Internal Migration in Historical and International Contexts

Abstract This chapter traces the political and economic landscapes that shaped internal migration and associated politics in three “coming-together” federations: the German Empire, the United States during the 20th century, and the European Union. It demonstrates that despite distinct temporal and political contexts, these cases reveal striking structural parallels in their regional economic disparities and decentralized governance. The chapter examines how legal frameworks governing free movement evolved alongside uneven economic development, and how these factors shaped migration flows. In all cases, federal citizenship and free movement were closely connected. However, poor citizens faced disadvantages regarding their social rights which implied de facto limitations of their freedom to migrate internally.