LL-L: "Low Saxon" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 30.JUL.1999 (05)

Fri Jul 30 20:17:31 UTC 1999

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Low Saxon

PRESS SERVICE OF THE INSTITUTE FOR LOW GERMAN LANGUAGE, BREMEN
PRESSE INS (INSTITUT FÜR NIEDERDEUTSCHE SPRACHE), BREMEN
http://www.hprg.de/ins-presse/index.htm

DIGEST OF GERMAN NEWS RELEASES, JULY 1999
English digest with annotation prepared by R. F. Hahn

****************************************************************************
LOW SAXON BACK IN SCHAUMBURG SCHOOLS

Lower Saxony's Schoomborch/Schaumburg has introduced Low Saxon (Low German) in
elementary-level education. This latest educational effort has been praised by
the state government and has been lauded as exemplary by the Lower Saxon
Homeland Federation. It endeavors to heighten awareness, interest and
appreciation among local students most of whose parents had been alienated from
their ancestral language to be raised to use (High) German as their first
language. Jürgen Blaume, the project initiator, does not hold out hope that the
effort will turn local children into highly competent Low Saxon speakers. The
aim is to teach comprehension and use of elementary Low Saxon vocabulary and
expressions.

As in numerous other North German regions, Low Saxon has been retreating under
pressure from German in the southern areas of the state of Lower Saxony
(Neddersassen/Niedersachsen). In many communities of Schoomborch/Schaumburg, the
region between the towns Bückeborch/Bückeburg and Stadthoaren/Stadthagen, the
language is extinct or is close to extinction. Few would disagree that this, in
conjunction with pervasive and persistent prejudices, makes a come-back of the
original language of the land virtually impossible. Despite this, Blaume was
able to drum up sufficient support for his educational project. As part of
German instruction, Low Saxon is being introduced to 10 and 11 year old children
with the help of Karl Damke's textbook _Sau einfach is Platt_ ("That's how easy
Low Saxon is") using the dialect of Stadthoaren. The parent association welcomed
the effort, and the regional administration is providing a selection of relevant
reading material. A no-grade policy helps to reduce performance anxiety among
the students.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Schaumburger Landschaft, Bückeburg, Tel. (05722) 9 56 60.

**********
MUCH TO-DO ABOUT SPELLING

Spelling problems threatened to thwart an effort to give a Low Saxon (Low
German) name to a kindergarten in Lower Saxony's Syke. Being situated in a part
of town in which many streets have Low Saxon names, children, their educators
and their parents intended to name the facility "Lütte Lüd" ("Little Folks").
The town council was not so quick to grant permission. It insisted on "correct
spelling" of this name in a language that has several recommended spelling
systems but hitherto no officially recognized one. Bureaucrats researched,
inquired and surveyed. At long last official approval was granted for the
spelling "Lütte Lüüd." A naming ceremony will take place in September. Regine
Lindenschmidt, the kindergarten director, insists that this choice of name is
not just some gimmick but is symbolic for the facility's ongoing effort to
introduce local language and culture to the children, many of whom are not
ethnically German.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Stadtdirektor Rudolf Frenken, Syke, Tel. (04242) 1 64 31.

**********
LITERARY COMPETITION

Stavenhagen - also known as "Reuterstadt Stavenhagen" after the famous local
writer Fritz Reuter (1810-1874) - together with the Fritz Reuter Literature
Museum is sponsoring a Low Saxon (Low German) literature competition.
Stavenhagen is situated in the state of Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania
(Mäkelnborg-Vörpommern/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), formerly part of East Germany.
The winner will receive the prestigious Fritz Reuter Award in the amount of DM
2,000 (Euro 1,022.58, US $ 1,093). Submissions may be poetry or prose in Low
Saxon or works about Low Saxon writers. August 30 is the submission deadline,
and the award ceremony will be on November 7. Submissions are to be sent to the
Fritz-Reuter-Literaturmuseum in Stavenhagen.

FURTHER INFORMATION: The Mayor of Stavenhagen, Bernd Mahnke, Tel. (039954) 2 11
94, and Cornelia Nenz, Director, Fritz-Reuter-Literaturmuseums, Tel. (039954) 2
10 72 [Markt 1, D-17153 Stavenhagen, Germany, Fax: (039954) 2 20 55].

**********
NEW THEATER GUIDE FOR OLDENBURG REGION

A second edition of the _Theaterführer für das Oldenburger Land_ ("Theater Guide
for the Region of Ollenborg/Oldenburg") has been published recently. It contains
information about 104 groups and initiatives -- associations, independent
theaters, community theaters, and state-funded theaters. More than half of these
are Low Saxon (Low German) language theater groups.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Oldenburgische Landschaft, Tel. (0441) 7 50 31.

**********
FREUDENTHAL EVENTS

On September 25, the Library Waldmühle in Salta/Soltau, Lower Saxony, will be
the venue of the first annual meeting of the Freudenthal-Gesellschaft
(Freudenthal Association) in eleven years. At the same time, the association
will be awarding this year's DM 5,000 (Euro 2,556, US $ 2732) Freudenthal Prize
for Low Saxon (Low German) literature (this year with the topic "Man, Nature,
Technology" ["Expo 2000 – Mensch, Literatur, Technik" being an error in the
German original -- RFH]. Following the Freudenthal Day will be the forum
"Plattdüütsch in de Kark" ("Low German in the Church") in Salta/Soltau, which
includes a series of poet's readings, also to take place in Salta/Soltau,
September 27-29.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Pastor Dr. Heinrich Kröger, Soltau, Tel. (05191) 8 22 05.

**********
MORE LOW SAXON BY DECREE

"Meer Platdüütsch in use Städer un Gemeenden" ("More Low German in Our Towns and
Communities") is the title of a conference to take place this October in Western
Lower Saxony's region of Ollenborg/Oldenburg. Participants will be representing
57 regional cities, towns and communities. It is being prepared and hosted by
"Akschoon Platdüütsch höört daarbi!" ("Initiative 'Low German must be part of
it!'"), a group that lobbies for equal status of Low Saxon (Low German) next to
German in administrative matters. Discussion topics will include legal
repercussions of the European Language Charter in the logal administrative
level.  Also included will be announcements about the "platdüütsche Leerdaage"
("Low German Study Days") to be hosted at the Oldenburg Research Institute.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Uwe Joachim Moritz, Hatten-Sandhatten, Tel. (04482) 9 72
25.

**********
MORE LOW SAXON IN MAGAZINE

By increasing its Low Saxon (Low German) contents the magazine _Mecklenburg_
hopes to increase the number of its readers. The magazine is published by the
"Förderkreis heimattreuer Mecklenburger" ("Association for the Advancement of
Faithful Mecklenburgers" [originally an association of exiles -- RFH] in Lower
Saxony's Ratzborg/Ratzeburg. Hartmut Brun, the editor, will give the magazine a
general overhaul and feels that inclusion of Low Saxon is important, especially
considering that in his opinion "Low Saxon is the true world language," "God's
pièce de résistance" ... ("He was just practicing when he was creating the other
two world languages: Hebrew and 'Hottentot' [= correctly 'Nama' -- RFH].")

FURTHER INFORMATION [and possible further gems of supposedly zany wit -- RFH]:
Hartmut Brun, Polz, Tel. (038758) 2 23 91.

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