THE SORBS IN THE SCHLEIFE/SLEPO REGION
The Schleife/Slepo region is comprised of 7 towns and villages, with Sorbs accounting for around one third of the population. Formerly part of the mediatised princedom of Muskau/Muzakow, the Schleife/Slepo area, which is situated to the north-west of Weisswasser/Bela Woda, is similar to Lower Lausitz in terms of language, customs, and indeed the overall character of its national culture. The people of this region traditionally lived from forestry and agricultural work, but today's main employer is the coal mining industry, which has made considerable inroads into the Schleife/Slepo folklore region, and remnants of the glass industry.
Special ethnic features include:
- special ethnic architecture (log construction, clinker construction)
- independent Schleife dialect
- independent traditional costume region (diverse variations for different purposes and from village to village, still worn by some older women); the
embroidery on the Schleife costumes largely preserves the character of traditional ethnic work, and is to be found primanly in the form of hemstitching, white eyelet embroidery and black cross-stitch work on tuckers, headscarves and chin straps,
- traditional ethnic music with the Sorbian bagpipes, the small and large Sorbian fiddle (e.g. in the Schleife Sorbian folklore ensemble)
- customs throughout the year (some still practised) include: Zampern [a traditional Carnival custom depicting the driving out of winter];
Easter fire, Easter singing, Easter egg decoration according to family tradition,
maypole dancing,
cock-beating, cock-plucking,
Spinte (the "Spinte", or spinning room, was an important place of singing for the Sorbian people) or procession around the "dzecetko" in the season of Advent (present-giving ceremony; vanes from village to village).
THE SORBS IN THE HOYERSWERDA/WOJERECY REGION
The Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy region today comprises 25 towns and villages, of which Sorbs account for around one quarter of the population. In 1880 the
region was still populated almost exclusively by Sorbian villagers. The King- dom of Saxony lost the region to Prussia at the Congress of Vienna, and today
it belongs to the north-eastern part of the Free State of Saxony. The special features of this region characterise Sorbian middle Lausitz. In former times, the population lived from agriculture and village handicrafts. Today, life in the region around Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy is dominated by coal mining.
Special ethnic features include:
- Intermediate dialect between Upper and Lower Lausitz,
- independent traditional costume region (varies for different purposes and from village to village, still worn by some old women today);
embroidery work on the traditional Hoyerswerder costumes worn by the Sorbian peasant population primarily takes the form of cross-stitch work, eyelet embroidery, embroidered tulle and flat stitch embroidery,
- village traditions have been preserved (for decades, by the most diverse generations, e.g. in Bröthen/Michalken-Bretnjo/Michalki),
- customs throughout the year (some still practised) include:
fasting night (to drive out the winter),
Good Friday and Easter singing, decoration of Easter eggs,
maypole dancing and hurling,
harvest-time customs, such as, stollen riding stubble riding or potato ball,
"Spinte"/"Spinteball",
procession around the dzecatko (present-giving) at Christmas time or Christmas singing.
THE SORBS IN LOWER LAUSITZ / DOLNA LUZYCA
The Lower Sorbian region is comprised of over 60 towns and villages, and only a minority of the Sorbs/Wends living in this area are able to speak the Sorbian language. The Lower Sorbian population originally lived primarily from agriculture and fish farming. In Spreewald, part of Lower Lausitz, tourism continues to be an important source of income to this day. Concentrated coal mining operations are today destroying the Lower Sorbians' village communities.
Special ethnic features include:
- Lower Sorbian language region (now spoken almost exclusively by the older generation), a Lower Sorbian high school and Lower Sorbian language school serve to preserve the traditional language
- independent traditional costume area (varies for different purposes and from village to village, still worn by some older people, and by the young generation to preserve old customs, traditional costumes are decorated with flat stitch embroidery, which is to be found primarily on skirt ribbons, aprons, neck scarves and parts of the large head scarves; white embroidery is also to be found in charming motifs; a characteristic feature of the Lower Sorbs' traditional costume is the "lapa"
(hood or tucked-in head scarf), which varies in size and shape from village to village,
- customs throughout the year (some still practised) include:
Zapust [traditional fasting night when traditional costume is worn];
Easter fire,
harvest-time customs, such as cock-beating, cock-plucking, stubble riding
and frog-carting or at Christmas time,"Jansojski bog" visits the children in Jänschwalde/Jansojce near Cottbus/Chosebuz.
EXCERPT FROM THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FREE STATE OF SAXONY
CONCERNING THE SORBIAN PEOPLE
Article 2 (State capital and state symbols)
(1) The capital city of the Free State is Dresden.
(2) The state colours are white and green.
(3) The state coat of arms shows a field divided nine times into black on gold with a green diagonal lozenge to the right. The further details are stipulated by a law.
(4) In the area of Sorbian settlement, the Sorbian state colours and coat of arms,enjoy equal status to the State flag and the State coat of arms; in the Silesian part of the State, the colours and coat of arms of Lower Silesia enjoy equal status to the State flag and the State coat of arms.
Article 6
(1) The citizens of Sorbian nationality who live in the State constitute an inherent part of the people of the State and enjoy equal rights with the remaining people of the State. The State guarantees and protects their right to preserve their identity and to preserve and develop their traditional language, culture and customs, in particular by way of schools, pre-school and cultural establishments.
(2) The necessities of the Sorbian people are to be taken into consideration in regional and local planning. The German-Sorbian character of the Sorbian ethnic group's area of settlement is to be maintained.
(3) The cooperation between Sorbs beyond the State boundaries, particularly in Upper and Lower Lausitz, is in the interests of the State.
EXCERPT FROM THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE STATE OF BRANDENBURG
Section 4: Rights of the Sorbs (Wends)
Article 25 (Rights of the Sorbs/Wends)
(1) The right of the Sorbian people to protect, preserve and maintain their national identity and their traditional area of settlement is guaranteed. The State, the local government authorities and municipal bodies shall promote the implementation of this right, in particular supporting cultural independence and contributing towards effective political organisation of the Sorbian people.
(2) The State shall work towards securing cultural autonomy for the Sorbs beyond the State boundaries.
(3) The Sorbs possess the right to preserve and promote the Sorbian language and culture in public life and to teach the language at schools and nurseries.
(4) In the area of Sorbian settlement the Sorbian language is to be incorporated into official headings. The Sorbian flag has the colours blue, red and white.
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