Sorbian

Sorbian refers to a West Slavic ethno-linguistic group native to Lusatia, a region in eastern Germany. It also denotes the closely related Sorbian languages, Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian, spoken in eastern Saxony and western Brandenburg. The Sorbs are a recognized national minority within Germany and maintain distinct cultural traditions.

Geographically, Upper Sorbian is concentrated around Bautzen (Budyšin) and Görlitz in Saxony, while Lower Sorbian is used south and east of Cottbus in Brandenburg. The languages are not mutually intelligible and each has its own standardized form used in education, media, and local administration.

Speaker numbers have declined since the 19th century due to assimilation, though efforts to promote Sorbian culture persist. Estimates put the number of people identifying as Sorbian in the tens of thousands, with several thousand fluent in everyday Sorbian. The languages are taught in some schools and used in regional broadcasting, literature, and cultural events.

Domowina is the umbrella organization coordinating Sorbian cultural and political life. There are Sorbian-language media outlets, schools offering Sorbian instruction, cultural festivals, and bilingual signage in parts of Lusatia, supported by state and federal minority rights under German law and by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Historically, Sorbs descend from West Slavic populations in Lusatia who settled the region in the early medieval period. Over centuries, language shift and political pressures affected the community, with suppression during the Nazi era. After World War II and German reunification, minority rights were reaffirmed, and Sorbian languages have continued to be cultivated in public life.