Europe Discourses from the Frontier

Etymologically, ?frontier? can be related to ?in front of? - that which lies ahead, between the subject and his or her horizon. Therefore everywhere outside the Self, and as far as the individual world-version stretches, is the ?frontier?, which thus forms an essential part of Self-identification. Whereas territory is about spatial identity, and territorial space is defined, bounded by boundaries, the frontier can be seen as an indeterminate, open space. I have introduced the German term Fremde as translation of ?frontier? as a means of analysing the relationship between Self and the ?Other?. The frontier in this sense is outside one?s own personal space, but nevertheless located within a familiar horizon - otherwise it could not be recognised as such, and could not serve as a parameter of belonging (Ullrich Kockel, this volume)