FESTUNG EHRENBREITSTEIN, KOBLENZ
JANUARY 30 – MARCH 30, 2025
FESTUNG EHRENBREITSTEIN, KOBLENZ
JANUARY 30 – MARCH 30, 2025
German with a big stick
Prussia pursued a strict policy of Germanisation towards the autochthonous language groups within its borders in the late 19th century. The Upper and Lower Sorbians were no exception. The key venues for this forced linguistic Germanisation, along with churches, were schools. In his 1886 “Statistik der Lausitzer Sorben” (“Statistics of the Lusatian Sorbs”), the Sorbian ethnologist Arnošt Muka describes many cases of German-speaking teachers standing in front of entirely Sorbian/Wendish school classes, ignoring their native language and punishing its use. Many Sorbs/Wends yielded to the pressure and switched languages. Meanwhile, the rapid industrialisation of Lower Lusatia that began in the late 19th century made Lower Sorbian speakers a minority within a few generations. In many places, this process has led to the disappearance of Lower Sorbian as an everyday language.
Follow this link to the complete 1886 text of Muka’s “Statistik”:
https://www.sorabicon.de/statistik-der-sorben/statistiken/
MINORITY SECRETARIAT OF THE FOUR
AUTOCHTHONOUS MINORITIES AND ETHNIC GROUPS GERMANY
VISITOR ADDRESS:
Englische Straße 30 | 10587 Berlin
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Minderheitensekretariat der vier autochthonen nationalen Minderheiten
und Volksgruppen Deutschlands
Bundeshaus
c/o Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat
Alt-Moabit 140 | 10557 Berlin
MAIL AND PHONE:
wanderausstellung@minderheitensekretariat.de
info@minderheitensekretariat.de
Tel.: +49 (0)30 18681 14623
www.minderheitensekretariat.de
www.facebook.com/minderheitensekretariat.de
The Minorities Secretariat is the liaison office of the associations of the national minorities with the federal bodies.
It is funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.
THE EXHIBITION IS A PROJECT OF THE MINORITIES COUNCIL OF THE FOUR AUTOCHTHONOUS NATIONAL MINORITIES AND ETHNIC GROUPS GERMANY AND THE FEDERAL COUNCIL FOR NEDDERDÜÜTSCH.
PROJECT REALISATION:
Minority secretariat of the four
autochthonous minorities and ethnic groups Germany
www.minderheitensekretariat.de
PROJECT LEAD:
Judit Šołćina/Judith Scholze
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
Johanna Panse, Veronika Bjarsch
CURATION:
Dr. Robert Lorenc
EXHIBITION DESIGN:
buerojolas | Tim Jolas | www.buerojolas.de
IN COLLABORATION WITH:
Johanna Hoffmann, Isabel Latza, Ronny Licht | Berlin/Leipzig
EXHIBITON BUILDING:
rotes pferd | Eckelmann + Nolze GmbH Berlin | www.rotes-pferd.de
MEDIA DEVELOPMENT:
chairlines | www.chairlines.de
ostwärts-film | www.reinernagel.com
Stefan Damnig | www.stefan-damnig.de
WEBDESIGN & PROGRAMMING:
STARKAD | www.starkad.de
ADVISORY INSTITUTIONS:
Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma | www.dokuzentrum.sintiundroma.de
Niederdeutschsekretariat Hamburg | www.niederdeutschsekretariat.de
Nordfriisk Instituut Bräist/Bredstedt | www.nordfriiskinstituut.eu
Ostfriesische Landschaft, Plattdüütskbüro Auerk/Aurich | www.ostfriesischelandschaft.de
Seelter Buund Seelterlound/Saterland | www.saterland.de
Serbski muzej/Sorbisches Museum Budyšin/Bautzen | www.sorbisches-museum.de
Städtische Sammlungen, Serbski muzej/Wendisches/Museum Chóśebuz/Cottbus | www.wendisches-museum.de
Sydslesvigsk Forening Flensborg/Flensburg | www.syfo.de