Introduction: The rescuing sovereign at sea

This forum explores how maritime rescue has historically been bound up with questions of sovereignty. The contributions approach both concepts as constituted by concrete practice, normative order and cultural symbolism, tracing how efforts to save lives at sea became intertwined with law, morality and political authority. It is argued that maritime spaces have long served as laboratories for the articulation of sovereign power, while lifesaving practices simultaneously challenged and reinforced state legitimacy. Covering a wide chronological, geographical and thematic span – from nineteenth-century lifeboat organizations to imperial infrastructures, international arrangements and present-day border regimes – the articles situate the history of maritime rescue within broader debates on sovereignty, humanitarianism and normative orders.