PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Migration in the early 19th century was governed not only by the state, but also by regional and local actors. The article discusses the migration of professionals to the German-Danish border region in the first half of the 19th century. Using a case study of a migrant teacher, I will analyze how state, regional, and local actors as well as migrants themselves negotiated belonging. I apply the sociological concept of belonging to historical processes, demonstrating that in the context of legal and political debates in the early and mid-19th century, the construction of belonging was shaped along different axes, such as local membership or professional affiliation. The article emphasizes the diversity of actors in the negotiation of belonging and analyzes one migrant's perspective on it.