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East Germany Minority Groups
In the mid-1980s, minority groups constituted less than 1
percent of the population of East Germany. At various periods
through history, minorities living in Germany have been
persecuted. The most systematic and gruesome attempt to eliminate
racial and ethnic minorities occurred under Adolf Hitler in the
1930s and 1940s. Since World War II, the governments of both
Germanies have introduced special measures designed to protect
the minorities living under their administrations. The East
German Constitution, for example, provides for the protection of
minority cultures and languages and guarantees freedom to profess
a religious creed.
The Sorbs, a Slavic people who have a culture dating back to
the sixth century, are the largest surviving minority in East
Germany. In 1984 the Sorbs numbered about 34,000 people. They
speak a Slavic language known variously as Sorb, Wendish, or
Lusatian, and they share a culture rich in folk traditions,
songs, and dances. Most live in and around the cities of Cottbus,
Bautzen, and Hoyerswerda, which are located southeast of Berlin
near the Polish and Czechoslovak borders.
In the postwar period, the Sorb minority received special
(sometimes preferential) treatment from the communist regime. In
the early 1950s, the East German government, with Soviet
encouragement, contemplated setting up an autonomous Sorb state.
The plans, however, gained little support from either the German
or the Sorb population and never materialized. The Office of
Sorbic Culture was established to introduce Germans to the Sorb
cultural heritage and to preserve and foster the development of
the Sorb language. In the mid-1980s, schools in areas with a Sorb
population had a specially designed curriculum that emphasized
aspects of the Sorb culture. Instruction was offered in the Sorb
language, and German was taught as a second language. By and
large, however, the population is equally fluent in both
languages, and the Sorbs are well integrated into the general
population.
In the mid-1980s, the only other minority group was the small
Jewish community. In 1986 its numerical strength was estimated at
several hundred, approximately 400 Jews professing their faith.
About 80 percent of those Jews who remained in East Germany were
over sixty-five years old. East Berlin had the largest Jewish
community. The Jews who remained in Germany were primarily
survivors of the Holocaust. They were free to practice their
religious and cultural traditions, and they had their own
organization, known as the Union of Jewish Communities in the GDR
(Verband der Jüdischen Gemeinden in der DDR).
Data as of July 1987
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