and technology firms have settled in the area and Frankfurt is now considered a hub for science and research, particularly in the sector of solar energy. Frankfurt also renewed its cultural offering with the creation of a number new facilities (a conference venue, a concert hall, museums) and events organised for the most part in partnership with Słubice. Finally, one of the most significant realisations was the creation in 1991 of the European University Viadrina, on both sides of the Oder. This cross-border facility welcomes around 5000 students every year (53% German and 22% Polish).
Today, Frankfurt and Słubice have overcome some of their difficulties and seem to be better integrated. Poland’s accession to the European Union (2004) and entry into the Schengen area (2007) have been decisive in the constitution of this cross-border conurbation.
