The Border, a Mirror of Conceptions of State in the Early Modern Period

A border denotes much more than a simple linear line on a geographic map. This line is a territorial limit invested with political and sovereign powers. The border has known several incarnations over the centuries: the present geometric lines leave their mark on minds to such an extent (from the Blue line of the Vosges to the bamboo curtain, to the Israeli wall currently under construction) that other expressions have become inconceivable. They are contemporary expressions of notions originating in Antiquity (the limes, Hadrian's Wall) and gained renewed popularity during the Early Modem Times (the pre cane, "natural" frontiers) with the resurgence of the state. Special attention will be given to the terms of the various expressions of the separation between political entities: zone, condominium, territorial enclaves and personal dependencies. Subsequently, the concept of borders will be observed in the light of those of state and nation, as will its relationship (cause or consequence) with the latter, together with the ensuing drifts.