Research Project: Sorbian Knowledge
Funded by:European Regional Development Fund
Title: Sorbenwissen
Duration: 3 years
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Prof. Dr. Christian Prunitsch, Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Slavic Studies
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Prof. Dr. Joachim Scharloth, Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of German Studies
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Dr. Hauke Bartels, Sorbian Institute (Bautzen)
in cooperation with the Sorbian Institute in Bautzen
The socio-economic developments in Lusatia over the past two decades have resulted in serious changes especially for the Sorbian population living there. One of the most disturbing consequences of these processes is obvious: The institutionalised formation of elites in the Sorbian minority culture is reaching its limits.
Against this background, Sorbian Studies in Germany are currently facing two major challenges. First, it must open itself to the impulses from other disciplines, which up to now have not always been sufficiently perceived, and show willingness to expand its own methodological instruments. Doing so, they should not lose sight of their most important objective, namely their transfer function for the Sorbian public. Second, they must also address the notorious lack of junior researchers mentioned above.
The project 'Sorbian knowledge' takes into account both these aspects. In the framework of an interdisciplinary junior research group, the academic projects of the individual members will analyse the historical conditions of the coexistence of Sorbs and Germans in Lusatia, using new methods of the history of knowledge and interdependence.
The results obtained will be integrated into the conception of a digital knowledge platform on Sorbian language, history, and culture. This way, identity-creating Sorbian cultural tradition under the influence of demographic change and the upcoming new generation in Sorbian Studies is kept alive in regional development.
Individual projects:
- ‘Sorben (er)zählen – Arnošt Mukas ‚Statistika łužiskich serbow‘’ (Sorbian Statistics - Arnošt Mukas) - Robert Lorenz
- ‘Das frühneuzeitliche sorbische Kirchwesen in der Niederlausitz – Sprachraum und Konstituierungsraum prämoderner sprachlicher/ethnischer Identität’ (The Early Modern Sorbian Church System in Lower Lusatia - Language and constitution area of pre-modern linguistic/ethnic identity) - Madlena Mahling
- ‘Diskurse und Praktiken der Selbstverortung im deutsch-sorbischen Kontaktraum’ (Discourses and Practices of Self-Positioning in the German-Sorbian Contact Space) - Radoslaw Buraczyński
- ‘Edition von sorbischen Lebensläufen aus Archiven der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeinde’ (Edition of Sorbian Live Stories from Archives of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeinde) - Lubina Mahling
The project has two objectives: the establishment of an interdisciplinary junior research group is expected to provide a critical assessment and revision of the current orientation of Sorbian Studies as an academic discipline in terms of methodology and ideology. The junior research group becomes a driving force for innovation in that it not only complements current scientific projects but also enriches them with new, socially relevant impulses. It can therefore be understood as a laboratory for 21st century Sorbian Studies. The challenges arising from digitisation do also affect Sorbian Studies. The second objective of the project, therefore, is the drafting of a digital knowledge platform. On the one hand, this should support language preservation by using digital means. On the other hand, it should make important testimonies of Sorbian culture from past and present accessible to a broad public that is not only academic.
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