Belgium, The Inner Border

The state of Belgium might turn out to be a mistake in history. The territory designed as a buffer state by the allied powers which defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 covered a linguistic border roughly dating from the Roman Empire.

Voices for less mutual dependency from each side of that border are being heard time and again. If there are indeed cultural differences between the French speaking and the Flemish speaking parts of Belgium, there is also an overlapping feeling which still makes a Belgian a Belgian. A border, implemented by politics, is an administrative concept which not necessarily corresponds to a reality.

Here is the border between the Flanders and Wallonia. It is hard to tell which side you are on.

The photographs are taken in an area not exceeding 200 meter from the actual borderline.