LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.16 (04) [E]

Tue Aug 16 16:29:00 UTC 2005

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.15 (11) [E]

Felix Hulsey wrote:
"Having taught German to Aussiedler from Russian speaking areas until very 
recently - which I always enjoyed doing - I think I can comment on this 
one."

I was very grateful for and fascinated by your comments. Thank you.

"The official policy in Germany is of course to teach these people standard 
German and nothing else. Until last year, they got courses from the 
Arbeitsamt and now from the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge which 
can take up to 6 months depending on their previous knowledge of German."

Yes. I am not at all surprised by the fact that Aussiedler are taught 
Standard German and nothing else. Have any Low Saxon or Frisian 
organisations questioned this in the cases of Aussiedler settled in Low 
Saxon or Frisian-speaking areas?

"If they wanted to learn the local Low Saxon (or Bavarian or whatever) 
variant, they would have to do it in their spare time. I cannot imagine 
anyone of them ever doing this; you can believe me it is hard enough for 
them to learn sufficient German to find work as quickly as possible,
and that is what they want - they are usually extraordinarily ambitious and 
do not like relying on Arbeitslosengeld 2 at all."

I suppose Aussied! ler might pick the likes of Bavarian or Badisch up 
socially, because these variants have high status. I cannot see Aussiedler 
picking up Low Saxon or Frisian (or the two Sorbians) in this manner 
considering these latter four languages have lower status, and Low Saxon / 
Frisian speakers might reflexively speak only Standard German to newcomers.

"But let me explain what "compelled to remain" means: Aussiedler (and 
Kontingentflüchtlinge, too) have to live in the municipality they were 
assigned to for their first three years in Germany, but only as long as they 
get welfare money. As soon as they make their own living, this rule
does not apply any more, they do not have to wait out the three years, but 
can move wherever they want. As far as I know, the "channelling" is not 
arbitrary. They can state their favourite place (e.g. where relatives are 
already living) and normally they get to live in that place or at least 
nearby."

I was under the impression that about two-thirds of Aussiedler spent the 
full three years on assistance and therefore were compelled to live in their 
assigned areas. The German Law Journal article I linked suggested that 
familial links were not taken into account when channelling Aussiedler to 
Lander. Perhaps this has changed since the article was published?

"While some of the Aussiedler I gave lessons to claimed to have spoken 
"Platt" (whatever they meant by that), I could never get anyone to speak it 
to me. Either they were ashamed of it or thought the standard German they 
were learning would be corrupted by it."

Interesting. This merits further investigation.

"It was the same even for Yiddish! I sometimes had older people who spoke 
it, but never in the open, though they did not hesitate to say that they 
were Jews. If there were any communication problems with me, they tried 
Russian (of which I understand not more than a few words) or even gave up, 
but never spoke Yiddish, though they must have noticed that it could have 
been of some help. Strange, isn't it?"

Perhaps they were still trying to fit in with other Russian speakers. I have 
read that Russian Jews in Israel display broadly similar attitudes toward 
Yiddish, although obviously Yiddish is no particular help in learning 
Israeli Hebrew. The attitude seems to stem from a perception of Russian as a 
more cosmopolitan and important world language.

"Greetings from Cologne"

Beannachtai as Doire Cholmchille! Greetings from Derry!

Criostóir.

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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Migration" 2005.08.16 (01) [E]

Heinrich Becker wrote:
"Things are different in history as your questions may suggest. After WWII 
at least three million "Wolgadeutsche,Wolhynier, Deutsch-Ukrainer, Banater 
Schwaben", descendants an survivors of deportations from 1941 were living in 
the eastern parts of Soviet Union, mostly in
Kazakstan. Negociations of Federal German Government began very early in the 
late 50's to lead some of them back to their roots according to national 
attitudes of that time, especially for those, who were forced by Red Army to 
return because they were members of the action "Heim ins Reich" after 
Hilter- Stalin Agreement in 1939."

I am aware the greater number of Aussiedler are south Germans. My question - 
which should have been more explicit - referred only to the minority of 
Aussiedler who have links to north Germany, specifically the Low Saxon and 
Frisian speaking areas therein.

Go raibh maith agat,

Criostóir.

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

Críostóir,

I hardly think anything in the repatriation policies has changed 
significantly since the time just after World War II.  Immigrants, including 
repatriated people, are made to settle wherever it's convenient to the 
state, namely where people can be absorbed and there are services, housing 
and employment for them.

I don't think cultural roots within Germany have ever played a role in all 
of this, at least not a significant role.  It would not really be in the 
interest of the administration, since _Lokalpatriotismus_ and cultural and 
linguistic diversity (and its support by the European Language Charter) are 
considered inconveniences (and this goes for pretty much any country, I dare 
say).  Besides, the majority of repatriated persons are quite ignorant of 
their ancestors' geographic origin and closest ethno-linguistic relatives. 
Most never thought beyond "Germany."

Mennonite newcomers might know that one of their ancestral areas is the 
Vistula Delta and that that is now Polish.  I hardly think many of them are 
aware of the fact that their Plautdietsch is Low Saxon (Low German) and has 
relatives throughout Northern Germany.  Even if they were aware of this, I 
doubt they would care a lot.  In my experience most of them display at most 
mild interest in those varieties when they become aware of the link, regard 
everything that isn't exactly Plautdietsch as being alien, and they'd rather 
choose German with which many of them are familiar as their "high" language. 
Those people have been very isolated from those links and from relevant 
information, and they have their hands full adjusting to life in their new 
"old" country.  Most of them had lived in Siberia and Central Asia.  The 
northern heathland and the coastal regions are probably more exotic to them 
than Germany's inland regions.  In other words, the Northern link has pretty 
disappeared from their world.

Especially younger Mennonites have done fabulously in Germany on the whole. 
Peter Wiens (himself repatriated as a youngster via Estonia) has been doing 
a great thing by creating and running the Plautdietsch magazine 
_Plautdietsch Frind_ (which I recommend, 
http://www.plautdietsch-freunde.de/home.php4?action=1&artikelnr=202005).  It 
helps to keep Plautdietsch alive, fosters literature in the language, 
consolidates the community of Germany and elsewhere, draws in younger people 
and lately has been introducing information about other Low Saxon dialects, 
for instance articles by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal and a series of articles 
by our Reuben Epp about the history of Plautdietsch and its position within 
the language as a whole.  Furthermore, Peter has made efforts to represent 
Plautdietsch in Low Saxon organizations and commissions.  Without his 
efforts, in conjunction with Reuben's publications, Mennonites would be 
totally separate from the speakers of other Low Saxon varieties.  Peter is 
another example of the fact that a single person can make an enormous 
difference.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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