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The dynamics of transnational railway governance in Europe during the long nineteenth century

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 18:40 authored by Johan Schot, Hans Buiter, Irene Anastasiadou
Despite fierce international rivalries and commercial competition among companies, regions, and states in Europe, a transnational community of managers and engineers was able to promote interoperability of railways across national frontiers in the long nineteenth century. If at first they collaborated informally and ad hoc, around 1850 their activities became institutionalized. The main aim of this article is to explore the origins, working method, and spatial reach of their newly established institutions, of which the Verein Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verwaltungen (Association of German Railway Companies) is the most important. We argue that through its method of technification (or de-politicization), the Verein became a key transnational player in promoting collaboration and interoperability across national frontiers. Together with other railway organizations, including their engineers, the Verein contributed to creating a European transnational space – one that was not fully controlled by national governments and that paved the way for new forms of infrastructural Europeanism.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

History and Technology

ISSN

0734-1512

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

3

Volume

27

Page range

265-289

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-10-14

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