LL-L "Language politics" 2012.03.02 (03) [EN]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L - 02 March 2012 - Volume 03
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From: Helge Tietz helgetietz at yahoo.com
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2012.03.02 (01) [EN-NL]

Hi Lowlanders!

It is frustrating that the climate here in the Netherlands has changed so
dramatically concerning diversity. Currently there is a moveent which is
even part of the governemnt which considers anything different to
themselves as a thread and discriminates it.They demand that immigrants
completely integrate into Dutch society but wouldn't see at all that the
same may be valid if they would emmigrate to e.g. Fryslon. It is simply
chauvinist, narrowminded and xenophobic and they feed their success with
doomszenarios and fear. Coming from Sleswick-Holsten I can only comment
that we have been there before and my family has drastically seen the
result of such policies and movements. Since the Breivik incident in Norway
they have been quieter in denouncing Muslims, now they started instead on
focussing on Eastern European immigrant workers. My father's family derives
from a Baltic family in East Prussia and my Great grandfather from my
mother's side was a certain Dorovski from Masuria, eventually this movement
here in the Netherlands has caught up with me (and subsequently with my
little son as  well) personally.

Besides, there is a wonderful little essay online about the fate of the
Jewish doctor Bamberger from Rendsborg during the Nazi-dictatorship. It is
in German and written by a girl whose great-grandparents where the
parents-in-law of Dr. Bamberger in Remmels (near Hohenwestedt, Rendsborg
district). Hohenwestedt was a Nazi-stronghold and I try to imagine the
courage of family Vierth and Maschmann to protect him although they
couldn't prevent him commiting suicide in the end.

The link: http://www.schule-hohe-geest.de/uploads/media/Dr.Bamberger.pdf

However, not all is bad here in the Netherlands and during the
14-day-frostperiod I went north with my ice-skates to Fryslon and skated
from Fransjer to Ljouwert via Bartlehiem and it was fantastic, I made a
break in Bartlehiem and I almost exclusively heard Frisian there, whole
families from the smallest children to the grandparents. But what is sad
that Frisian is still effectively ignored by the authorities. In the train
from Ljouwert to Frantsjer no announcement in Frisian, only Dutch, although
the announcement s come from a tape. In Intercity trains the conductors
often make announcements in English as well, so why not Frisian in the
local train from Ljouwert to Frantsjer? It cannot cost much to have
somebody make an additional recording onto that tape. It is simply not done
and not wanted by the current government. Thus, their treatment of Low
Saxon does not come as a surprise. But I don't care, I speak Plattduetsch
to min luetten soen and he is already repeating my words and is picking it
up, I could not imagine to speak any other laguage to him than Plattduetsch!

Sodenni, laat eer man lopen.....

Groeten
Helge

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