BRIDGE AND/OR SPRINGBOARD: SOPRON/ÖDENBURG, THE HUNGARIAN BORDER TOWN'S ROLE IN INTERNAL MIGRATION AFTER 1989.

It is the main aim of this study to analyse the role of a Hungarian medium-sized town located by the Austrian border, Sopron/Ödenburg, in internal migration. The change of the political system after 1989 has had its impact not only on the social and economic development of the town, but also on perception of the town's geographical location. Located in the western periphery of the country, near to the Iron Curtain during the decades of Socialism, Sopron/Ödenburg found itself in a much more favourable position after 1989. This resulted in becoming one of the most attractive destinations of Hungarian internal migration. Later, other factors (Hungary's EU accession in 2004, the global economic crisis in 2008, abandoning of all labour-market restrictions 2011) have also contributed to this. Quantitative analysis of migrants based on statistical data is supplemented by the results of a survey conducted among newer and older residents of Sopron/Ödenburg that reveal information about their social background as well as temporal and spatial patterns of in-migration. The number of in-migrants grew especially after the global economic crisis, and the primary reason for in-migration was to get work in Sopron/Ödenburg or Austria. Survey results show, however, also relevant differences between earlier and later in-migrants to Sopron/Ödenburg. It seems that the town functions rather as a 'bridge', although its function of a 'springboard' is also important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]