Beschreibung:
Economic modernisation and structural changes, the dominance of German-speaking communication in almost all areas of life and declining demographic development have caused the bilingual region in Upper Lusatia (in the east of Saxony) and Lower Lusatia (in the south-east of Brandenburg) to shrink since 1990. At the turn of the millennium, there were hardly any more than 40,000 Upper and 20 000 Lower Sorbs (called ”Serbja” or ”Serby” in Sorb and also called “Wends” in German). Their ancestors, the ”Surbi” who were mentioned in 631 for the first time in the chronicle of Fredegar, once farmed a territory ten times greater (approximately 40,000 km2 between the Elbe and Saale Rivers in the west and the Oder, Bober and Queis Rivers in the east). At the end of the Great Invasions they made their way from their original home north of the Carpathian Mountains along the northern edge of the low mountain range or the Moravian gate to the Elbe and Saale Rivers. Since the Elbe River Slavs had not formed their own state, they were always integrated into the German community from the Holy Roman Empire to the Federal Republic of Germany. The Roman Catholic enclave north-west of the city of Bautzen that was able to stand out for a long time is now looked upon as the core Sorb area. In 1904, the Sorbs consecrated their ”Wendish House” in Bautzen and in 1912 they set up their umbrella organisation for their associations, the Domowina, in Hoyerswerda. When the Third Reich collapsed, most Sorbs felt they had been liberated. The German Democratic Republic considerably promoted the Sorb language and culture materially in the 40 years of its existence. The legal position of the Sorbs was exemplary in comparison to other countries. However, the Sorbs were not able to participate in important government decisions, just like all East Germans. All Sorb institutions created in the first 20 years after the end of the war continue to exist now and they are borne by the Foundation for the Sorb People since 1992, whose budget was formed on a pro rata basis by the federal government (3/6), Saxony (2/6) and Brandenburg (1/6). The Sorbs traditionally identify themselves strongly with their institutions concentrated in Bautzen and some in Cottbus since they do not have any governmental structures. A protocol note (number 14 on Article 35) in the reunification treaty of 1990 ensured that the Sorbs would be able to preserve their national identity, and it reinforced their freedom of language and culture. Saxony and Brandenburg guarantee the Sorbs or Wends key rights in their constitutions and in special ”Sorb laws” from the 90's. However, in the final analysis, it is up to the members of the Sorb national group to what extent they take advantage of the opportunities offered them for maintaining and developing their language and culture today and in the future.