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The castle in Frydlant, the Czech Republic, believed to have been the inspiration for Franz Kafka's novel (Photo: Florin Draghici)

Europe's empty fortress

The first ideal image of a society was a fortress.

The Babylonian story of Gilgamesh praises cities for their sturdy walls. The Old Testament idealises societies with walls of bronze.

Paradise on the inside, walls on the outside, and a failed cosmos around: the appeal of isolationism has been present across the world and throughout history.

It particularly characterises societies on the decline. But here is another lesson from history: walls and isolationism do not work, ...

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Jonathan Holslag is a professor of international politics at the Free University of Brussels and author of Peace and War.

The castle in Frydlant, the Czech Republic, believed to have been the inspiration for Franz Kafka's novel (Photo: Florin Draghici)

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Author Bio

Jonathan Holslag is a professor of international politics at the Free University of Brussels and author of Peace and War.

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