Domowina President Statnik on 75 Years of the Sorbian Gymnasium in Bautzen / Budyšin

09.09.2022

Domowina press release from 08.09.2022:

Domowina Chairman Statnik on 75 Years of the Sorbian Grammar School in Bautzen

The Sorbian grammar school was founded on 1 September 1947 as the "Sorbian Secondary School" in Bautzen/Budyšin. The opening took place on 8 September 1947. The school building was located at Kurt-Pchalek-Straße 15. On the occasion of today's 75th anniversary of the school's opening, the chairman of the Domowina, Dawid Statnik, was also invited to speak at the commemorative event. The Lower Sorbian Grammar School in Cottbus-Chóśebuz will also be celebrating an anniversary this weekend: 70 years of the school, together with this year's Schadowanka in Lower Lusatia (https://www.nsg-cottbus.de/de/aktuelles/aktuelle-meldungen/artikel-traditionen-trachten-tests-wir-feiern-unser-70-jubilaeum.html).

Domowina chairman Dawid Statnik explains on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Sorbian grammar school in Bautzen/Budyšin:

"It is the only grammar school in the world that teaches Upper Sorbian at a mother tongue level. The school is therefore a good partner for us, also in connection with the boarding school of the WITAJ Language Centre (RCW) under the sponsorship of the Domowina. The district and the Free State have so far faithfully fulfilled the constitutional mandate for this school, and we expect this to continue in the future.

We would like to see easier access for Sorbian-speaking career changers to the teaching profession at Sorbian schools and that problems in pupil transport are always solved in favour of Sorbian families. The state and the district should be even more aware of the significance and importance of Sorbian for the profile of the region. Every rejected pupil can be a missing Sorbian teacher in the future. Teachers are the builders of the foundations for the continued existence of our Sorbian people. According to the motto of Jakub Bart-Ćišinski: "Cherish and cultivate the language of our ancestors and their loyalty to Sorbian! - Therefore, we ask them to consistently use our mother tongue.

Exchanges with the Lower Sorbian grammar school in Cottbus, with Sorbian institutions and with other national minorities are essential pillars of the grammar school with a living Sorbian soul. As a gift, I brought five balls - either for geometry or for sports. Also as a sign of dynamism. The grammar school pupils have already supported the digitisation of Sorbian very enthusiastically so far and they will also help to ensure the future of the Sorbian institutions. In this sense: let's get to work together!"