The Sorbian/Wendish language becomes even more visible, but also the problems …

A distinguished visitor had arrived at the Von-Houwald elementary school in Straupitz: The State Commissioner for Sorbs/Wends, State Secretary for Science and Culture Tobias Dünow, arrived in front of the school with a few tablets under his arm and was greeted with bread and salt, true to Slavic tradition. The pupils Rike Pommer, Lucy Drewes and Emma Hebler wore the Straupitz festive costume to greet him. The plaques to be publicly displayed show once again how some communities in the settlement area are committed to the Sorbian/Wendish tradition. The bilingualism can already be seen on the town signs, which the locals perhaps no longer notice, but which at least attracts the attention of tourists. The municipalities of Alt Zauche-Wußwerk/Stara Niwa-Wózwjerch, Neu Zauche/Nowa Niwa, Spreewaldheide/Błośańska Góla and Straupitz (Spreewald)/Tšupc (Błota) are now also adorned with new bilingual community plaques with the inscription “Deutsch-Sorbische/wendische Gemeinde – Nimsko-serbska gmejna”, which make their affiliation to the Sorbian/Wendish settlement area visible.

They may “only” be plaques, but this is perhaps a somewhat underestimated aspect of the preservation of tradition that should and will be carried out: Germany has a special feature deep in the east that is worth preserving, a Slavic ethnic group with its own language.

But this is precisely where the problem lies, which is not getting any smaller, but rather bigger: The maintenance and teaching of the Lower Sorbian language! Signs are one thing, preserving and passing on the sonorous language is quite another.

Following the presentation of the signs, there was a round table discussion with teachers and State Secretary Tobias Dünow at the school. Right at the beginning, the teachers listed the problems: A vacancy for a Sorbian teacher has been advertised for years. The general staff coverage is very thin; when substitute teaching is required, optional Sorbian is one of the first subjects to be “sacrificed” in favor of mathematics or German. Sorbian teacher Ute Kieper, who is about to retire, says: “We are the only school in the district that offers the WITAJ program (language of encounter) and Sorbian lessons. The children come voluntarily, which is very demanding for us teachers, because if the lessons aren’t engaging enough, they might stay away – and with them the chance to pass on the language.”

Cathleen Bürgelt, the speaker from the State Commissioner for Sorbian/Wendish Affairs at the Brandenburg Ministry of Culture, who also attended the event, was able to spread a little confidence: “We hope that the regional teacher training in Senftenberg will attract students with an appropriate Sorbian/Wendish background who will also take the additional subject Sorbian. These are good prerequisites for enabling students to start their studies in the winter semester 2026/2027.”

For the recently retired principal Gissy Trautmann and her new successor Susanne Pommer, this is definitely the right approach. In addition, Gissy Trautmann continued to call for free teaching materials and better financial support in general. For example, travel costs to traditional events have increased and the school would also like to have children’s costumes in different sizes so that they don’t always have to ask parents to send their children to school in traditional costume, “as is the case today”. Ute Kieper: “For a school like ours, a collection of traditional costumes is simply a must!”

With regard to the issue of travel costs, the Sorbs/Wends representative for the district, Sabrina Kuschy, who was also present at the meeting, pointed out that travel costs, for example to the bird wedding in Cottbus, will continue to be covered by the district. Finally, State Secretary Dünow wanted to know what the school’s greatest wish would be. “Take care of teachers and money, we can take care of the ‘rest’ on our own!” the Straupitzers told him, knowing full well that both would have to be clarified in other ministries. He has promised support.

Peter Becker, 19.09.25