LL-L: "Plautdietsch" 08.JUL.2000 (02) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 08.JUL.2000 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Plautdietsch

[The following is in Low Saxon (Low German) and English.]

Leve Leeglanners,
      Us Peter Wiens harr annerlest schreven, dat he uut Russland keem un
ook in Eestland waant harr, eer dat he na Düütschland tröck.  Nu weett wie,
dat 'n Barg Mennonieten, un mank jüm 'n Barg Sprekers vun't mennonietsche
Neddersassisch (,,Plautdietsch''), in Russland un Kasachstaan waant or
wanen.  Kirgiesstaan wardt af un an ook mit upnöömt.  Köönt Jie mie seggen,
of dat in annere Staaten vun de ole Sowjetunion ook mennonietsche Gemeenen
gifft (villicht falsch ,,Baptisten'' nöömt)?  Will höpen, dat tominnst us
Leedmaten in Eestland, Russland, de Ukrain un Kazachstaan mie dat seggen
köönt.
      In 't zentralasiaatsche Oostturkestaan (Xinjiang), dat ünner
schineessch Regeern is, bün ick 1981 'n paar Russen in de Mööt kamen, de
daar in lütte russische Dörpen tohuus' sünd.  To de Tied was dat man raar
sait, dat Butenlanners daar alleen up Tuur weren, un wieldat ick as Student
ook 'n schineessische ,,Uniform'' an harr un schineessch kunn (un na't
Menen vun de darigen Uiguurn ook ,,russisch'' uutseeg'), menen de meersten
Lüüd', ick höör to de darige russische Minnerhait to, un se snacken mit mie
as mit 'n Landsmann.  As de Russen wies' wöörn, dat mien Russisch gresig is
un ick in Düütschland boorn un tagen bün, vertell mie een mank jüm, dat 't
bie jüm tohuus' or in 'n Naverdörp 'n paar ,,Düütsche'' (schineessche
Börger) gifft.  Meer kunn or wull he mie daarvun nich vertellen.  Vun daar
up an bün ick moden west, dat de Lüüd' (nich wied af vun de Grenss vun
Kasachstaan) Mennonieten sünd un dat se bie't Regeern as ,,Russen''
(_Eluosi-zu_) inschreven sünd.  Weett een mank jüm, of düsse Snack waar is?

      Gröten,
      Reinhard/Ron

Dear Lowlanders,
      Our own Peter Wiens recently wrote that he is from Russia and had
lived in Estonia before he moved to Germany.  As we already know, there are
or were many Mennonites in Russia and Kazakhstan.  Kyrgyzstan, too, has
been mentioned occasionally.  Can any of you tell me if there are Mennonite
communities (perhaps mistakenly called "Baptists") in other former Soviet
states as well?  Hopefully at least our subscribers in Estonia, Russia,
Ukraine and Kazakhstan have some such information.
      In 1981, I met several ethnic Russians in the Central Asian region of
Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang) which is under Chinese rule.  At that time, it
was very rare for foreigners to travel there unaccompanied, and because as
a student I was wearing the Chinese "uniform" and knew Chinese (and looked
"Russian" according to the local Uighurs), most people thought I was a
local ethnic Russian, and they talked to me as to a fellow countryman.
When the Russians realized how lousy my Russian was and that I was born and
bred in Germany, one of them told me that in his village or in the
neighboring village there were some "Germans" too (though Chinese
citizens).  Ever since then I've been wondering and have been assuming that
those (living not all that far away from China's border with Kazakhstan)
were Mennonites and that they had been classified as ethnic "Russians"
(_Eluosi-zu_) by the administration.  Does any of you know if there is any
truth to this "rumor"?
      Regards,
      Reinhard/Ron

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