LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 01.JUL.2001 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 01.JUL.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "Roger Thijs" <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 30.JUN.2001 (02)
[E/French/German]

> From: "Roger Thijs" <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
> Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 29.JUN.2001 (05) [E]
>
> Bundesverfassing der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft (vom 18 April
> 1999)
> Art. 70-2 Die Kantone bestimmen ihre Amtssprachen...
>
etc etc etc

In some countries power is transferred to regional bodies.
E.g. in Germany education is a matter of the Länder.

Does this mean, that is does not matter so much what treaties the
Bundesrepublik signs, but that it is rather up to the Senate of e.g.
Hamburg to decide wether or not primary education will be given in Low
Saxon rather than in German? Similarely whether or not senate
proceedings will be held in Low Saxon rather than in German?

If this is the case, it's just a matter of convincing the local
population to switch to the common local language in public life???

Regards,
Roger

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language politics

Dear Lowlanders,

Roger asked (above):

> In some countries power is transferred to regional bodies.
> E.g. in Germany education is a matter of the Länder.
>
> Does this mean, that is does not matter so much what treaties the
> Bundesrepublik signs, but that it is rather up to the Senate of e.g.
> Hamburg to decide wether or not primary education will be given in Low
> Saxon rather than in German? Similarely whether or not senate
> proceedings will be held in Low Saxon rather than in German?

Unless I am sorely mistaken or badly out of touch, you are supposing
correctly, Roger.  Education policies and budgets are indeed decided by the
individual German states (_Länder_), and I gather that agreements and
implementation regarding language policies are also state affairs, at least
the nitty-gritty stuff.  Each state has different language configurations
in addition to the official national language German; e.g., ...

Hamburg: Low Saxon (Low German), Romani (Romanes & Sinte)
Lower Saxony: Low Saxon (Low German), Sater (East) Frisian, Romani (Romanes
& Sinte)
Schleswig-Holstein: Low Saxon (Low German), North Frisian (several
varieties), Danish,
   Southern Jutish (_Sønderjysk_), Romani (Romanes & Sinte)
Brandenburg: Low Saxon (Low German), Lower Sorbian, Romani (Romanes &
Sinte)
Saxony: Upper Sorbian, Romani (Romanes & Sinte)

Which of these are officially recognized and supported and how exactly this
is implemented is a matter for the individual states to decide, as far as I
am aware.  Also, I gather that  within a given state there is room for
regional and municipal policy variation regading language policy.  This is
why you will hear about regional and municipal decisions regarding
bilingual signs and the like.

Since you seem to read German, I suggest you follow developments as they
are reported by the Institute für Niederdeutsche Sprache (Bremen) via INS
Presse (http://www.hprg.de/ins-presse/).  This is one of the few sources of
reports on administrative and bureaucratic wisdom and folly with regard to
Low Saxon and other "minor" languages of Germany.

Note: Of course, no matter how widely used they may be (e.g., Turkish with
millions of speakers), non-"autochtonous" languages do not even enter the
official picture, since the fundamental premise is that their speakers are
_Ausländer_ (foreigners) and are in Germany only temporarily (i.e., since
the 1960s), never mind that high percentages of them are German-born and
are German citizens since birth or by way of naturalization (often through
marriage with Germans).  But this is another thread.  (I suppose that
Romani and Sinte have been at long last officially recognized recently
because (1) they have been around for so long [since the 14th or 15th
century], and (2) most of their speakers are German citizens and (3) have
no "homeland" [the way Turks or even Kurds have].)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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