Kooperation und Konfrontation: Der Grenzstreit in der habsburgisch-serbischen Kontaktzone Drina-Becken, 1878-1914.

The article focuses on the Podrinje region -- the basin surrounding the middle and lower course of the Drina River -- as a contact zone between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in the period between the Berlin Congress of 1878 and the outbreak of the First World War. In particular, the author examines the decades-long dispute about the exact demarcation of the boundary in the Drina River. To this end, the article demonstrates the links between the dynamic bilateral relationship, the ever-changing natural space and the diplomatic progress and setbacks regarding the border dispute. At the same time, it points to the important role played by the exchange of knowledge and the potential for conflict in this contact zone, thereby indicating how Podrinje region can be characterized as a space of both contact and confrontation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]