The construction of linguistic borders and the linguistic construction of borders
Contrary to an important explanatory principle of traditional dialectology, according to which (political) borders impede communication and thereby lead to the emergence of linguistic differences, I will argue that putative or factual linguistic differences are used for the social construction of (political) borders, and that existing (political) borders are symbolically reinforced by attracting linguistic differences. I will draw on various empirical sources, from ethnodialectological representations of dialect borders in Germany over studies on dialect change at the borders between Germany and neighbouring states (Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria) to studies on the border between the GDR and the FRG and its ideological implications.