Sorbian cultural lexicon DIGITAL
What was the Wendish regiment? When did Sorbian literature first appear in books and publishing houses? When did the myth about the Sorbian wizard Krabat emerge? What are the characteristics of Upper and Lower Lusatia, of the Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian language? Which consequences has brown coal mining? – Lexicons and encyclopaedias deliver information on data and names, facts and figures. A popular work on Sorbian culture and history of this kind, the “Sorbian Cultural Lexicon”, has been existing since 2014. It systemises the current knowledge about the life of Lusatian Sorbs.
Knowledge of the old-established minority in both Lusatias has been scattered so far, but is now summarised in the lexicon at hand. It is a project of the Sorbian Institute and was published by the Domowina publishing house in Bautzen. More than 200 academic articles give an insight into the current state of research of several arts disciplines. Numerous external authors participated in this project in addition to the staff of the Sorbian Institute. The amount of publications and research has increased since the Enlightenment, especially in the early 1900s. Today, there are reliable findings on Sorbian history, language, literature and folklore. The main audience is the interested German public. The main findings of Sorabistic research from Germany and abroad are hereby accessible.
The aim of this digital version is to extend the number of recipients. The articles are sorted alphabetically. The definition of each keyword is followed by a clear description of the respective subject matter. Biographic as well as geographic information on the country and its people is conveyed in the context of the respective topic. The texts of the printed version were slightly edited where necessary, e.g. to correct factual errors and to update the bibliography. Not all illustrations from the print book were transferred to the digital version due to legal reasons. Instead, alternatives from the photo archive of the Sorbian Cultural Archive are offered. At the moment, only a limited number of articles is accessible online; the digitalisation of the whole lexicon is still in preparation.
Archival sources on the history and culture of the Sorbs are part of the Lusatian tradition. They can therefore be found in all of the respective rulers' archives in Upper and Lower Lusatia, as there are central and regional state archives, city, county and estate archives, central church archives and local parish archives.
In the sociological sense, a process in which members of a mostly smaller ethnic or national community lose certain characteristic features such as language, culture or mentality and acquire characteristics of another, usually larger ethnic or national group. Related to the Sorbs, assimilation means merging into, or merging with the German people.
Presentation in the exhibition palace on the Stübelallee in Dresden, which took place from June to September 1896, under the auspices of the Saxon King Albert. It was part of the tradition of the industry and trade shows organised since the middle of the 19th century and was to exhibit the strong performance of the Saxon craft.
Pursuit of political autonomy and cultural self-government for the purpose of preserving language and culture; as it relates to the Sorbs, often in response to external pressure for assimilation. The Sorbian striving for autonomy was carried by the national movement.
Process of land acquisition or establishment in order to secure the livelihood. In the course of the migration, in which the Slavs had left their original homeland (presumably North of the Carpathians, between the Vistula and the Dnieper rivers), from the 7th century, with the Slavonic tribes arriving in the area to the Saale/Elbe. Likely, there were several settlement-waves and settlement centres of gravity.
The most important Sorabistic (Sorbian studies) library until 1949. In the founding phase of the Maćica Serbska, a central library was created in Bautzen in 1846 for the first time with archiving function, which took on the systematic collection of all new publications in Sorbian-language, as well as publications about the Sorbs.
english Professional achievements in the fields of painting, graphics and sculpture, distinguished from Folk Art, including international genres such as photography, video, animation, object Art or installation. Sorbian fine Art was always embedded in the general history of the Sorbs.
Ritualised acts with symbolic effect, regularly exercised by local resp. regional, social or ethnic communities. In the Sorbian cultural history, they have a fundamental representational function as an expression of national and regional affiliation. The social science category “custom” receives special attention in Sorbian folklore.
Historic castles with fortification that consist mainly of ramparts, in wood-earth construction. They belong to the most impressive prehistoric monuments of Lusatia. In Upper and Lower Lusatia, there are more than 100 such entrenchments from the 8th/9th up until the 12th century, whereby further fortified castles likely have disappeared in the meantime.
The spreading of Christianity, here a historical process from the 10th to the 13th century, during which the pagan Slavic population living between the Saale and Neisse river was converted to Christianity through missionary activity or the immigration of Christian settlers.
The era between 1949 and 1990, which began with the establishment of a socialist state based on the Soviet model in Eastern Germany, set off by the seizure of power by the communists in the Soviet occupation zone, between 1945 and 1949. It ended in 1989/90 with the political change.
Speech forms that are used in a particular geographic area by the resident population, in everyday interactions. They are distinguished by phonological, grammatical and lexical peculiarities of the written language and the local language of neighbouring territories. Despite a limited language area, the Sorbian dialect is strongly differentiated.
Founding umbrella-association of Sorbian societies, founded in 1912, which serves as the Federation of the Lusatian Sorbs since 1934, acting as a representative of the Sorbian people. The activities of Domowina have been shaping the political history and public perception of the Sorbs, since World War I.
Genre of literature, whose works are based on theatrical performance. The drama has only reached the Sorbs in the last quarter of the 19th century, evolving during the Jungfrau movement. Until 1948, it was about theatrical performance templates for amateur ensembles; afterwards, for the only Sorbian professional stage in Bautzen.
State conflict over the hegemony in Europe and, at the same time, religious war, which was fought from 1618 to 1648, mainly on the ground of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The Thirty Years War interrupted the cultural development of the Sorbs, namely, the publication of religious writings.
Publicly uttered solemn assurance that is sacred or inviolable to the oath-maker or the group, often with reference to some third party. There are a number of oath texts written in the Sorbian language, which emerged during the 16th to 18th century (in some cases, well into the 19th century).
Rituals and ceremonies that accompany the beginning and end of the grain harvest. They regulate the work processes during the harvest and lay out standards for the harvest festival. Harvest customs have developed depending on the agrarian constitution of the respective landscape.
The time of merriment and exuberance before the Lent, which begins with the Epiphany (January 6) and ends in Catholic areas with Ash Wednesday, according to the peasant festival calendar after the first Sunday during Lent. In Lower Lusatia, the “camprowanje” (Zampern, a traditional Carnival custom depicting the driving out of Winter) and the so-called Zapust-parade still take place, until four weeks before Easter.
Presentation of historical events depending on political and social circumstances. The historiography reconstructs developments in the field of political and social history, cultural-, church- and economic history, as well as personal history, with the goal of a consciousness-building effect.
Monographic representations of a language-system at a phonetic-phonological, morphological and syntactic level. On the one hand, they serve the description and explanation of linguistic phenomena (descriptive), and on the other hand, the codification of these (prescriptive), with which they contribute to the formation and stabilisation of the language systems.
Celebration of marriage, in which separation and reception rituals accompany and publicly announce the transitioning from single to married adulthood. The term ‘Sorbian wedding’ (Upper Sorbian serbski kwas, Lower Sorbian serbska swajźba) dates from the 19th century and refers to a wedding according to peasant traditions in Lusatia.
The Hoyerswerda Land is the Northwestern border area of Upper Lusatia, borders bordering the Senftenberg region in the Northwest, the Spremberg region in the North, and the Schleifer region in the East. The Catholic villages around Wittichenau which were formerly owned by the monastery of St. Marienstern, form part of the Southern border.
Scholars, who, during the 15th/ 16th century represented the spiritual movement of humanism, which elevated the revival of Greco-Roman classical teachings to an ideal status in science and art. The proximity of humanist universities such as Wittenberg, Leipzig, Frankfurt (on the Oder) and Krakow to Lusatia prompted young Sorbs, also, to study there, starting around the year of 1500.
Battles between Hussites and imperial troops, which began following Pope Martin V. March 1st, 1420 appeal for the cru-sade against the “heretics” of Bohemia and ended only in 1436 through a peace treaty with Pope and Emperor. The Hussites formed a church-reforming or revolutionary move-ment in Bohemia, which already in its name expressed an affiliation with reformer Jan Hus.
Institution for teaching and researching the language, literature, history and culture of the Sorbs, in Leipzig. At the beginning of the winter semester 1951 / 52, a “Sorbian Institute” (since 1969 Institute for Sorabistics) was founded at the Leipzig University, which had to train sorabists in all disciplines and at the same time, develop its own projects.
Southwestern part of the Sorbian settlement area in Upper Lusatia, approximately limited to the city triangle of Bautzen - Kamenz - Hoyerswerda. The parishes belonging to the diocese of Dresden-Meissen, including the parish of St. Peter in Bautzen and the diocese of Görlitz parish Wittichenau, are located there.
The entirety of the artistic texts written or recommended for children and adolescents, as well as those commonly received by them. The beginnings of a Sorbian literature for children and young people are to be seen in the acquisition of parts of the folk poetry by children and adolescents.
Shielded places where men or women belonging to a religious order live according to certain rules, in a community of nuns or monks. In Lusatia, there were 14 men’s and 4 women’s monasteries before the Reformation, as well as the chapter of the parish of St Peter in Bautzen.
Transfer of private ownership of agricultural property into common property, in the narrower sense the formation of legally independent production cooperatives (LPGs) in the GDR of the 1950s. Farmers of the community Kreckwitz in the district of Bautzen founded the first LPG in the German-Sorbian region, the end of July 1952.
Targeted development of non- or sparsely populated areas in Lusatia since the 7th/ 8th century that intensified in the 13th century. The outer colonisation is connected with immigration, the inner colonisation with the expansion of the country. It usually results in social and economic innovation.
Tavern or inn for events in the countryside, among others, East of the Elbe, especially in Upper Lusatia. In the middle of the 19th century, the Kretscham often served as the seat of the mayor tribunal equipped with the legal power to rule in excise licencing and a place of the patrimonial court, which was usually connected with a feudal estate.
Discipline of the humanities, which explores the visual Arts in their historically particular diversity and their underlying legalities. Here, the artists, as well as the conditions of production, distribution and reception of Art all deserve our attention. Aesthetics includes Art history, Art critique and Art theory.
Territories, which changed hands during the 15th and 16th century from Lower Lusatia that belonged to the Bohemian crown, to the Brandenburg Electorate, and until their firm unification with Prussia in the middle of the 18th century formed a special administrative unit. This affected the dominions Teupitz and Bärwalde in 1462, Zossen in 1490, as well as Beeskow and Storkow in 1555.
Territory that extends on the Western edge of the East-Central-European region in a North-South direction, with a length of about 170 km and a width of 120 km. Their geographic unity results from the parallelly running rivers Spree and Neisse, which follow the slope from the mountain ranges in the South to the lowlands in the North.
Scientific engagement with literature, especially its history, structure and function. The relatively late development of a Sorbian aesthetic writing in the 18th century corresponds to - e. g. - compared to Linguistics - a shorter literary scientific research tradition.
Narrative with multiple episodes about fantastic and adventurous experiences of humans and
animals, which succeed using fantastic means and possibilities. The term is
derived from the word
The oldest national and supra-denominational scientific-cultural association of the Sorbs in Upper and Lower Lusatia. It emerged at the height of national rebirth, modelled after similar organisations among other Slavic peoples, and for decades, it influenced the spiritual and cultural life of the minority.
Era from 1933 to 1945, which began with the seizure of power by the NSDAP under Adolf Hitler, and ended with the capitulation of Germany at the end of WW II. One of the hallmarks of National Socialism was anti-Slavism, based on racial theory.
Historically-culturally characterised hallmarks or symbols of national identification, which have inwardly integrating, community-building functions and are used to delimit externally and make individual efforts distinguishable. As an expression and as a stimulus for a fresh Sorbian self-Picture, a barrage of nationalist symbols was born during national reincarnation.
Process of national awakening, which started among numerous Slavic peoples during the late 18th century and culminated during the 19th century in the emergence of modern bourgeois nations. Signs of a national awareness emerged among the Sorbs from the middle of the 18th century, particularly, in Upper Lusatia. Prepared by the Late Enlightenment and Pietism, the national rebirth took place in several stages until the middle of the 19th century.
Society of scholars, which was founded in 1779 in Görlitz, on the initiative of the lawyer, historian and linguist Karl Gottlob von Anton. Its aim was to contribute to the general enlightenment through scientific research on the history and natural history of Upper Lusatia.
Standardisation of the spelling of a language in order to achieve the greatest possible graphical uniformity (spelling). Upper and Lower Sorbian spelling includes rules for the correct use of letters and diacritics, punctuation rules, as well as upper- and lower-case spelling.
Artistically decorated and embellished chicken- or other eggs, which are created mainly during Lent before Easter. Four ornamentation techniques have been handed down among the Sorbs: the wax preservation technique, the wax-embossing technique, the scratching technique and the etching technique.
The totality of all work contributions and services, which the mostly peasant subject was required to deliver, from the late Middle Ages to the agrarian reforms of the 18th and 19th century. The term, which was borrowed from the West Slavic word “robota” (‘Work’) into German, remained limited to the Slavic-German speaking area in the East.
Mass medium for sound programs; radio. Since 1945, radio programmes have been broadcast regularly in Sorbian, today by the Central German Broadcasting (Mitteldeutschen Rundfunk, MDR) in Upper Sorbian, and the Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, RBB) in Lower Sorbian language.
Territorial extension of the region, which was or is inhabited continuously by a population. The term became more important in the current minority policy regarding the Sorbs, following the definition of territorial, but not administrative measures of minority protection.
Western Slavic people in Upper and Lower Lusatia, which used to be called “Wenden” in German (sometimes also “Sorbenwenden” or “Lusatian Serbs”); in Lower Lusatia today officially known as “Sorbs/Wends”. It refers to itself by the Upper Sorbian ethnonym “Serbja”, or Lower Sorbian “Serby”, in the singular for both, as “Serb”.
Gesamtheit der ober- und niedersorbischen Dialekte einschließlich der
Übergangsdialekte sowie der ober- und niedersorbischen Schriftsprache;
Eigenbezeichnungen serbšćina bzw. obersorb.
Cycle of grass-roots discussion forums of the Sorbs (Upper Sorbian Serbska narodna zhromadźizna, Lower Sorbian Serbska narodna zgromaźina), which took place under the influence of glasnost and perestroika, in the final phase of the GDR in Bautzen and Cottbus, between November 1989 and March 1990.
Concept developed in Czech and Russian linguistics, which covers the systematic maintenance of a language and, in particular, refers to the written language. Language culture includes efforts to improve the functional communication skills of the speakers.
Conscious and institutionally organized formation of the written language (e.g. by linguists, teachers) with regard to writing, spelling, vocabulary and grammar with the aim of creating a trans-regional means of communication that can be used in different situations and for the purpose of domain expansion.
Language policy concept whose goal is linguistic purity and among others, is applied to written languages; it is typical of bi- and multilingual linguistic communities, and especially minority languages that seek protection from the influence of the dominant contact language(s).
Lowland Northwest of Cottbus, with a size of about 75 kilometres in length and up to 16 kilometres in width, which owes its formation to the slight incline of the middle Spree. The Spreewald, first mentioned in 1328, was during the 18th century still a greater expansion with substantial marshes and forested parts.
Dedications of assets for projects defined by the founders or the institutions created within the framework of this procedure. Various foundations or legacies have been established since 1700, mainly by private individuals, in order to promote the spiritual, cultural or economic life of the Sorbs.
Scientific discipline that examines and describes the differentiation of linguistic expression. This is based on the selection of linguistic means of expression of all levels (phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, syntax), which are perceived as appropriate in different communication situations.
Associations of Sorbian painters, graphic Artists, book designers, sculptors and artisans in a variety of changing structures and with different statuses, with the goal to promote the fine Arts, as well as the economic protection of artistic existence. The conditions for this became established in the Sorbian visual Arts from the 20s of the 20th century.
Tradition of gifting for children, known in Upper Sorbian as
Science for research and description of everyday- and festive culture, as well as lifestyle and related transformation processes in the past and present. In line with Czech role models, in the 19th century, the terms narodopis or etnografija were used for the Sorbian ethnography (or folklore); only in the 20th century gained the term “ludowěda” prominence as a designation for the subject.
Popular songs, orally transmitted over generationiedersorb. Folk songs are tied to traditions related to work and celebrations, they are sung by a regionally and socially determined community. A first written document about the existence of Sorbian folk songs is offered by court documents from Lower Lusatia dating back to the 16th century.
Literary work of amateur authors from the peasant, artisan or working class milieu, characterised in its best examples by pictorial description, original points-of-view and vivid vernacular. Sorbian folk literature was first delivered at the end of the 18th century in Upper Lusatia.
Popular ideas of disease and knowledge about remedies and methods, which have sometimes been particularly pronounced among the rural population. Ethnographic studies from the 19th century about the Sorbs describe their belief in fate and a ritualised treatment of illness and death, which neither rich nor poor could escape.
Traditional instruments that were mainly played for dancing. In the traditional sources, the
following instruments are considered characteristic of the Sorbs: the big and
the small bagpipe (Upper Sorbian
Parliamentary Democratic State Form of the German Empire from 1919 to 1933. Article 113 of the Weimar Constitution, according to which the “foreign-language districts of the Empire” were not allowed to be impaired in their free development, was not applied to the Sorbs because they – an autochthonous people without a motherland – were not considered a national minority.
In the broader sense, the German term for the language of West Slavic tribes, who, in the course of the great migration of peoples had settled between the Baltic Sea and the Erzgebirge, or in the Alpine countries (here, they were known with the variant word, „Windisch“ or Windish in English). In the narrower sense, historical German name for Sorbian, the two West Slavic languages spoken in Upper and Lower Lusatia.
Měšćanske cyrkwje w Hornjej a Delnjej Łužicy, kotrež su so za serbske kemše wužiwali. Jich kulturnostawizniski wuznam leži w tym, zo běchu prěnje twarjenja ze serbskim zaměrom. Jich eksistenca swědči wo připóznaću rěčneje wosebitosće Serbow přez cyrkej a komunu resp. knježkow.
Prěni, 1897–1904 natwarjeny towarstwowy dom wědomostno-kulturneho towarstwa Maćicy Serbskeje w Budyšinje. Wón słužeše hač do zakaza skutkowanja Domowiny 1937 jako centrum serbskich towarstwow. 1945 so zniči a njebu na starym městnje znowa natwarjeny. Jeho naslědny twar je Serbski dom na Budyskim Póstowym naměsće.
Alumnus for Catholic high school students and theology students from Upper Lusatia in Prague in Mala Strana (the Small Side), in the street named after it, U Lužického semináře, also known as the “Lusatian St. Peter Seminary” or “Seminarium St. Petri”.
Sprěnja tworjenje słowow přez zwjazanje korjentnych morfemow z druhimi słownymi zdónkami abo afiksami po wěstych modelach ze zaměrom rozšěrjenja słowoskłada, jeho diferenciacije abo precizowanja; Zdruha wučba wo zakładach a metodach słowotwórby, kotraž so mjez leksikologiju, semaziologiju a gramatiku zarjaduje.
Regulations for the exercise of a common industry and for the economic interests of the guilds. They were written in the Middle Ages and the early Modern Times by cities, confirmed by the city council and ensured the cohesion of the groups of artisans and other groups.
Koeksistenca – w zwisku z wobknježenjom, wužiwanjom a wobłukom płaćiwosće – dweju rěčow pola jednotliwcow (indiwiduelna dwurěčnosć), skupinow (kolektiwna dwurěčnosć) abo we wěstych kónčinach (dwurěčne regiony, staty). Dwurěčnosć abo bilingualizm je wosebity pad wjacerěčnosće.