section_path: History/European borders prior to Schengen
section_name: European borders prior to Schengen
paragraph_text: European borders prior to Schengen
  
  Before World War I, most countries of the world, including those in Europe, had lax border policies, facilitating such educational trips as the Grand Tour amongst the wealthy.
  
  Visas became commonplace during the interwar period, as did border controls. After World War II, however, customs unions arose between various European countries. The Nordic countries allowed free movement and residence between them in 1954, and the countries of Benelux opened their mutual borders in 1960. This reflected a greater trend towards European integration; the European Communities (EC), the predecessor of the EU, were established in the 1950s for economic cooperation, though they did not deal with border control issues.