15 Facts About Sorbs

Sorbs are a West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg.

Sorbs traditionally speak the Sorbian languages, which are closely related to Czech, Polish, Kashubian, Silesian, and Slovak.

Some scholars consider that the contemporary Sorbs are descendants of the two largest Sorbian tribes, the Milceni and Lusici, and these tribes' respective dialects have developed into separate languages.

Young Sorbs enlisted in the Wehrmacht and were sent to the front.

The Sorbs were officially recognized as an ethnic minority, more than 100 Sorbian schools and several academic institutions were founded, the Domowina and its associated societies were re-established and a Sorbian theatre was created.

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Nevertheless, Sorbs experienced greater representation in the German Democratic Republic than under any other German government.

Domowina had status as a constituent member organization of the National Front, and a number of Sorbs were members of the Volkskammer and State Council of East Germany.

Liquidations of Sorbian schools, even in areas mostly populated by Sorbs, still happen, under the pretext of financial difficulties or demolition of whole villages to create lignite quarries.

In 1912, the social and cultural organization of Lusatian Sorbs was created, the Domowina Institution - the union of Sorbian organizations.

For over 1000 years, the Sorbs were able to maintain and even develop their national culture, despite escalating Germanization and Polonization, mainly due to the high level of religious observance, cultivation of their tradition and strong families .

The majority of the Sorbs were organized in the Domowina, though, and did not wish to split from Germany.

Shrove Tuesday festival Zapust is the most popular tradition of the Sorbs, deeply linked to the working life of the community.

Flag of the Lusatian Sorbs is a cloth of blue, red and white horizontal stripes.

Previously, the songs “Still Sorbs Have Not Perished” and “Our Sorbs Rise from the Dust” served as a hymn.

Persecution of the Sorbs reached its climax under the Nazis, who attempted to completely assimilate and Germanize them.