Sorbs/ Lusatians – a Slavic ethnic minority in Lausitz, Germany

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Here is some information about this bilingual Slavic minority in Germany. There are a few video links at the end to watch about their traditions, culture, history and presence.  

Sorbs (Upper Sorbian: Serbja, Lower Sorbian: Serby, German: Sorben), known also by their former autonyms Lusatians and Wends, are a West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting their homeland in Lusatia, a region divided between Germany (the states of Saxony and Brandenburg) and Poland (the provinces of Lower Silesia and Lubusz). According to Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos, Serbs from the Balkan peninsula have the same origins as Lusatians and Kashubians. He also claims that Serbs inhabited the areas between the rivers Elbe and Vistula, on the southern coast of the Baltic sea. They traditionally speak the Sorbian languages (also known as "Wendish" and "Lusatian"), closely related to the Polish, the Kashubian, the Czech and the Slovak. Sorbian is an officially recognized minority language in Germany. The Sorbs are linguistically and genetically closest to the Czechs and Poles. Due to a gradual and increasing assimilation between the 17th and 20th centuries, virtually all Sorbs also spoke German by the late 19th century and much of the recent generations no longer speak the language. The community is divided religiously between Roman Catholicism (the majority) and Lutheranism. The former Prime Minister of Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich, is a Sorb.

The ethnonym "Sorbs" (Serbja, Serby) derives from the medieval ethnic groups called Sorbs (Surbi, Sorabi). The original ethnonym, Srbi, was retained by the Sorbs and Serbs in the Balkans. By the 6th century, Slavs occupied the area west of the Oder formerly inhabited by Germanic peoples. The Sorbs are first mentioned in the 7th century.
In the 19th century the autonym of the Slavic population of Lusatia (the Sorbs) was "Lusatians". The name "Lusatia" was originally applied only to Lower Lusatia, which had been inhabited by Slavs known as Luzici, who may be regarded ancestors of the Lower Sorbs, while Upper Lusatia was inhabited by Slavs known as Milceni, the supposed ancestors of Upper Sorbs.
According to a genetic study published in May 2011, Sorbs show the greatest genetic similarity to Poles, followed by Czechs, consistent with their West Slavic language.They show subtle evidence of genetic isolation but less than Sardinians and French Basques.

Population

Estimates of demographic history of the Sorb population since 1500

Year	1500	1700	1750	1790	1860	1880	1900	1905	1945
Population	160,000	250,000	200,000	250,000	138,000	166,000	146,000	157,000	145,700

Sorbs are divided into two ethnographical groups:

• Upper Sorbs, who speak Upper Sorbian (about 45-60,000 people).
• Lower Sorbs, who speak Lower Sorbian (about 15-20,000 people).

The dialects spoken vary in intelligibility in different areas.

(Source: Wikipedia. Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbs)

The Sorbian languages

„The Sorbian languages (Upper Sorbian: Serbska rěč, Lower Sorbian: Serbska rěc) are two closely related, but only partially mutually intelligible, West Slavic languages spoken by the Sorbs, a West Slavic minority in the Lusatia region of eastern Germany. They are classified under the West Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages and are therefore closely related to the other two West Slavic subgroups: Lechitic and Czech–Slovak. Historically the languages have also been known as Wendish (named after the Wends, earliest Slavic people in modern Poland and Germany) or Lusatian.

There are two literary languages: Upper Sorbian (hornjoserbsce), spoken by about 40,000 people in Saxony, and Lower Sorbian (dolnoserbski) spoken by about 10,000 people in Brandenburg. The area where the two languages are spoken is known as Lusatia (Łužica in Upper Sorbian, Łužyca in Lower Sorbian, or Lausitz in German).

History

After the settlement of the formerly Germanic territories (the part largely corresponding to the former East Germany) by the Sorbs' Slavic ancestors in the 5th and 6th centuries, the Sorbian language (or its predecessors) had been in use in much of what was the southern half of East Germany for several centuries, and still had its stronghold in (Upper and Lower) Lusatia, where it enjoys national protection and fostering to the present day. Outside Lusatia, it has been superseded by German, following official discrimination from the 13th century on. The printed language developed around the main Bible translations into Sorbian.

Geographic distribution

In Germany, Upper and Lower Sorbian are officially recognized and protected as minority languages. In the home areas of the Sorbs, both languages are recognized as second official language next to German.  The city of Bautzen in Upper Lusatia is the centre of Upper Sorbian culture. Bilingual signs can be seen around the city, including the name of the city, "Bautzen/Budyšin". The city of Cottbus (Chóśebuz) is considered the cultural centre of Lower Sorbian; here too bilingual signs are found. Sorbian has also been spoken in the small Sorbian ("Wendish") settlement of Serbin in Lee County, Texas, and it is possible that a few speakers still remain there. Until recently newspapers were published in Sorbian there. The local dialect has been heavily influenced by surrounding speakers of German and English.

The German terms "Wend" (Wenden) and "Wendish" (Wendisch) once denoted "Slav(ic)" generally; they are today mostly replaced by "Sorb" (Sorben) and "Sorbian" (Sorbisch) with reference to Sorbian communities in Germany.“ (Source: Wikipedia)

 

 

Rjana Łužica | Rědna Łužyca | Anthem of Lusatian Sorbs

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLvBxKcUx1A

 "Rjana Łužica" (Lower Sorbian: Rědna Łužyca; lit. “Beautiful Lusatia”) is the Sorbian national anthem. It was written by poet Handrij Zejler. The lyrics were firstly published on August 24, 1827, in the Leipzig magazine Serbska Nowina. Its music was composed in the beginning of 1845 by Korla Awgust Kocor (German: Karl August Katzer). The anthem was publicly performed for the first time on October 17, 1845, in Budyšin/Bautzen (Upper Sorbian Budyšin, Lower Sorbian: Budyšyn), German Bautzen, formerly Budissin). (Source: Wikipedia)

Lyrics

Upper Sorbian	Lower Sorbian	English*
Rjana Łužica, sprawna, přećelna, mojich serbskich wótcow kraj, mojich zbóžnych sonow raj, swjate su mi twoje hona! Časo přichodny, zakćěj radostny! Ow, zo bychu z twojeho klina wušli mužojo, hódni wěčnoh wopomnjeća!	Rědna Łužyca, spšawna, pśijazna, mojich serbskich woścow kraj, mojich glucnych myslow raj, swěte su mě twoje strony. Cas ty pśichodny, zakwiś radostny! Och, gab muže stanuli, za swoj narod źěłali, godne nimjer wobspomnjeśa!	Lusatia, beautiful, Gracious, dutiful, Land of Sorbian forebears’ toil, Land of dreams, resplendent soil, Sacred are to me thy pastures. May thy future be Blooming joyously! Oh, may from thy womb appear People that the world holds dear, Worthy of eternal memory!

 Sorben und Serben (Serby/Serbja i Srbi/Срби) Sorbs and Serbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGjSOjzADlE

 

 Serbołużyczanie / Serbja / Serby (1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEFrk_yY3PM

Serbołużyczanie / Serbja / Serby (2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRL_Gx-Z18w

DOMOWINA SERBONIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHgvuirLdD4

Crostwitz * Sorben * Minderheiten * Domowina * Integration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNGSXvBGx2w&t=1556s

 Kulturvielfalt Sachsens. Sorbische Bräuche, Kunst und Traditionen. // Cultural diversity of Saxony. Sorbian customs, art and traditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu89ujM-f9M

SORBEN - Brauch des Feldsingens mit Waldarbeit und Hasenjagd in Rohne – LAUSITZ //SORBEN - Field singing with forest work and hare hunting in Rohne – LAUSITZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RejymMZjQ7c

Sorbisches Folkloreensemble Wudwor - Sorbische Suite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esw1iIgNl_U

Sorbische Sprache

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP09hNf2KLQ