LL-L "History" 2002.05.16 (07) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 16.MAY.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Helge Tietz <helgetietz at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2002.05.13 (05) [E]

Leeve Fruennen,

As I consider myself a Sydslesviger I think I am to
say something about this issue. First of all I am
coming from an old Danish-minded family though Family
Lohse was based just south of Rendsborg, but through
Generations (and not overnight) our conclusion was
always "waerd wi man bi daenmark bleeven", moreover,
it is not possible to make a clear cut in the area
between Rendsborg and Kolding and even south of it,
many local families along the Ossenwegh/Oksevej have
ancestors from Northern Jutland through trade along
this old trading road leading from Skagen to Altona.
The biggest mistake was to divide an area which was
very diverse in itself, considering that the Frisians
had their own language and culture on the North Sea
coast as well. Until the beginning of the 19th century
people felt themselves as Slesviger if they cared
about any regional identity at all because their daily
live was a struggle to survive on the country side,
many subsequently left for North America. Only in the
middle of the 19th century was it forced upon the
population to make a decision whether they would
prefer to live in a future German state or remain
under the Danish Crown, most people prefered an
autonomous Slesvig Dutchy as a part of the German
empire, and with the lack of support from the other
Scandinavian countries for the Danish case Prussia
invaded with the excuse to "liberate" the Slesvigers
from the Danish yoke but subsequently annected it and
Slesvig had less autonomy than under the Danish Crown.
But then it was too late, grudgingly the Slesvigers
put up with that. Even then the people had
difficulties to consider themselves as German,
reflected as well in the "Quickborn" of Klaas Groth in
the poem "Hanne ut Frankriek". There he writes "...wat
eer Familie weer, dat kreegen wi nuems to weeten:
Mumme weer froeher op Scholen un broch eer mit ut
Duetschland", obviously Groth considered Germany as
something apart from his native Dithmarschen. Fact is
that the current state of Slesvig-Holsten is still a
lot more than just Germany on the border to Denmark,
but one needs to have a closer look, check the
introduction page of the "Nahverkehrgesellschaft
Schleswig-Holstein", it is impressively written in
five languages, four of them are the officially
recognized German, Low Saxon, Frisian and Danish, the
other is English, the link is:
http://www.lvs-sh.de/0_frames/frame_lvs.htm.
As Lone worte, it is time to call it a day.

Groeten ut Baarlo bi Rendsborg vun

Helge

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

Helge:

> ... "waerd wi man bi daenmark bleeven"

There are or used to be quite a few people who think/thought that way.
I am sure that this, like most things, has its advantages and
disadvantages.  As I said, I'm a bit of a Danophile (Danophiliac?)
myself, but I keep wondering why minority languages in that country keep
disappearing, and I ask myself if we would still be able to speak, read
and write our ancestral language had the whims of history caused you and
me and our parents to be born Danish citizens.

Apparently, both North Frisian and Low Saxon (Low German) used to be
used in what is now the south of Southern Jutland, Denmark.  Now those
two languages are almost or totally extinct there, and the language
borders pretty much coincide with today's political border.  The
"German" minority community in Denmark uses only "High" German, if
that.  I guess it has something to do with this "German" thing that was
rammed down our ancestors' throats, beginning with the Saxon's
"liberation" by the likes of Charles the "Great" (Charlesmagne).  Add to
that the traditionally low prestige of "Low German" since the demise of
the Hanseatic Trading League, and you can't blame the Danish government
in conjunction with "German" minority organizations for having
legislated use of "High" German as the official minority language.  But
I guess it was the death-knell for Low Saxon in Denmark. Persevering
under both German *and* Danish obviously is too difficult.  Too bad,
though, because Low Saxon and Southern Jutish used to coexist quite
happily before the two official "bullies" came along and, like
everywhere in Europe, ethnic and linguistic policies got "streamlined,"
i.e., simplified.  (Why have five languages when you can have only two?)

Then again, perhaps it could be argued that the disappearance of these
languages and ethnic distinctions has something to do with Denmark's
small size, relative wealth and, at least in the more recent past,
political wisdom (= gentleness), all of which foster national patriotism
and thus perhaps take away the incentives for minorities to remain
separate from the mainstream of the country.

> introduction page of the "Nahverkehrgesellschaft
> Schleswig-Holstein", it is impressively written in
> five languages, four of them are the officially
> recognized German, Low Saxon, Frisian and Danish, the
> other is English, the link is:
> http://www.lvs-sh.de/0_frames/frame_lvs.htm.

Very impressive and examplary indeed!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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