Sprachwandel vom Sorbischen zum Deutschen in der Niederlausitz: eine Fallstudie

Abstract

The Lower Sorbian language is spoken by approximately 12,000 inhabitants of40 villages north ofthe city Cottbus (state of Brandenburg). Among the Speakers of Lower Sorbian a widespread shift from Lower Sorbian to German has takenplace. Thepresent study describes theprocess, the causes, and the results of this language shift as exemplified by one Lower Sorbian village. The beginning of National Socialist rule in Germany in 1933 and the following ban on the usage of the Sorbian language in schools caused the first generation of the informants to use German rather than Sorbian at home. The parents tried to protect their children from punishment in school. Within 20 years, this transition to German had takenplace in every family in the village. Several other nonlinguistic factors were fundamental in promoting the change to German. These included the Immigration ofnative German Speakers into the area, the collectivization of the agriculture, the influence of the German media, and employment outside the village. Today, only members ofthe first and second generations have an active knowledge of Lower Sorbian. None of the third generation speaks Sorbian on a daily basis. To some extent, the language is primarily used among neighbors and friends rather than within the family. The informants have varying attitudes toward Lower Sorbian. For the younger generation, the preservation of Sorbian traditions has become more important than learning the language. Thus, whereas the older generation enjoys both cultural and linguistic identity, the younger generation claims merely a cultural identity. Therefore, there are considerable difficulties associated with the preservation of Lower Sorbian as a spoken language. However, certain legal andfinancial conditions will guarantee a continued usage of Lower Sorbian as a written and institutional language.