In the aftermath of the two World Wars, which inflicted profound trauma and disruptions in the communities along the French and German border, impacting economic, political, institutional, and civilian spheres, stakeholders within these border regions gradually began to rebuild their war-torn areas. They sought not only to foster economic cooperation vital for the survival of border spaces dependent on the industrial sector, but also to develop opportunities for rapprochement and reconciliation at the civilian level. Throughout these past decades of post-war European institution building, more or less formalised and institutionalised structures of cross-border cooperation have emerged at the local, regional, and national levels.