Współczesne szkolnictwo łużyckie - nadzieje i zagrożenia

Abstract

Lusatians - also called Serbianlusatians or Lusatian Serbs (Lusatian name: Sorbia, Sorbian People, German name: Wenden, Sorben) - are the smallest of Slavic nations (about 60-100 thousand people) who inhabit mainly the south-eastern regions of Federal Republic of Germany. Serbolusatian ethnic area comprises terrains along the Spree River, as far as Spreewald (the so-called Swamps). One can see it on the map of south-eastern Brandemburg, (Lower Lusatia) and eastern part of Saxony (Higher Lusatia). The first part of this publication briefly presents developments of Serbolusatian schooling from 16th century until the unification of Germany in 1991, with particular emphasis on educational policy of the German Democratic Republic towards this tiny Slavic nation. The second part presents problems and challenges of Serbolusatian social and cultural institutions at the beginning of the new millennium, as well as contemporary state of Serbolusatian schooling. Particular attention is paid to ‘Welcome’ educational programme and the dispute concerning Lusatian junior high school in Chróścice.