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B-Shapes

ABI - Borders shaping perceptions of European societies

Borders Shaping Perceptions of European Societies (B-SHAPES) is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action analyzing and assessing how borders still are a key factor of how we understand societies.

In cooperation with Europeans living in border regions, we will examine the role of borders under three lenses:

Euroscepticism in border regions,
minorities in border regions, and
border landscapes as heritage.

The focus on border regions promises new insights on how borders shape perceptions of societies, but also how the story of borders can be narrated differently than from a purely national perspective.

B-SHAPES is a part of the European Union’s research program Horizon Europe and is coordinated by the Centre of Border Region Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).

For more information: https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/forskningsenheder/samf/b-shapes

Project duration: April 2023 - March 2026
Project status:
Funding:
Horizon Europe (EU funding / Project)
Website: https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/forskningsenheder/samf/b-shapes
Institute: Institute for Minority Rights

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Scientific Publications

Journal article2026

Europe in the Shadows: ambivalent border narratives in minority media in European borderlands

Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Opiłowska E, Klatt M, Balogh P, Bączkiewicz D

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

This article explores how minority news media report on borders and Europe during moments of perceived crisis across five European borderland contexts: in Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. Specifically, we investigate the role of key de- and re-bordering events, including the 2015 so-called ‘migration crisis’ and the COVID-19 pandemic, in shaping perceptions of borders and the European project. Recent re-bordering events have been seen to pose a threat to borderland communities, and national minorities, specifically. The empirical data are based on a thematic analysis of 1,705 news articles from six minority newspapers. Through the analysis, we develop an understanding of how national minority newspapers report on borders, and how Europe and the European Union (EU) are framed within reporting. The analysis uncovers how border narratives relate to the wider EU project, and reveals that open borders are of particular importance to borderland communities, who feel increasingly detached from state-level decision makers. Our findings point to a banal expression of Europeanism in borderland regions where we expected stronger connections with Europe and the EU. These findings lead us to hypothesize on the future of the European project and highlight the often-invisible perspective of national minorities in border and European studies.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1080/14782804.2025.2577142

Internet2026

Europe in the shadows: how minority media reveal the ambivalence of borders

Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Minority media in Europe’s borderlands tell an ambivalent story about borders: they are both barriers and bridges. Through the lens of six minority newspapers, this research shows how national minorities narrate moments of crisis, including the so-called “migration crisis” and the COVID-19 pandemic, and what these tell us about Europe. While the European Union appears as a background actor, local realities dominate minority news media. The result is a Europe that is lived every day but rarely narrated: a Europe in the shadows.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.57708/bbmighvg0t067wkfrqd7y5q

Report2025

Minority Youth and their perceptions of borders and the EU

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Balogh P, Bohm H, Gadimova-Akbulut N,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

This report examines how young adults from national minority communities in European border regions perceive borders, Europe, and the European Union (EU), drawing on research conducted within the B-SHAPES project. Through semi-structured interviews and zine-making workshops with participants aged 18–31 across five case studies—South Tyrol (Italy–Austria), Zaolzie/Těšín Silesia (Poland–Czechia), North and South Schleswig (Denmark–Germany), Southern Slovakia (Hungary–Slovakia), and Western Thrace (Greece–Bulgaria–Türkiye)—the study provides bottom-up insights into everyday experiences of borders and European integration. The findings reveal a marked divergence between minority media narratives, which often portray borders in politicized or securitized terms, and the more pragmatic, functional views expressed by young people. For most participants, borders are experienced as open, ordinary, and opportunity-enhancing, shaped by Schengen mobility and cross-border routines, though cultural and linguistic differences remain salient symbolic boundaries. Episodic disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, exposed the fragility of this openness and reinforced young people’s reliance on mobility. Perceptions of Europe and the EU were similarly pragmatic: youth valued concrete benefits—free movement, educational mobility, and regional funding—more than symbolic identification, contributing to a form of banal Europeanism. While some viewed the EU as a guarantor of minority protection, skepticism persisted regarding its consistency and effectiveness. Strong regional and minority identities often superseded national or European ones. Overall, the study shows that minority youth normalize European integration in daily life yet articulate limited emotional attachment to the EU, underscoring both the resilience and vulnerability of Europe’s borderlands and the importance of integrating youth perspectives into future European policy and narratives.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17600967

Report2024

Comparative report on border discourses in minority media

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Bączkiewicz D, Balogh P

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

The objective of this report is to investigate media narratives on perceptions of borders and how these relate to the wider European Union project, and current political processes in minority regions in Europe. Specifically, we seek to identify border narratives in a selection of minority language newspapers across a comparative case study of five European contexts, in Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. The aim is to investigate the possible role of key de- and re-bordering events, including the 2015 humanitarian crisis and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in shaping perceptions of borders and the European project in minority regions. We focus on recent re-bordering trends in Europe, as they are seen to present a threat to the process of European integration and are likely to alter perceptions of European heritage, including shared values, beliefs, and traditions. The analysis presented in the study unpacks the significance of border narratives during times of perceived crisis. We are also interested in how a vision of Europe is shared and expressed by media outlets in these specific regional minority contexts and consider what the findings of this report may signify for the future of the European project.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14526872

All Publications

Europe in the shadows: how minority media reveal the ambivalence of borders
Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J (2026)
Internet

More information: https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/midas/europe-in-the-shado ...

https://doi.org/10.57708/bbmighvg0t067wkfrqd7y5q

Europe in the Shadows: ambivalent border narratives in minority media in European borderlands
Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Opiłowska E, Klatt M, Balogh P, Bączkiewicz D (2026)
Informa UK Limited
Journal article
Journal of Contemporary European Studies

More information: https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2025.2577142

https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2025.2577142

B-SHAPES WP4 Dataset
Mitterhofer J, Engl A, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Bączkiewicz D, Balogh P, Böhm H (2026)
Other

More information: https://zenodo.org/records/18629295

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18629294

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University of Oulu

Brunel University - West London

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INSTYTUT EUROPEJSKIEJ SIECI PAMIEC I SOLIDARNOSC

TECHNICKA UNIVERZITA V LIBERCI

Syddansk Universitet

UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURG

EOTVOS LORAND TUDOMANYEGYETEM

HOGSKOLAN I HALMSTAD

Lungomare Società Cooperativa impresa sociale ETS

National History Museum Bulgaria

University of Wroclaw

ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT EUROPAISCHER GRENZREGIONEN

Project Team

Alice Engl

Project Manager

Johanna Mitterhofer

Vice Manager

Marcus James Nicolson

Team Member

Dictionary of (non) politically correct words

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Report2025

Minority Youth and their perceptions of borders and the EU

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Balogh P, Bohm H, Gadimova-Akbulut N,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

DOI Source

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17600967

B-Shapes