Image film of the exhibition:
Video of the ceremonial opening in the Bundestag on 17 March 2022:
The travelling exhibition devoted to the four autochthonous national minorities and the Low German speakers’ group. “What do you mean – ‘minority’? – Danes ∙ Frisians ∙ Sorbs/Wends ∙ German Sinti and Roma ∙ Low German Speakers“
The linguistic and cultural diversity in Germany, the history and role of the national minorities and the Low German language speakers’ group – all these are little known in Germany and could even be called a closely guarded secret. Each of the national minorities has presented itself and various focal areas of its work in different ways. But there has never before been a joint presentation at a federal level involving all four national minorities and the Low German language speakers’ group.
A long-term joint project finally became reality beginning in 2019: a joint travelling exhibition! The aim of this project is to present the Danish minority, the Frisian ethnic group, the Lusatian Sorbs and the German Sinti and Roma in relation to their history, culture, and language, while also including representatives of the Low German language speakers’ group. The exhibition website provides interesting information about the exhibitors, the groups presented, the exhibition’s touring route, and much more.
The touring exhibition opened at the German Parliament, the Bundestag, in March 2022, and will travel to all 16 German federal states by 2027.
The touring exhibition was organised under the aegis of the Minority Secretariat in collaboration with the Minority Council and the Federal Council for Low German (Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch).
Project lead:
Judit Šołćina/Scholze
Project management:
Johanna Panse, Veronika Bjarsch
Curation:
Dr. Robert Lorenc
The exhibition team was assisted by a committee of experts consisting of representatives of the four autochthonous national minorities and ethnic groups and the Low German speaker group.
Expert panel and advisory institutions:
Jan Raatzsch | Dokumentations- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sinti und Roma Heidelberg | www.dokuzentrum.sintiundroma.de
Christiane Ehlers | Niederdeutschsekretariat Hamburg | www.niederdeutschsekretariat.de
Christoph Schmidt | Nordfriisk Instituut Bräist/Bredstedt | www.nordfriiskinstituut.eu
Grietje Kammler und Bernd Grünefeld | Ostfriesische Landschaft, Plattdüütskbüro Auerk/Aurich | www.ostfriesischelandschaft.de
Johanna Evers und Karl-Peter Schramm | Seelter Buund Seelterlound/Saterland | www.saterland.de
Christina Bogusz | Serbski muzej/Sorbisches Museum Budyšin/Bautzen | www.sorbisches-museum.de
Martina Noack und Steffen Krestin | Städtische Sammlungen, Serbski muzej/Wendisches/Museum Chóśebuz/Cottbus | www.wendisches-museum.de
Tine Andresen | Sydslesvigsk Forening Flensborg/Flensburg | www.syfo.de
The organisation of the joint interactive touring exhibition receives support from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and of Community as a result of a decision by the German Bundestag.