Melting ice

On our journey to Lower Silesia we came across rather unexpectedly in Buczyny (near the border crossing in Olszyn, between Trzebiel and Żarka Wielkie) to a private Lusatia museum. They run it together with the agritourism farm and Łużycka Inn Zdzisława and Jan Solarzów. 1 of the cottages contains a tiny Museum of Lusatian Culture.

The thought is excellent – just behind Buczyny there was a border between advanced and Lower Lusatia. In the advanced was close Łęknica, in Lower – Żary and Lubsko. The two, lying on the right bank of Lysa Lusatia, were called East Lusatia. Lusatia were driven out of the cities as early as the 16th century, and after 1945 single families were left in the village.

Today's Lusatia lies west of the Oder and north of the Lusatian Mountains; it occupies about 30,000 km2 in the basins of Spree, Black Elstera and Nysa. They share in advanced with the center in Budziszyn, and Lower with the center in Chociebuj. East Lusatia entered Lower Silesia in 1945.

These lands settled Slavs in the 6th century. Leaching – little correctly: Lusatia Serbs, Serbs, Wends – are divided into Upper, mostly Catholics, and Lowers – Protestants. The languages of both groups are similar, but somewhat different.

Although inactive in Lusatia in VIII they fought the Franconian armies, they never formed their own state. Marchia (margrave) Lusatia came under the control of Germans, Czechs, even Poles (1002-1031). As of 1462 the Lower Lusatias were under the authority of Brandenburg, in the 30-year war (1618-1648) half of Lusatias died and the occupied territory importantly decreased. Napoleon briefly united the 2 parts of Lusatia, but the Vienna legislature (1815) divided them again into the confederate part of Saxon (minor) and northern part of Prussian (greater).

The process of Germanization intensified, but at the same time a national revival took place, mainly by promoting the language – for the first time it was possible to read the Bible in Lusatia. Socio-cultural organizations were formed, literature developed, although limited to poesy and novels – there was no area for novels in a fewer newspapers...

After planet War I, the Lusatia delegation failed to get either state or even autonomy in Versailles. From 1935 to 1938, all Lusatia organizations were dissolved and activists were placed in concentration camps. From 1942 to 1944, the Lużycki National Committee operated in Warsaw, but after the Second planet War no Lusatia state was created either, although a federation with the Czechs was proposed – the victorious powers did not want to weaken Germany. W Polish affairs (1946) Edmund Ottoman dedicated the full chapter to the Lusatia, their thousand-year quest for independency and the fight against Germanization. Later, the Lusatia subject disappeared from the Polish press and radio.

In 1950. Lusatia gained cultural autonomy from the GDR, the activity of national organizations resumed, bilingual names of the village were allowed, reactivated education, artistic ensembles were formed.

Lusatia numbers gradually declined. The authoritative German census prior to the war lowered their number, the Lusatia were more optimistic. In 1945 it was estimated that there were 150-200 1000 Lusatias, in 1987 it knew the languages of Lusatia 89 thousand, but only 45 1000 were admitted to the Lusatia nationality.

After joining East Germany, there was an accelerated migration (mainly young people) to the western lands, where it was easier for jobs and prosperity. National movement has revived in Lusatia, especially in the press, literature, music, science. Apart from regular, short radio broadcasts, however, only Brandenburg tv broadcasts a half-hour dolnołużycka broadcast all period – advanced Lusatia did not have it on Saxon tv in 1996.

Germany does not, as is known, recognise national minorities – another than the Danish and the Fries in Schleswig; Leaching is considered autochthons, ‘local’. Their efforts to enter in the individual evidence: ‘the Lusatia nation’ failed. [Let us note that this is not the same as the group's efforts to shout for “Silesian nationality”]

Leaching is simply a bilingual and bicultural nation, which is their strength, but it is besides a threat. Assimilation (Germanization) Lusatia has lasted for centuries. It was facilitated by the industrialisation of the country, limiting the scope of agrarian culture to date. The prevailing national German language, mixed marriages, departure from the ancient customs and religion of the ancestors have a immense influence. Lusatia activist Ewa Czornakec said with bitterness: “Although there is no enemy in an atheistic country, Lusatia assimilation is helped by consumer thinking, innate laziness, fearfulness, progressive spiritual indifference, and the non-use of Lusatia speech on a regular basis, as well as the increasing reluctance of Germans to foreigners, including Lusatia in their own country.” Tomasz Nawka concludes: “Money has now become a value greater than national awareness, especially in a culturally attractive and civilizational environment. The problems with teaching the Lusatia language are not only due to financial constraints of the state but besides to changes in social mentality: children are asking about the cost-effectiveness of learning their household language!’

Is it amazing that the number of Lusatias is now estimated at 30-35 thousand? Is it any consolation that according to Jan Solarz, 135 children in schools in East Lusatia, that is, in Poland?

Emigration Lusatia is not a fresh phenomenon. In the 19th century, they emigrated due to the economical crisis to America and Australia. It happened that patriotic motivations were at the basis of the decision to leave the homeland (similar to the age that was later emigrated not from Poland but from the Polish People's Republic). For example, Pastor Jan Kilian brought together six 100 parishioners to make fresh Lusatia in Texas, where the full Lusatia nation would then settle, avoiding Germanization and discrimination. The minutes from the meetings were written in Lusatia, books in German. Now there is English in the settlement, and no 1 knows Lusatia.

It was akin in Australia, where Lusatia migrants settled in the vicinity of Melbourne and Adelaide. The settlements are disappearing, the Lusatia language died with the death of the first residents, and since 1900 it has not been spoken in German either.

There is nothing unusual about it, that is the destiny of all emigration. In the first generation, they are considered patriots, even “better” than “slaved” compatriots remaining in the country Further developments follow a well - known pattern: emigrants mostly form mixed marriages. The language of household communication becomes the language of the country of residence. First, contact with literature and national culture breaks down, it absorbs a fresh one, from good night to movies and books, then the awareness of national identity disappears, the adoption of – the right thing – the attitude of a loyal citizen of a fresh homeland, or a cosmopolitan citizen of the world. spiritual and folk customs and rites are the longest, but they are lost in form. There is only the awareness of roots, sometimes participation in cultural associations, artistic teams and an emotional attitude towards the country of ancestors – usually positive, although this is not a rule.

I inactive have an explanation for the title. Well, in 1996 I saw a Lusatia documentary about fates and the inactive decreasing number of Lusatias. The movie was called The Melting part of Ice. A visit to Buczyny reminded me of the subject, I reached for the Ottoman again.

I do not think another nations and national states will divide the destiny of Lusatia and Lusatia. But 1 cannot neglect to know what awaits the largest iceberg, which will break distant from the parent glacier and drift across the ocean...

Krzysztof Gutorski

The author is simply a elder of the National Camp, he was a longtime publicist of “The Country Weekly”. In January 2023, he turns 94.