LL-L: "Language conflicts" LOWLANDS-L, 26.JUL.2000 (05) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 26.JUL.2000 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
 Subject: Language conflicts

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

Leve Leeglanners,
Annerlest heff ick schreven:

> Dat dat offietschelle Gellenlaten nich dat Enn vun de Kabbelee in de
> Sprakenpolitiek bedüüdt, tjer, dat wardt de Nedderdüütschen in Düütschland
> nu in eensen to wies.  De Druck vunwegen Gellenlaten vun jüm er Spraak in
> de noorddüütschen Länner was tomeerst vun de Europäers kamen.  Mank de
> Lüüd' vun't Amt in Düütschland swingt de Reakschonen tomeerst so twüschen
> "Tüünkraam! Daar will ick niks vun weten" un "Tüünkraam! Daar will ick
> gegen an gaan," man dat dait se man bloots dinken.  Nu hebbt wie 't mit
> "passive aggressive" un mit Stenen up'n Padd leggen mank de Bürokraten to
> doon.  Bie de INS-Presse (vun't Instituut för nedderdüütsche Spraak in
> Bremen) köönt Jie düt elkeen Maand nalesen (man laider bloots up
> "Hoog"-Düütsch), so ook in de Juni-Uutgaav':
> http://www.hprg.de/ins-presse/.  Ünner "Behördeneinfalt gegen
> Sprachenvielfalt" leest wie dütmaal, dat 't Patent- und Markenamt in
> München "Nee" seggt hett to't Anmellen vun de eerste "Gebrauchsanweisung"
> up Nedderdüütsch -- so eenfach "Nee" ... ofschoonst dat nu 'n offietschelle
> Regionaalspraak is.  Un ünner "Sprachencharta wird konterkariert" köönt Jie
> nalesen, dat 't nedderdüütsche Leer-Bodd an de Universiteet Bremen nu in
> Gefaar is -- "aus personalwirtschaftlichen Gründen", een vun de Quanten, de
> de Bürokraten upleevst bruukt.  Man good, dat 't INS so deegt an'n Ball
> blifft un den Spijökenkraam in de hele Welt künnig maakt.  (Wenn dat ook up
> Ingelsch weer, denn kunn dat internatschonale Blameern vun de Bürokraten
> noch duller warden.)  Tjer, 'n gode Naricht is ook daarbie: de
> N3-Fernsehshow "Talk op Platt" will nu ook wat för de Lütten doon un söökt
> na Kinner, de up Nedderdüütsch vorlesen wüllt un köönt.
> Gröten,
> ReinhardRon

Düsse Maand stait nu in de INS-Presse, dat de Saak mit de "Gebrauchsanweisung"
wieder baven bie'n Bunnsdag un in't Justizministerium in Berlin besnackt
warden schall.  De Abgeordnete Wolfgang Börnsen (Bönstrup,
Flensburg-Schleswig) is Bundesjustizministerin Herta Däubler-Gmelin daar üm
angaan, dat se er Nees' maal daar rinsteken schall, wiel dat se "för dat Amt
de böberste Toständigkeit" hett.  He beed' er: "Hölpen Se, Fruu Ministerin,
dat de Plattdüütschen nich verbiestern doon an de Politik!"  "Dat geit nich
anners, de hohe Politik mutt de Knütt dörhaun!" seed' he, un nu hett he de
Saak ook in't Bunnsministerium anbröcht, up "Platt" (Neddersassisch
/Nedderdüütsch).  Däubler-Gmelin hett seggt, dat Düütschland de Europääsche
Sprakencharta ünnerschreven hett, un "watt Recht und Gesetz is, mutt Hand und
Foot kriegn. Afkatenkneep dörf dat nich geven!"
Nu wüllt wie maal seen, of daar wat bie ruutsuurt, un wat daar bie ruutsuurt.
In Bremen schall dat Leerprogramm nu tominnst een Jaar wiedergaan.
Gröten,
Reinhard/Ron

> Dear Lowlanders,
> That official recognition does not necessarily spell the end of a struggle
> in language politics is something Low Saxon (Low German) speakers in
> Germany are now learning over and over.  Pressure to recognize their
> language in the North German states had primarily come from the European
> administrative level.  Among German bureaucrats there is a range of
> reactions, mostly between "Balderdash! Leave me alone with that stuff!" and
> "Balderdash! I'm going to fight it!" though rarely if ever said out loud.
> So we are dealing with cases of "passive aggressive" and spanners in the
> works.  You can read all about it, albeit unfortunately only in "High"
> German, at the web site of the INS-Presse (http://www.hprg.de/ins-presse/)
> of the Institute for Low German Language in Bremen.  In the June issue you
> will read under "Behördeneinfalt gegen Sprachenvielfalt" that the German
> Patent Office in Munich has denied the first application for Low Saxon
> user's instructions ... yes, simply denied despite the fact that it is an
> official language.  Under "Sprachencharta wird konterkariert" you will read
> that continuation of Low Saxon course offerings at the University of Bremen
> is now in jeopardy -- "due to human resource problems," one of the favorite
> excuses on the part of bureaucrats.  Kudos to the INS for keeping its eye
> on the ball and for regularly announcing these types of bureaucratic
> shenanigans to the whole world.  (The shaming effect would be stronger if
> this was done in English as well.)  Well, there is some good news as well:
> the N3 TV program "Talk op Platt" is going to include the little ones and
> is currently looking for children willing and able to be Low Saxon readers.

> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

This month INS-Presse reports that the situation with the user instruction
application has progressed and is supposed to be debated in the Bundestag (the
federal parliament) and in the Ministry of Justice in Berlin.  Delegate
Wolfgang Börnsen (Bönstrup, Flensburg-Schleswig) has requested that Federal
Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin get involved, since it is her area of
executive responsibility.  "Please help us, Minister, prevent political
bamboozling of the Low-German-speaking public," he asked.  "There are no two
ways about it: it'll be up to top politics to cut the knot," he said and has
now introduced the issue in federal debates, in Low Saxon (Low German).
Däubler-Gmelin stated that Germany has signed the European Language Charter
and "whatever rights and laws there are must have hand and foot.  There
mustn't be any legal subterfuge!"
Let's wait and see what the outcome will be, if any.
Meanwhile, the study program in Bremen has been extended by at least one year.
Regards
Reinhard/Ron

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