The Alps have been worthy of protection since the end of the 19th century. Nature conservationists from the cities in the "flatlands" tried to preserve the flora and fauna as well as the landscape in the Alps - until the 1980s, young activists from the Alpine regions themselves began to monitor economic developments in the Alpine region against the background of the " Limits to Growth ". They demanded self-determination about their living and economic space, including its natural beauty and cultural independence. Their debates were in the context of the discussions about the role of the Alps as a "natural space" in Europe and were closely linked to the process of European integration. The Alps quickly became a European political issue. This book embeds this politicization (s), their actors, the transnational networks and discourses in their history.