May 2004

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SECOND PERIODICAL REPORT ON THE CHARTER BY GERMANY PRESENTED

May 2004 – Germany’s second periodical report on the implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (2 April 2004) showed the contribution of this country to its regional and minority languages. In the text, Germany draws attention to the fact that the available human and financial resources have been allocated to carry out the respective implementation measures. In the report, Germany contests the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers and includes contains some comments by the minorities or language groups concerned, such as the Danish minority, which apart from describing what has been achieved also considers that the implementation of the Charter can play a decisive role in the preservation of the Danish language in the Land of Schleswig-Holstein. Among other aspects, the report also outlines that the number of speakers of Low German (a regional language within the meaning of the Charter) continues to decrease, due to the fact that “the Low German dialects no longer fulfil any public function”. As for the minority languages protected by Germany, these are the languages of national minorities and other ethnic groups traditionally resident in the country, i.e. Danish, Sorbian (Upper Sorbian of Upper Lusatia and Lower Sorbian –or Wendish– of Lower Lusatia), Frisian (North Frisian and Saterland Frisian) and Romany (of the German Sinti and Roma).