Konstanz-Kreuzlingen

Countries: Germany , Switzerland
Regions concerned: Canton of Thurgau (Switzerland), State of Baden-Württemberg (Germany)

Presentation

The cross-border conurbation of Konstanz (85,524 inhabitants) and Kreuzlingen (28,732 inhabitants) is situated on the shores of Lake Constance. The two neighbouring towns are separated by a border that runs alongside a little stream (Grenzbach) as well as the site of “Little Venice” (Kleine Venedig). Encircled by the Rhine and Lake Constance, Little Venice stretches over the Swiss and German territories. It is within this cross-border area that a new border installation was inaugurated, replacing the traditional iron and concrete markers with an “artistic border” (Kunstgrenze).

Cross-border cooperation

Since its inauguration on 16 August 2006, 22 sculptures have been arranged in a line where previously there was wire mesh. Johannes Dörflinger, an artist from Konstanz, carried out this project in the form of tarot cards reaching 8 metres in height. The new “Kunstgrenze” is a strong symbol that extends the rapprochement between the two towns.

Since Switzerland’s entry into the Schengen Area, border movements have been made easier. The town of Kreuzlingen now welcomes a large number of cross-border workers. Nearly half of the inhabitants of Kreuzlingen are of foreign origin, and around 20% of Kreuzlingen’s inhabitants are German citizens.

German-Swiss cooperation has been developing progressively since the end of the Second World War. As the German mayor of Konstanz and his Swiss counterpart in Kreuzlingen both highlight, “both towns are committed to preserving their uniqueness, but this does not mean renouncing a joint working dynamic.”

Different levels of cooperation, in varied fields, from culture, education and training, transport and urban planning, to the management of wastewater and protection of the lake tangibly demonstrate this collaboration.
Joint sporting initiatives, such as the merging of the two ice hockey teams into a single entity, “EHC Kreuzlingen-Konstanz”, also encourage intercultural encounters within the cross-border conurbation.

With regard to cooperation on a larger scale, the conurbation is a member of the International Lake Constance Conference (Internationale Bodenseekonferenz) as they form part of the Canton of Thurgau (CH) and the Land of Baden-Württemberg (DE).