Sorbian - A Minority Language in Germany

Who would ever have thought that playing the bagpipes is a common pastime in some parts of Germany? As a matter of fact, this typically Scottish instrument is nothing uncommon in the eastern part of the country.

This is where the Sorbs live, an ethnic minority of a few thousand people with an ancient tradition and a language of their own. Bagpipes are an integral part of the Sorb culture and for Sorb children, the instruments are just as much a thing of daily life as Gameboys, skateboards.

Decorating eggs with colorful designs is yet another typical Sorb tradition, which is very much alive. Many young Sorbs are proud of their heritage and do their part to keep their people's traditions alive -- in spite of modern-day distractions.

Cultural Heritage

The Sorbs make their home in the Brandenburg-Saxony region, not far from the German capital Berlin. Around 60, 000 Sorbs live here today.

The history of the Sorb people can be traced back to the year 600, when Slavic tribes invaded the area between the Elbe river and the Oder river further to the east. By 1264, the Sorbs made up more than 90 percent of the population in this region.

Egg-painting

Over the centuries, the Sorbs developed their own customs and cultivated their own traditions such as egg-painting. Decorating eggs with colorful designs is still very much alive today, and at Easter time many of the markets in Germany offer the eggs for sale.

Sorbian Language

At the beginning of the last century, Sorbian was still the most-widely heard language in many areas of Brandenburg and Saxony.

But that changed during the years of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany. The Nazis strictly forbid the Sorbs to use their language. Sorbian clubs, books, dancing and even church services held in the language were banned; Sorb teachers were expelled from the region and Sorb anti-fascists were murdered or sent to concentration camps.

In those years, it took great courage for the Sorbs to try and keep their traditions alive.

On May 10, 1945, only a few days after the end of the Second World War, those Sorbs who had remained in the region and survived the Nazi terror founded the first Sorb organization after the war: "Domowina".

Sorbian Culture Today

Today, the older Sorbs, who lived through the years of the Nazi dictatorship, consider their language more than just a means of communication -- they define their cultural identity through the language. They have made many efforts to keep their culture - especially the language - alive.

In 1952 the University of Leipzig founded the first Institute for Sorb culture, or "Sorabistik".

Various schools, such as the Niedersorbish Grammar School in Cottbus, now even offer bilingual Sorb-German classes. Here, Sorbian is compulsory from the age of 12 onwards, much as math and science. Consequently, the majority of the 400 pupils at this school speak the language of their ancestors fluently.

An Endangered Language

Despite attempts to save the language and teach it even in primary education at German-Sorb kindergartens, the existence of the Sorb language is seriously threatened.

For many teenagers, Computers, Gameboys, the internet - and therefore English, are more trendy and simply more useful than Sorbian.

Some Sorb children are hardly able to say hello or goodbye in the language of their ancestors. And at the local discos, the village youths find it easier to chat with their dates in German than in Sorbian.

Sorb Cultural Revival

However, not all hope is lost: In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the Sorb cultural heritage in Germany.

Especially the dancing ensembles and the Sorb's colorful traditional costumes are experiencing increased public attention.

And this new awareness of the Sorb way of life also generates interest in learning the Sorb language. Last year, a theater production in Bautzen in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt held in Sorbian, received a surprisingly huge response from the general public.