It could have been different. The cultural and creative sector in transformation from the perspective of arts professionals in the Sorbian ethnic minority

Abstract

ABSTRACT The political system change in Germany in 1989/90 also led to fundamental changes in the cultural and creative sector. As a result of the shift from a planned to a free market economy, the number of freelance cultural workers increased significantly. This article discusses how the transformation of the cultural and creative sector affected the ethnic minority of the Sorbs in Germany. The particular challenge here is how the actors balance their everyday life and participation in cultural practices on the one hand, and a commodification of what is considered cultural heritage on the other. Using the example of the freelance Sorbian composer Juro Mětšk (*1954 † 2022), the project explores the questions of what effects the all-encompassing social changes had on the activities and products of cultural workers, when and why they decided to work freelance and to what extent being Sorbian became a determinant for their work. In addition to Juro Mětšk’s written testimonies, this paper is also based on the analysis of a detailed interview on this topic conducted by the author in 2021.