| The Vends and the Germans |
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Bitte, was sind eigentlich die Sorben? | |
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The Vendic Crown | |
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Vendic Jewelry | |
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Jaxa de Copnic | |
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Pomerania | |
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Lusatia | |
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Decorative costumes and Kokotwapas | |
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The secrecy of names | |
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Vendic place names in Lusatia and their original meaning | |
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Names of streets in Berlin | |
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Serbske Nowiny | |
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Hallo in Cottbus | |
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Zapust - Pust - Shrove-tide | |
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The Maypole | |
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The 'Blaudruck' | |
| Bitte, was sind eigentlich die Sorben? |
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| Auch die Kleinsten tragen schon die traditionellen Trachten der Sorben |
| 5. Juni 2008 |
| Selbstverständlich sind Ihnen die Begriffe Handicap, Sonnenschutz und Autorenschmuck vertraut. Selbstverständlich wissen Sie auch ganz genau, was die Sorben sind. Es ist Ihnen nur eben entfallen. Keine Sorge, wir helfen Ihnen hier gerne auf die Sprünge. |
| Sorben, wo liegt das denn? Wer jetzt hektisch mit dem Finger auf dem Globus nach einem Land sucht, das der Erinnerung nach irgendwo in der Nähe von Polen liegt, dem sei gesagt, dass die Bezeichnung "Sorben" keinen Ort meint, sondern ein westslawisches Volk, das kein eigenes Land besitzt, sondern als anerkannte nationale Minderheit in Deutschland lebt. |
| Je nach Schätzungen gibt es heute zwischen 20.000 und 60.000 Sorben, die sich zum Großteil in der Oberlausitz in Sachsen und in der Niederlausitz in Brandenburg niedergelassen haben. Im Zuge der Völkerwanderung kamen ihre slawischen Vorfahren im 6. Jahrhundert in das fast unbewohnte Gebiet. |
| "Sorben" hießen damals noch diejenigen Stämme, die zwischen Saale und Mulde siedelten. Erst während des Mittelalters und der Frühen Neuzeit wurden dann auch die Bewohner der Lausitz als Sorben bezeichnet. |
| Die Sorben sprechen und schreiben neben Deutsch zwei verschiedene Sprachen, nämlich Obersorbisch und Niedersorbisch. Damit auch die Jüngeren diese Sprachen noch lernen, gibt es sorbische Schulen, die entweder Sorbisch als Unterrichtssprache haben oder sorbischen Sprachunterricht anbieten. An Festtagen werden traditionelle Bräuche gepflegt und Trachten getragen, in der katholischen Gegend sind sie sogar Alltagskleidung. In den Verfassungen von Sachsen und Brandenburg wird den Sorben das Recht gewährleistet, ihre eigene Kultur und Sprache zu pflegen und die sorbische Flagge in Blau-Rot-Weiß gleichberechtigt neben staatlichen Symbolen zu führen. |
| Die Sorben haben nicht nur eigene Radio- und Fernsehprogramme im RBB und im MDR und eigene Zeitungen, sondern auch eine eigene Partei, die Wendische Volkspartei. Aktuell ist gerade ein Sorbe zum neuen Ministerpräsident von Sachsen gewählt worden. Stanislaw Tillich kandidierte allerdings nicht für die Wendische Volkspartei, sondern für die CDU. |
| ~~ |
| The Vends and the Germans |
| On the Traces of a Submerged Nation |
| The Vendic Crown |
| by Dr. Jožko Šavli, FAS, KdB, FSAI |
| Fellow of the Augustan Society |
| Knight de Bryan |
| Fellow of Sodality of the Ark International |
| There are lots and lots of Vendic names (Wendische Namen) to be found all over middle and eastern Germany. Alongside the Elbe River we meet an entire region called Wendland (Vendic land). Let's go further and look at other places like Wedemark (Vendic march) near the city of Hannover in ancient Saxony, or Stemwede (Vendic stock area) close to Osnabrück, Windeck (Vendic corner) in the proximity of Bonn, and so on... not to mention the multitude of names of localities that begin with Windiest-, Wendisch-, Wend-, Bend-, Wendel- and so forth. Nowadays Bavaria was once called Vindelicia back in Roman times. The names turn up in such an abundance, that a person, who is completely engrossed with this matter, is putting the question to himself: Do today's Germans really derive from the ancient Germans (Germanen) only, or are they rather much more closely related to the descendants of the Vendic people? A people, whose existence finds its silent witnesses in those, who still bear their names. |
| It is significant to mention, that in Roman and in pre-historic times not only the language distinguished individual nations, but also their ethnological and social characteristics made a difference. The social structure of Germans was based on clans (Sippe), a real and an imaginary community of relatives. They worshipped, like the Celts, the oak as their mythological tree of life. In contrast to them were the Vends, whose basis of social structure was the village community, and their tree of life was the linden. This is the only difference we want to point out here, because it remained preserved through the centuries of the Middle Ages, as the Vends gradually accepted the German language and became (linguistic) Germans. |
| In the Roman Empire, people who were subjugated after many battles were not recognised anymore by their social structure and ethnical characteristics. They were without proper law (jus, lex), called strangers - peregrini dedititii. But several people like the Germans conserved their jus gentium, i.e., their national structure. After the decline of the Roman Empire, many kingdoms and dukedoms as well as the existence of many nations were still based on such a leges, like lex Salica (the Franks), lex Alamannorum (Swabians), lex Bagoariorum (Bavarians), lex Saxonum (Saxonians)... and there also existed the Vendic law. |
| Researching the traces of the spreading linden tree in people's life throughout Germany brought surprising results. In nearly three-quarter of present-day German territory, it is not the oak that represents the ancient tree of life in the villages, but the linden. It is called the village linden (Dorflinde). In the 8th century, St. Boniface, a German apostle, let cut down an oak tree near Kassel, because it was the object of pagan worshipping. There also seemed to be a dividing line between the Vendic territory and the ancient Germans, who at that point in time proceeded further until Bremen in the North. Further researches give evidence that the linden tree was accepted as a Christian symbol, and therefore it was not to be cut down. It appears also in medieval illustrations with its characteristic leaves in shapes of heart-form. |
| In this way the linden tree was preserved in German villages and became very popular among people. There is a famous avenue in Berlin called Unter den Linden (Under the linden trees), but nobody knows the very ancient roots of the linden symbolism. |
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From the Sachsenspiegel (Saxon Mirror), a German judicial book of ca. 1275: ... Sachse, Wende und Wendin, Jude... (Saxon, Vendic man and woman, Jew). It is evident, that the Vendic woman, too, was recognised as a subject of law. |
| Let us return to the Middle Ages, a time, when nationalistic and linguistic discriminations did not exist. But a dominant feudal system with German characteristics established spontaneously the supremacy of the German language. However, the ethnic appurtenance of a man did not refer to his language, but to his juridical group. The German judicial book called Saxenspiegel (Saxon Mirror, ca. 1275) distinguished, among others, the following subjects of law... Sachse (Saxon), Jude (Jew), as well as Wende and Wendin (Vendic man and woman). |
| Here, we see a very significant fact: The Vendic woman, in contrast to the German and the Jewish one, was a subject of law. Therefore, she had juridical capacity and the capacity to act. It is well known, that particularly in the Medieval Slovenian (Vendic) State of Carantania, the noble women made donations of properties especially to churches, founded monasteries etc. All this happened in sense of the Vendic law which, because of the identity between Vendic and Slav languages, was called Slavica lex. In case of the Germanic law, such a juridical capacity pertained to the male only. |
| Throughout the centuries in the Middle Ages and later on, the question of German "national" origin did not appear at all in the historical German States. Under Napoleons occupation at the beginning of the 19th century, however, the movement for a unification of all German States was born in the minds of young German students. The movement needed it's "raison d'être", based on the supposedly common origin: all Germans must have been descendants of the ancient Germans. Therefore, they should live in a unique state, in the new edition of their historical Reich. - It was irony, that this aim was finally fulfilled by the potent Prussians (1871), a nation of Baltic origin, although they already spoke German. |
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| Vendic Jewelry |
| These two pieces were excavated in Weimar and in Cottbus. The Wends were an agrarian people, who were engaged in cattle breeding, fishing, hunting and beekeeping. At the threshold of the 8/9th century the exchange of goods between clans and foreign trade took on a new meaning. Several important trade routes crossed the Niederlausitz. In regards to crafts and industry, the Wends made a beginning in the mining industry, linen weaving, weapon forging art, and foundry melt operation, in which they produced pagan gods and decorative items. |
| The Wends exported fur, grain, horses, salt and honey. In return they received weapons, silver and decorative items from Byzanz, Arabia and Scandinavia. |
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| Fort and settlement of Tornow in the 7/8th century |
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| Small king. This Zikaden fibula jewelry looks like a small face with crown. It is a decorative needle used on garments. Found in ca. 500 in Weimar. |
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| Golden bracelets found in Cottbus in the first half of the 5th century |
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| The Vendic Crown |
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The Vendic Crown, ancient insignia of the dukes of Obodriti, a Vendic people that settled in present-day Mecklenburg (Weligrad). The crown consists of a green-enamelled hinged ring, adorned with an emerald. |
| People from individual German States (like Saxony, Mecklenburg, Bavaria, Baden, Würtemberg...), that were gradually absorbed by Prussia, did not resist the unification, because the idea of a unique German nation already overflowed all German speaking territories, and it even menaced Austria's multinational monarchy. Relative to this it should be mentioned, that in Mecklenburg (Weligrad) at that time, an ancient Vendic province, although already German speaking, an ordinance of two dukes reigning there, could be considered as a gesture of opposition against the Prussian hegemonies. |
| There, the Vendic Crown, the ancient insignia of the dukes of the original Vendic people of Obodriti, was treated as a national symbol. Reason for this was, that in this territory the Obodriti dukedom was in a way part of the German feudal system and conserved its Vendic peculiarity for a very long time in the Middle Ages. |
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| A silver coin minted in 1157 AD by Prince Jakša de Copnic, the Vendic ruler of Kopnik (Copnic), today Köpenick, a suburb of Berlin. |
| The original silver coin with the effigy of Jakša de Copnic is on exhibition at the Foundation/Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, Märkisches Museum, as confirmed by Claus-Dieter Sprink from Heimatmuseum Köpenick. |
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To the right: On the abverse we see Jaxa's effigy. In his right hand he is holding a banner and in his left a palm branchlet. | |
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To the left: On the reverse he is holding in his right hand a sword (symbol of judicial power) and again a palm branchlet in his left. The latter represents a symbol of peace, which can only be assured by a righteous ruler. | |
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| Jaxa de Copnic |
 Fortresss of Köpenick and settlement on the island of the Dahme
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| The Fortress Kopnik (Köpenick) was built around 825 AD on an island between two river-courses by the Wends, called the Sprevani/Sprewanen, who were the inhabitants of the Spreva/Spree river basin. The first fortress and its reconstruction was destroyed twice. But in the 12th century AD, a great fortified town was built at its place, which became the seat of the Vendic Prince Jakša - Jaxa de Copnic. He was the Margrave of the domains Dahme - Spreewald/Spreva-land (Brandenburg). He was also the beginner of the Triglav stock (Tiwaz-line). His direct children were Konrad von Wettin, Danielle Diron and Ralf Keller. Further descendents were: Samuel, Jemeel, Moebius (Caitiff), Daryl Lutz - In 1153, Prince Jakša conquered the Fortress of Brandenburg (Branibor). However, four years later he was expelled from there by Albrecht the Bear (Bär), who took possession of the fortress as "Margrave" of Brandenburg. |
| One of the oldest legends of Brandenburg plays around the small Grunewald peninsula called Schildhorn. |
| In 1141 died Pribislaw, the Prince of the Wends, and his lands with the diocese Brennabor*, today's city of Brandenburg, were given by hereditary contract to Margrave Albrecht the Bear. At that time, the Wends inhabited the whole area between Elbe and Oder, Havel and Riesengebirge (Giant-mountains). Under Jaczo von Köpenick, an uncle of the deceased Pribislaw, they revolted against Albrecht and engaged him in heavy fights, which lasted for years. Not earlier then in 1157, he succeeded to defeat them in a crucial battle in the area of Spandau and drove them back from their territory between Prignitz and Havel. Their homesteads were distributed among settlers from Westphalia and the Netherlands. |
| A legend remained preserved from these days, whose hero is exactly this Jaczo von Köpenick (Jaxa de Copnic). After the battle was lost, he made a narrow escape from these victorious Brandenburg cavalrymen. He already believed to have saved his skin, when he was suddenly faced with an insurmountable obstacle: the Havel, which had risen to a rapid river from the heavy rains. But there was no other way out. The enemy was close at his heels, he had no choice but to conquer the river. And with a fervent prayer to Triglav, the three-headed God of the Wends, he steered his horse into the tides. But the Havel was broad, and the fleeing rider's armament was too heavy for the horse, which had to fight with the rapid current. In the middle of the stream it threatened to sink, dragging him down into the abyss. In his back the always closer coming calls of his pursuers, in front of him an almost certain death in the waves, in his extreme distress, he tore Triglav's picture from his neck and threw it away. "Now, then, God of the Christians, you, who assists my enemies in such a visible way, I will belong to you for ever, if you only could help me right now!" That is what he cried out in his last despair. A few moments later his horse gained firm soil under its hooves, and soon thereafter, he found himself sound and safe on a small spit of land. As thank-offering he fastened his shield and horn to the trunk of a pine tree. The legend tells so anyway. |
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| Jaxa von Köpenick was probably christianised by 1150, because the brakteate presents Jaxa decorated with the Christian symbols made up of a palm branch and the double cross. |
| About seven hundred years later a commemorative column was erected at the same place, showing a reproduction of Jaczo's shield and horn. It became the landmark of Schildhorn. |
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| Jaxa-Memorial at Schildhorn around 1900 |
| (Havel at the Jaczo-Gorge) |
| Has per fauces, Jaczo, princeps slavorum, ab Alberto Ursu pulsus, ad habelam evasit. |
| Anno Domini MCLVII. |
| Translation: |
| Through this gorge Lord Jaczo was pursued by Albrecht the Bear and driven into the Havel. |
| This happened in the year 1157. (source: Wikipedia) |
| There is no historical evidence that this really happened. However, the legend, first time narrated in 1823 by Professor and Konrektor Valentin Heinrich Schmidt of the Köllnische Stadtschule, was the base with historical meaning for the Memorial at Schildhorn. Theodor Fontane, who captured the legend in his first edition of the first volume of the "Walking Tours", said in his own words: But his shield, which God's finger had touched, he left at the place where this wonderful rescue took place. The pagan's shield became his shield of Christian faith.Also the name "Schildhorn" has hardly anything to do with the legend, because many small spits of land in Brandenburg's lakes and rivers have names which end on "horn", like Rupenhorn, Heckeshorn and so on. |
| *Definition of the word Brennabor: |
| Brennabor is a compounded word. Brenna derives from the word "braniti", meaning defence. The word bor originates from the same root as the Indian "pur", which stands for fortress in English, or Burg in German. |
 Slavic territory around 1150
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| On May 12, 1864, the sovereigns of both dukedoms of Mecklenburg, the Grand Duke Frederic Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Grand Duke Frederic William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, founded the House Order of the Vendic Crown. The order received a Great Cross, a Great Commander Cross, a Commander Cross, and a Knight Cross. The first one with the golden Vendic Crown, was destined for princes and could have been imparted to the female line also. When it was awarded to other persons, it was an absolute must that they had to be at least in the ranking predicate of "Excellence". The blue medallion of the order bore the devise: for Schwerin PER ASPERA AD ASTRA (in Lat. through grievance carried to the stars), and for Strelitz AVITO VIRET HONORE (in Lat. he blossoms in his ancestral honour). The house order appeared on the chain under the coat of arms of Mecklemburg-Schwerin until 1918. |
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| But where did the Vendic people disappear to? |
| Today, they speak German and more eastwards mostly Polish. However, they still have conserved plenty of their original culture and traditions, for example, the linden tree in the villages. Until the WW1, and also later, the dance of young people around the linden (Lindentanz) remained preserved. Further, the maypole (Maibaum) at the entrance of the villages still today bears witness of the ancient Vendic rural culture, also numerous stories and customs are preserved and revived in German language. |
| In which manner did such an idyllic Vendic custom influence a town full of German (Medieval) traditions? The hypothesis, that the symbiosis of the spiritual tradition of the Vendic rural culture together with the world of the German city might have born the great culture of a modern German nation has not been examined yet. |
| Under the surfaces of modern languages, besides German and Polish, which in present-day are spread throughout the pre-historic territory of the Urnfield culture (after 1200 BC), two historical Vendic provinces clearly distinguish themselves: The province of Pomerania and that of Lusatia. |
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| Pomerania |
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| A group of Kashubians during the performance of their folk songs |
| It is called Pomerania (Pommern, Pomorze) because of its geographical location alongside the Baltic Sea. The Vendic people in this territory go back to the pre-historic Lusatian Culture (1500 - 1100 BC), which later on found its continuation in this Venedic culture, that lasted from the 2nd century BC until the 6th century AD. The Celts invaded the Venedic culture everywhere else except in Pomerania, where the so-called Oksywie group was to be found. |
| It is very probable that the Oksywie people were the ancestors of Pomeranians. Some of them, who still spoke a particular dialect before the WW2, were called Slovinci. By their German neighbours, however, the Pomeranians were called in general the Winden. The original language is still preserved in the linguistic group called Kashubians. The old centre of their cultural activity was Danzig (Gdansk), where they had their "Dom kaszubski". |
| Even at the turn of the 20th century the German statistics established in the area of Danzig ca. 123,000 Kashubians (Vends). But ca. 55,000 of them were of Catholic religion and declared themselves Polish. To this very day, Poland does not recognise the Kashubians as a particular ethnic group and they are not taught in their mother tongue. But their traditions and language are precious cultural remains of a very ancient time. |
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The Griffon in the arms of Pomerania. In early Christianity it symbolised the double nature of Christ. It is very probable that the Pomeranians adopted it during their Christianization. |
| The historical symbol and the arms of Pomerania are the Griffon (gryps). It is an antique mythological Being: Half lion and half eagle combined in the same figure. Therefore it symbolised in early Christianity the celestial (eagle) and the terrestrial (lion) powers, meaning the double nature of Christ. It is very possible that Pomeranians adopted it together with Christianization and then preserved it until today. |
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| Lusatia |
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| Reconstruction of the one-time Slawenburg Raddusch (Vendic castle Raddusch) in Lower Lusatia (Niederlausitz) in Germany, 8th century. Over 1000 years ago this Vendic castle was erected between Lübbenau und Vetschau on the cross border of Spreewald and Lower Lusatia. |
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| The "Slawenburg Raddusch" is situated in the territory, where the Vendic tribe named "Lusizi" had settled. The Sorbian minority, which have survived in this area, are descendants of the "Lusizi". The outside of the castle, built 1000 years ago, has been preserved in the old style, but its interior decoration is styled in a modern way with huge floor spaces, function rooms, gastronomy and a castle shop. |
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| Five Vendic castles had to disappear as sacrifices of mining in the last century and were analyzed just before they were overexcavated - Tornow, Schönfeld, Presenchen, Groß Lübbenau and RADDUSCH |
| Such castles were ground-wood-constructions. It was hard work to pile up the oaks and to put them together with branches to make them stable. Then the gaps were filled up with sand, ground and loam. The already defending character of the building was backed additionally by the rampant made with speckled willow. So the mounds got a high of 9 meters. The castle in Raddusch had two tunnelgates, through those you could reach the inside after crossing the creek. |
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| The walls of the one-time Vendic castle (Wendenburg) Raddusch in Lower Lusatia (Niederlausitz) in Germany, 8th century. |
| This castle pertained to the Vends, a people dwelling in the territory of the present-day eastern Germany. The people, who gradually adopted the German language, are still living there, but today only a few of them in Upper and Lower Lusatia are speaking the native tongue of their ancestors. |
| The province of Lusatia (Luzica, Lausitz) was the centre of the Lusatian Culture, the model of the Vends. Around 1200 BC they spread through many migrations the so-called Urnfield culture to diverse parts of Europe, which changed not only the material but also the spiritual image of the ancient continent. The Vendic people in Lusatia were never occupied by the Celts and not even by the Romans. Therefore, the original Vendic language has been preserved here until today. |
| Regretfully, the Christianization of the people in this territory was not always performed on peaceful terms. It began, when Charlemagne broke up the rebellion of the neighbouring pagan Saxons ca. 790 AD, and it continued until the 10th century by the Frankish (German) feudal lords under the Ottonians. While Christianization was progressing, the German language spread just as much over the territory, and the so-called Vends from the Elbe River basin (Elbe Slaven/Elbe Slavs) adopted it gradually. The Vendic language survived only in the close proximity of today's province of Lusatia. |
| In popular German dialect, the Vendic language speaking people of Lusatia are called Wenden. Their name originates from the Sorbians (Sorben, Serbjo) and their number amounts to ca. 50,000 souls. They form two groups: |
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The group of Upper Lusatia with their centre in Budišyn (Bautzen), where they possess their Sorbian house, called "Serbski dom". | |
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The other group of Lower Lusatia, with their centre in Chocebuz (Cottbus). | |
| Each group has its proper literal language, in which also the form of Dual is to be found (between singular and plural). Besides Slovenian, Sorbian is the unique language in Europe with such a pre-historic grammatical form. |
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The Bull in the arms of Lower Lusatia. It was a symbol of the sun and agriculture, a totemic animal of the Elbe Vends in the pre-Christian era. |
| The Lower Lusatian coat of arms is charged with the figure of a Bull. It is an ancient symbolic animal and battle-sign figure of the Elbe Vends originating from the pagan period. The bull is an ancient symbol of the sun and agriculture. It has been conserved in the coats of arms, because in Christianity it symbolised the strength of God, whereas the calf was the symbol of Christ's sacrifice. |
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| Excerpts on Vendic traditions taken from the "Berliner Morgenpost" |
| (Berlin's leading newspaper) |
| Decorative costumes and "Kokotwapas" on the marketplace |
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| The traditional Vendic custome. No other place has such large "headpieces" as Burg does. |
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| The Spreewald is home to one of the two recognized minorities in Germany |
| Beginning of season in the Spreewald: In Wendish national costume for season opening to Burg. |
| Berliner Morgenpost, Edition: 25.08.2001, Ressort Brandenburg |
| The Sorbs (Sorben, Serbjo) will parade through Burg again. They are celebrating the festival of "Native Customs and Traditional Costumes" (Heimat- und Trachtenfest), which will remind the visitor of the ancient Vendic lifestyle that once flourished in communities like this one in the Spreewald near Cottbus. Even dwellings with original facades can still be found here. About 60 groups dressed in various costumes will march through the streets and attract a large audience, who came from far and near to see the colourful variety of costumes (called Trachten in German). Special tailor shops are engaged to manufacture these costumes after old Sorbic patterns. One outfit alone is in the price range of 1000.00 DM. |
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| Before the procession gets going, the so-called "Kokotwapas" or rooster plucking (Hahnrupfen) takes place on the marketplace |
| Before the procession gets going, the so-called "Kokotwapas" (rooster plucking) or (Hahnrupfen in German) takes place on the marketplace, where the stage of festivities has been erected. (It has to be mentioned here, that in Slovenian language the word "Kokot" is still used as a petname for a rooster). In this case a dead rooster is hang from the gallows and young people on horses try to fetch a part of the animal. The one who succeeds to pluck the rooster's head, will become "Kral", meaning king of the harvest. |
| Bostjan Dvorák, 35, Slovenian linguist |
| Bostjan Dvorák came to Germany in 1984, and three years ago he moved to Berlin. For him Europe resembles "a small miracle, because people accomplished something beyond comprehension. In one way they realize that they belong together, on the other hand they kept their cultural identity alive.” Driven by his love for languages, the linguist reached this conclusion. "It is fascinating that there are so many different languages in Europe, however, people speak one and the same language, when it comes to important values like human rights issues. |
| "The Sorbian people, who live in great numbers in Berlin, remind me of my homeland, and so does the Catholic Mass in Slovenian language held in the Slovenian-Catholic Mission in Kolonnenstrasse, Schoeneberg." |
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| The Secrecy of Names |
| (by Tobias Sommer) |
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| Groß Vätersee |
| The "Schorfheide" north - east of Brandenburg is a very impressive countryside, which is now a biosphere reservoir under state and federal environmental protection. The landscape has to offer roughly 240 lakes, thousands of swamps, extensive forests, meadows and fields. |
| In the midst of it between two lakes, the Vatersee (Vater Lake) and the Groß Vätersee (Great Väter Lake), we find a small community called "Groß Väter" (Great Väter), the name change took place in 1775. |
| Translated it would simply mean "Great Fathers", because the German word "Groß" means "great, large, big" and "Väter" means "fathers". However, the name "Groß Väter" has absolutely nothing to do with "great fathers", however, historians can read its meaning like an open history book. "Onomastik" is the name of this science that researches names of localities and proper names. |
| "Names are the cemetery of words", said Prof. Jürgen Udolph, who occupies the only professor's chair in the country on the subject "science for researching names" at the University of Germany in Leipzig (Leipziger Universität Deutschlands). Words, which have fallen into oblivion a long time ago, find their preservation in names. First names and surnames, names of localities and products - the research-work in osnomastik covers a large field. |
| In the case of "Groß Väter" a name transfer took place from "Groß Vätersee", which appeared already in 1590 in the annals as "Der große Feder" (The Great Feder). The denotation refers back to the ancient polabic word "Vedr", meaning pale ("Eimer" in German). It is important to mention, that in Slovenian language the word "Vedro" (neutrum), meaning pale (der Eimer in German) is still in use. |
| Since the 18th century "old polabic", which is a Vendic (west Slavic) language, is not alive anymore, and the word "Vedr" is related to the original Slavic word "Voda", meaning water (Wasser in German), which has its roots in the Indo-European word "ued", meaning to moisten, to flow (benetzen, fließen in German). Another interpretation would be "nice weather" (schönes Wetter in German). Also the old Polish "wiodro" can be considered as a close description for waters "Vedr" (Gewässer in German). |
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| Vendic place names in Lusatia and their original meaning |
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| (Source of Information: Amt Burg (Spreewald) - Amt Borkowy (Blota) |
| The purpose of this article is to uncover the roots of some villages and towns in Lusatia, which have their origin in the Vendic (Venetic, Wendische) language long before they were Germanized. It is really interesting for those, who have a basic knowledge of a Slavic language and who can appreciate the secrecy of a name. |
| These places bear witness that they were founded by the ancient Wends (Veneti, Sloveneti), the so-called Elbe Slavs, who should have colonised Central Europe in the 1st century AD. In fact, they have been settled there already since prehistoric times. The Vendic speaking people of Lusatia are called Wenden (Veneti). Their name originates from the Sorbians (Sorben, Serbjo). According to official historical sources, "Slav tribes" should have settled the area alongside the Baltic Sea in the 5th-6th century AD. However, these people are an autochthonous Vendic race with a very ancient state tradition. It is true, we do not find references about this topic in historical documents, but archaeological finds, ethnological researches and other sciences confirm the autochthonism of the Vends (Lusatians). |
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| Slawenburg Krug |
| (Findlingspark Henzendorf - District Oder - Spree). |
| Briesen (Lower Sorbic - Brjazyna), meaning small rises of land on the plain, has been officially mentioned in 1346 as „Breßzine". But an existing ground monument, 2 kilometres away from the present village site, bears witness, that the Vendic people had settled this area in ancient times. The village received its present name about 100 years after it was first mentioned in the records. On July 20, 1457, the following entry has been made in the chancellery register of Margrave Friedrich II von Brandenburg: "…that Christoff von Loeben zu Bryßen was sitting..." (dass „Christoff von Loeben zu Bryßen gesessen..."). There are no written records about the beginning of early Christianization of the Wendish people. But it can be said with certainty that a church existed in the village since 1346. In 1540 the Christians converted to Protestantism. |
| Burg (Lower Sorbic: Borkowy (Blota) is to be found in the eastern part of Upper Spreewald. The oldest part of Burg is Burg-Village, mentioned for the first time in 1315 as "Villa Bork" in a sales contract. However, artifacts, like miniature cult carriages with animal figures, found on the castle hill (Rundwall - round barriers of the one-time castle) point to an early settlement in the New Stone Age and Bronze Age. The Vends must have been settled here uninterruptedly as a basic people of prehistoric times. Its name probably refers to the fortress, which was built by the Polish King Boleslaw around 1000 AD. It was one of the largest fortresses in the north of the Mittelgebirge. |
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| Weltgott Tcschub |
| (Findlingspark Henzendorf). |
| Striesow (Lower Sorbic: Strjažow) has been mentioned in the records for the first time on July 6, 1464. The name derives from the word „straza" - guard, a guarding village (in German: Wache, Wachdorf). Its purpose was to protect the trade route and ford near Fehrow. Records of devastating flood disasters explain the important role that this village played. A Witaj-group was established in 2003, where even the youngest children are learning the language of their Wendish ancestors. |
| Guhrow (Lower Sorbic: Gory) was recorded in1469 for the first time. The name is of Vendic origin and means "mountain" (Berg in German). People are living mainly from agriculture, but also small trade enterprises, black-smith and wheelwright are flourishing here. |
| Fehrow (Lower Sorbic: Prjawoz). The name goes far back into centuries, when no bridges existed. The earliest record of the village name appears in1362 as follows: Farmers with their team of oxen were pulling merchants' carriages through the fords, who were travelling the salt road from Bohemia to Frankfurt/Oder. But there was also a ferry boat transport in service. The old German name „zu der Fehre" - „prjawoz" in Wendish ("to the ferry boat" in English) verifies this name. In 1719 existed already 13 bridges, and duty had to be paid. In earlier times the divine services were held in Wendish language. Today, young children are learning already in day care centres their national sorbic/Vendic traditions, songs and dances. |
| Müschen (Lower Sorbic: Myšyn) was mentioned for the first time in 1412 as „Mieschen". But the meaning of this name is not known for certain. In 1878 Willibald von Schulenburg discovered on the Muschink a cemetery with urns (Urnfield). Containers with carbonized seeds of peas and beans were found in the graves, which provide proof that these edibles were known and cultivated in the Spreewald region long before Christ. |
| Schmogrow (Lower Sorbic: Smogorjow). The name Schmogrow derived from the Vendic word „smogor" (peat in English, Torf in German). The style of writing of the village name changed several times during the centuries: In 1400 it was spelled Smogro, later Schmogero and Smogorow, since 1652 Smogrow. |
| Werben (Lower Sorbic: Wjerbno) was mentioned for the first time in the register of the diocese Meissen in 1346. The name derives from the Vendic word wjerba (pasture in English, Weide in German). The village probably existed already in ca. 1100, because there is evidence that the first church was built between 1100 and 1150. It was an important parish village, which belonged to the nobility of Cottbus. |
| In 1435, Werben was divided into two districts. The smaller part was called Kockelende (after the Vendic kokula, hook in English, Haken in German), because the road leading from the church to today's Schmogrower Street was shaped like a hook. The larger district was leading from the church towards Brahmow (today called Bauernende). |
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| Relief with vegetation god and king Warpulawa |
| (Findlingspark Henzendorf) |
| Another district of Werben is Ruben, in Vendic Rubyn. The word derives from the old Sorbic rubati (cutting, felling in English, hauen, fällen in German), meaning, the village was established on cleared forest land. The site of an old Vendic fortress indicate an early settlement of this area. |
| Möckern (Lower Sorbic: Mokrianici, mokrina), (a wet place in English, ein nasser Ort in German) The original Möckern was situated in an area of swamps and wetlands. It is a Vendic settlement. For defence reasons the Wends preferred places which were difficult to access. The today still existing triangular foundation of the market place is typical for Vendic establishments. In 948 Möckern is mentioned for the first time in the records, and in 1359 the name appears in city register of Leipzig. |
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| Wendischer Sonnengott (cf: article Belin) |
| (Findlingspark Henzendorf) |
| The Slave Mountain (Slavenberg) clearly demonstrates that at one time our region was populated by Slaves. Unfortunately, the Hagener Au lost its Wendic name. Formerly it was called Karzeniz. A number of villages in the Probstei were probably already populated during the Wendic period. Even the village street of Schönberg, the Peserow, is of Wendic origin. But it has to be taken into consideration that some names were Germanized in the course of times, like (Pesserow, Pessera, Perserau). Krokau used to be Crocowe, meaning that it was populated by the Wends. Fahren used to be Warnow, which again leads us to a Wendic name. |
| To the West we find the border-river Schwentine (holy river in English, heiliger Fluß in German). This river, which has a bed slope of 20 m between Preetz and Neumühlen, was considered a holy river by the heathen.. |
| Here are some Place names and their vendic roots. |
| But some names have not been properly understood and thus misapplied. For example, the word Buk(ovo) should have descended from Buche in German, (Slovenian: bukev - English: beech tree). In fact, it has its origin in bok, (German: Flanke eines Berges - English: flank of a mountain) |
| (From: "Inhabitant book of the community of Calau 1922") |
| Allmosen (wendisch ten molobus von molomozna = das Almosen) |
| Altdöbern (wendisch stara darbna = das im Tal gelegene Dorf von Dubor, dobr = Tal, Talweg) |
| Bahnsdorf (wendisch te boboschojze von bob = Bohne oder bobosch = die Leute des Bobosch) |
| Barzig (wendisch Barce = Platz im Walde mit Bienenbauten, Ansiedlung auf solchem Platz) |
| Bischdorf (wendisch te wotschowze; wotschow = Ort mit Schanzpfahlsiedlung) |
| Boblitz (wendisch Bobolsche = Siedlung des Bobel = des Bohnenmannes) |
| Bolschwitz (wendisch = Ansiedlung des Boleslaw) |
| Briesen (wendisch brase = Birke) |
| Brieske (wendisch te braski = die kleinen Birken) |
| Brodtkowitz (wendisch te brodkojze von ten brodk = kleine Furt) |
| Bronkow (Sitz des Broneslaw = der durch Schlachten Berühmte) |
| Buchholz (wendisch ta bukowina von ten buk = die Buche) |
| Buchwalde (wendisch ta bukowina von ten buk = die Buche) |
| Buckow (von ten buk =die Buche, Buchenort) |
| Bückgen (von ten buk = die Buche) |
| Cabel (wendisch Kobla = Stutenort, Dorf mit Pferdezüchtern) |
| Casel (von kosla = Ziege) |
| Chransdorf (wendisch gosd = Hochwald, gossina = Dickicht) |
| Clettwitz (wendisch Klesizca von klesisca = die Einfriedung, Ort innerhalb eines Geheges, von kleta = Gehege) |
| Costebrau (wendisch Koszerje von kosje = die Gebeine der Erschlagenen. Zur Erinnerung an eine große Wendenschlacht, die hier zu Geros Zeiten stattgefunden haben soll.) |
| Cunersdorf (wendisch chojang von choina = die Kiefer) |
| Dlugy (wendisch Dlujky = langer Ort) |
| Dobristroh (wendisch ten wotschow = eine aus Sumpf vorragende Stelle, mit Gräben eingefaßt - Sumpfinsel oder Horst, Wotschow im Munde der Deutschen Ostrow, daher Dobriwotschow = Dobristrow |
| Dörrwalde wendisch hsuchy gosd von hsuchy = dürr und gosd = Wald) |
| Domsdorf (wendisch te domaschojze, Thomasdorf) |
| Drebkau (früher Thebicau, Drenocke, Dregbko, Dreykow, Drewko, Drepkow, Drebkow) |
| (wendisch ten Drewk = das Hölzchen) Heißt noch heute wie in alter Zeit im Volksmund |
| Drochow (wendisch ten drochow von drogaz, eine Birnenart) |
| Dubrau (von dub = die Eiche, Eichenort) |
| Eisdorf (wendisch te Stanitschojze = die Leute des Stanitsch) |
| Erpitz (wendisch ten Scherpschow von scherpny = Leidensdorf) |
| Friedrichsthal (Die älteste Glashütte des Kreises Calau, 1709 von dem böhmischen Glasmacher |
| Sebastian Massar gegründet) |
| Gahlen (wendisch ten golin, von gola = Forst) |
| Geisendorf (wendisch te Gischkojze = ?) |
| Göritz b. Altdöbern (v. gora = Berg, gorka = kleiner Berg) |
| Göritz b. Vetschau (dito) |
| Golschow (wendisch Golasa = Ansiedlung des Golas) |
| Gosda (v. wendisch gosd = Wald) |
| Gräbendorf (wendisch ten grabize von ten grab = die Rotbuche) |
| Greifenhain (wendisch ten molen, von molina = Himbeere) |
| Großbeuchow (wendisch buckow = Buchenort) |
| Großjauer (von jawor = Ahorn, Ahorndorf) |
| Großjehser (von jasor = der See, Teich, Dorf am See oder Teich) |
| Großklessow (wendisch elesow = Brassenteich oder Ansiedlung daran) |
| Großkoschen (v. kosch = Korb; Ort, wo die Korbweiden stehen) |
| Großmehtzkow (wendisch Zwesow = Besitztum des Zemes oder Zemeslaw = der durch Landbesitz berühmte) |
| Großräschen (von rascheschina = Schwarzdorn; Dorf mit Schwarzdornhecken) |
| Hänchen (wendisch ten Hagnow von Hag = Hainchen) |
| Hindenberg (wendisch te zelnoje, ten zel to, zelo = Parzellenort) |
| Hörlitz (von horka, kleiner Berg; Bergdorf) |
| Jehschen (wendisch ten jassen = Eschenort) |
| Jüttendorf (wendisch ta watzka = das Dörfchen) |
| Kahnsdorf (wendisch woskalawa = Lause-Calau) |
| Kalkwitz (ten kal, kalk = kleiner Kohl; Ort, wo die Kohlköpfe klein bleiben) |
| Kausche (wendisch Chusey = Dorf im Besenginstergestrüpp) |
| Kemmen (von kamen = Stein, Steinort) |
| Kittlitz (wendisch to dlope, dlypasch = mühsam etwas bearbeiten = Mühdorf) |
| Kleeden (wendisch ta klodna, von klod = Brückenholz, chlod = Schatten; das Brückenholz liefernde oder schattige Dorf) |
| Klein-Görigk (von gorka = kleiner Berg) |
| Kleinjauer (von jawer = Ahorn) |
| Kleinräschen (wendisch ten raek, ren = Flachsbund; ran = Weintraube) |
| Koschendorf (wendisch te Koschnojze = Ort, wo Korbweiden wachsen) |
| Koßwig (von koslau = die Amsel, Amseldorf) |
| Kückebusch (wendisch ten groschz, grod = Burg; mitten im Dorf befindet sich ein slawischer Rundwall) |
| Laasdorf (wendisch ten choschojz, choschicz; ten choschicz = Katzensturz) |
| Laasow (wendisch laz - Rodung, Ort auf ausgerodetem Platz) |
| Laubst (wendisch luhose = Ansiedlung des Luboslaw) |
| Leeskow (wendisch leskow = Laubwald) |
| Lehde (= Brachland) |
| Leipe (= Lindendorf) |
| Lieske (wendisch lesso = Walddorf, Buschwerk in Bruchgegend) |
| Lindchen (wendisch ten lindow, linda = Linde) |
| Lipten (wendisch tw libota = die Esche) |
| Lobendorf (vom Namen Loboda = die Lobodinger) |
| Loeschen (wendisch to ledo = Ledung, Wüstendorf) |
| Lubochow (von Luboslaw = der durch Liebe Berühmte) |
| Luckaitz (wendisch ten luca = die Wiese, Ansiedlung am Wiesenbach) |
| Lugk (= Sumpf, Ort am Sumpf) |