---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2000 12:35:31 +0200
From: Barry Smith <phismith@...>
To: David Mark <dmark@...>
Subject: Germany and Luxemburg overlap

Borders between states usually run down the middle of water bodies. A
special case is the German-Luxemburg border in the rivers Sauer and Our.
The bed and banks stand in a condominium of the two states. This means
that both states have sovereignty over the whole river.

Unclarity reigns in relation to Lake Constance. While Lake Ueberling
belongs completely to Germany, the course of the border in the rest of
Lake Constance is unclear. While Switzerland holds the view that the
border runs through the middle of the Lake, Austria is of the opinion
that the lake stands in condominium of all the states on its banks. German
holds no unambiguous opinion. Legal questions pertaining to ship
transport and fishing are regulated in separate treaties.

Here too disputes arise. One concerns a boat house which was moored in
two states, another concerns the rights to fish in the Bay of Bregenz. In
relation to the latter an Austrian family was of the opinion that it
alone had the right to fish in broad portions of the bay. This however
was accepted neither by the Austrian courts not by the organs and courts
of the other states.

Translated by Barry Smith from
http://www.mms-spiess.ch/Inhalt.htm

Reference: Grenzen erkennen - Grenzen setzen? Vorträäge im Sommersemester
1994. Heidelberger Verlagsanstalt, 1995

_______________________________________
http://wings.buffalo.edu/philosophy/faculty/smith
Seminar Philosophie, Universität Koblenz, Rheinau
56075 Koblenz, Germany. Tel./Fax 0261 9119140