LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.12 (04) [E]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  06 November 2007 - Volume 04
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Helge Tietz <helgetietz at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.11 (05) [E/LS/Danish/German]

Leve Lowlanders,

I think I also have to make a contribution to this little discussion because
my mother's family is one of those families which remained loyal to Denmark
although they always lived in Holsten just south of Rendsborg. Ethnically
they didn't feel Danish but they neither felt German and that was what many
people actually felt, at least in this part of Holsten and after Prussia
simply made Holsten a Prussian province they realized that Prussian rule
might be even more intolerant than Danish rule and as such became a part of
the Danish minority. As a matter of fact, U. Lornsen's call for an uprise
against Danish rule was less a call for having Prussian-German rule instead
but much more a call for greater autonomy if not even independence of the
Dutchies of Slesvig and Holsten and that was what many people actually
supported. My great-great grandfather apparrantly hung a big banner over the
main road which passes through Brinjah (at the Ossenweg) which made a parody
of a Prussian song which read then "red-White-Black a my colours - I must be
a Prussian!" instead of "I want to be a Prussian". And I can only guess that
many, if not most locals supported this view, otherwise I don't think my
great-great-grandfather had made his opinion as public as that. How much
Danish the citizens in  the area south of Rendsborg actually felt is also
demonstrated by the Danish badges over several old houses in Hohenwestedt,
notably the church with a badge to Christian VII king of Denmark. The old
church-administration house has a badge to the honour of Frederik VI which
was was never removed, in fact it was neatly  renovated with the whole
building in the 1980s! In my opinion you simply cannot really divide into
Danish and German, neither in most parts of Sleswig-Holsten, nor in what is
now Danish Soenderjylland. Initially most people felt first of all as
Holsteners, Slesvigers, Dithmarscher, Frisians,...(you name it) and then as
Sleswig-Holsteners and finally as subjects to the Danish king. But suddenly
in the 19th century they were forced to decide whether they were Danish or
German which was an alien concept to them, some decided for Germany, others
for Denmark. Some people in Soenderjylland can clearly trace their family
back to traders from as far south as Westphalia, some families in Holsten,
in particular along the Ossenweg to herders from northern Jutland which
still might not make them necessarily feel German or Danish. Some traders in
the Duchy of Slesvig  were invited by the Danish king and as such always
remained loyal to Denmark although ethnically they were Saxons from
Westphalia or Hollanders.

The Sleswig-Holsten uprising was actually much more inspired by similar
events in Norway, Iceland and the Faroes and were calls for more democracy
and autonomy, less by events further south in what was to become Germany.
But they coincided and that changed the course of events dramatically with
mighty Prussia eventually swallowing the whole lot. To this day I find
enough people south of Rendsborg who feel themselves Danish although
ethnically they should be considered Saxon, the vote for SSW south of
Rendsborg is up 6-7% in some municipalities as e.g Nienborstel, my old
family home. Subsequently, anyone can become a part of the Danish minority
as anyone can become a part of the German minority in Soenderjylland because
ethnicallty you cannot really seperate the people. It is more a question of
loyality than of ethnicity. I find the idea of "German" anyway very
questionable and ambitious, northern Germany was once Saxon, an ethnical
independend group with its own language, royal dynasties and traditions
which became colonized from further south (Hohenzollern) and the Saxons in
Holsten were lucky enough to have had an alternative they could choose
before becoming "Germanized" (which is a silly term because the Danes are of
Germanic origin, too). I think the whole point of promoting Plattduetsch,
Low Saxon, Nedersaksisch or whatever you call it is also a case for
promoting the idea that the Saxons were an ethnical indifferent group,
different from German, Dutch or Danish (and taking in respect that some Low
Saxon speakers still live in Poland and Lithuania those are of course to be
included). But I don't want to make this a political question, too much
blood has been wasted by pointless ethnical conflicts, it is a cultural
question and nothing more. Nationalism is very dangerous, it is too often
exclusive and discriminating, even racist, a cultural movement is an open
house and that is what I have in mind and the bilingual place-names are a
little step towards this. I don't know anymore who said it but a famous
writer once declared that it is impossible to assume anyone's nationality
wherever, you have to ask the person him/herself to find out what they are
and Slesvig-Holsten (including Soenderjylland) proves the point of this to
this day.

The question whether Sleswig-Holsten is a part of Jutland or not is also
prove how ridiculous nationalism can be, if I study a European map it seems
obvious that a peninsula is taking shape about north-west of the bay of
Luebeck which is commonly called Jutland, what else do you want to call it
then? The peninsula is diveded by a national border, like Europe was divided
by the Iron curtain but it is a mistake to attach ethnicity to a
geographical term (although geographical terms often derive from ethnic
terms, such as Dumfries=the castles of Frisians, actually in Scotland). The
Iron Curtain didn't make Europe suddenly split into Europe and the rest? And
not all British are of Celtic origin as "British" would initially suggest!
It is about as silly as the Chinese government recently declared any Tibetan
loyal to the Dalai Lama (and as such a dangerous nationalist and terrorist)
who is not wearing imported Tiger-fur because the Dalai-Lama called on the
Tibetans to stop wearing them in order to stop trade of the fur and save the
last Tigers from extinction.

Groeten vun

Helge

•

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