Reviewed by Colette van Kerckvoorde, Bard College at Simon’s Rock

In 1998, the Federal Republic of Germany ratified the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, thereby promising that it would facilitate and encourage the use of (i) five specific regional languages (i.e. Danish and North Frisian in Schleswig-Holstein, Saterland Frisian in Lower Saxony, Lower Sorbian in Brandenburg, and Upper Sorbian in Saxony), (ii) one regional language (i.e. Low German), and (iii) one nonterritorial language (i.e. Romani). This Charter does not include the languages of recent immigrants to Germany that are much more present in the consciousness of the general public.

This book contains a brief introduction and a collection of eight papers about these languages, which were originally delivered at a 2007 conference in Bremen. Most of the papers are by members of each linguistic community and aim to be expository introductions: Each paper generally consists of an overview of the treatment of the language by the linguistic community in the past, a description of the current socio-political situation, statistical information, and an account of current initiatives to promote the use of the language and to preserve the culture, with a focus on education, the language of administration and public services, the media, and cultural activities.

Not surprisingly, all contributions follow a similar theme. Frequently, historical evidence indicates that use of the language was strongly discouraged in the past, which resulted in declining numbers of native speakers who are now senior members of the community, and children generally do not acquire the language as their mother tongue. As a rule, current speakers are bilingual and typically limit use of the minority language to interactions with immediate family members or with close friends. Attempts to revitalize the languages, especially in schools, face difficulties, because it is difficult to find qualified teachers who are also fluent speakers. Additionally, the minority language programs have to compete with English language instruction. The situation of Saterland Frisian serves as an example: In 1945, half of the Saterland population spoke the language. Currently, only twenty percent of approximately 10,000 inhabitants speak the language. Demographic changes and economic factors account for this decline: The region has seen an influx of people of non-Frisian origin who have no particular interest in adopting the minority language. Furthermore, industrialization affected the use of the language in the region. While the region has benefited economically, preservation of its cultural heritage is severely threatened. Efforts to revitalize Saterland Frisian are in place, but the lack of textbooks and pedagogical material in this language is an obstacle and the availability of fluent speakers is scarce. Volunteer programs exist; however these are primarily staffed by senior citizens, and thus it is difficult to make long-term plans.

All of the articles in this book are written in German and offer good introductions to the situation of the minority languages in Germany while highlighting the challenges that such languages face worldwide. Each author stresses that the future of their language is endangered.