In this Vienna Coffee House Conversations episode, Ivan Vejvoda interviews Gerald Knaus about the origins, achievements, and current challenges of Europe’s border-free Schengen zone. Knaus recounts how the European Coal and Steel Community, the Treaty of Rome and the Schengen Agreement built a single market underpinned by mutual trust and shared law enforcement. He then assesses the strain placed on Schengen by the Syrian and Ukrainian refugee movements, and explains the collapse of the Dublin system under free movement. Turning to solutions, Knaus advocates centrist, humane control via safe-third-country agreements, expanded resettlement and labour migration in a Canadian/Australian model, and credible European deterrence independent of U.S. guarantees. He closes by arguing for clear, merit-based EU enlargement and better storytelling to engage younger Europeans on peace, security, and the climate.