The Euromosaic study

Kashubian in Poland

1. General information
   1. The language
   2. History, geography and demography
   3. Legal status and official policies
2. Presence and use of the language in various fields
   1. Education
   2. Judicial Authorities
   3. Public Authorities and services
   4. Mass media and Information technology
   5. Arts and Culture
   6. The business world
   7. Language use in family and society
   8. The European dimension
3. Conclusion

1. General information

1.1 The language

Kashubian [kaszëbsczi (jãzek) / kaszëbizna] is a West Slavonic language spoken in northern Poland in the Pomorskie Voivodship. In some districts [powiaty] of this voivodship Kashubian is used more often: Gdańsk [Gduńsk], Gdynia [Gdiniô], Wejherowo [Wejrowò], Puck [Pùck], Lębork [Lãbòrg], Bytów [Bëtowò], Kartuzy [Kartùze], Kościerzyna [Kòscérzna] and Chojnice [Chòjnice]. A specific (yet limited) Kashubian literature emerged in the 19th century with Xazeczka dlo Kaszebov by Florian Cejnowa (1817-1881). Since Kashubian is not comprehensively standardised, except for the above-mentioned text, it is often considered as a branch of the Pomeranian dialects or Polish. Therefore it does currently not have the status of a national or ethnic minority in Poland.

Although language contact between Kashubian and Polish has already lasted for several centuries, spoken Kashubian clearly differs from Polish dialects and standard Polish. Major differences occur in the fields of phonetics, vocabulary and word formation. However, literary (written) Kashubian is very close to standard Polish due to borrowings and syntactic similarities. In total there are 50 dialectal varieties of Kashubian.

1.2 History, geography and demography

Kashubians are a Slavonic tribe descended from the Pomeranians (=‘people living by the sea’) who once settled in the whole territory of Pomerania and who now live in the area between Oder and Vistula. Their eastern neighbours were the Pruzzians. To the South the Pomeranian territory reached the Notec and Warta rivers. The independent eastern Pomerania at the lower Vistula emerged around the year 1000. Although the Polanians succeeded in gradually penetrating through the Notec and the Christianisation and church organisation was pursued from the West, eastern Lower Pomerania (also ‘Small Pomerania’ [Pommerellen]) was able to keep its independence until the late 13th century when the dynasty of Samborids ended. In 1309 the region was sold and annexed to the state of the German Order which at that time was an independent political entity. Pomeranians were mentioned in documents until the 14th century. Cassubia was the name of the region around Belgrade on the Parseta River. Since the 15th and 16th century this name has also been used for today’s settlement areas of the Kashubians. From 1466 onwards, eastern Lower Pomerania was ruled by the Polish king until it fell to Prussia in 1772 and became part of so-called “West Prussia”. After World War I the region became Polish again. During the Second World War it was annexed to the Reich District Gdańsk-West Prussia [Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreußen] and in 1945 became part of Poland again.

According to the 2002 census 5,062 persons living in the Gdańsk region were of Kashubian nationality.

Estimates from various sources indicate a number of 250,000 to 300,000 Kashubian-speakers (Association for Civic Media 2003; Handbook on Contact Linguistics 1996).

1.3 Legal status and official policies

Although article 35 of the Polish Constitution grants Polish citizens of national or ethnic minorities the freedom to preserve and develop their own language, customs, traditions and culture, this only applies to the Kashubians in the context of special rules which give them regional language community [społeczność posługująca się językiem regionalnym] status.

However, Kashubians now participate in all social fields again, e.g. as representatives (approx. 150 in the Pomorze Voivodship, seven members of parliament); or scientists, authors and persons involved in the cultural sector. Kashubia and the Kashubian culture are vital issues in politics, and votes from Kashubians in parliamentary and other elections (e.g. institutions of self-administration) often decide the fate of candidates according to their policy on the Kashubian minority.

2. Presence and use of the language in various fields

2.1 Education

The use of Kashubian at school is based on the 2002 decree of the Minister for National Education and Sports which, unlike the 1992 decree, also allows ethnic groups to maintain their language and culture through the education system (see country report). In the school year 2002/2003 there were two nurseries where about 30 children were taught in Kashubian, although without any Kashubian language material. An early immersion language programme is foreseen for 2005.

In the school year 2002/2003 there were 52 primary and seven grammar schools where Kashubian was taught. These classes are divided into the subjects “Kashubian language” (three hours per week), “Kashubian language with elements of regional culture” (two hours per week) and “Regional education with Kashubian elements” (one hour per week). Statistically, Kashubian is represented as follows:

Primary schools with Kashubian classes in the school year 2003/2004

Source: Wicherkiewicz o.J.

Grammar schools with Kashubian classes in the school year 2003/2004

Source: Wicherkiewicz o.J.

The number of secondary schools with Kashubian classes is decreasing:

Source: Wicherkiewicz o.J.

In the field of vocational training there was only one school in the school year 2002/2003 which offered two hours per week of Regional Education with Kashubian Elements for 26 students. Since 1992 Gdańsk University has offered a language course for Kashubian which serves as a specialisation for students of Polish language and literature. In December 2002 a “Course of qualification for teachers of the Kashubian language and regional culture” was organised for the second time. In total these measures produced 25 fully trained teachers, 41 graduates and 51 students for Kashubian language classes. In 2002/2003 Kashubian language and culture classes were offered in three centres (Gdańsk, Kartuzy and Władysławowo) which were attended by 46 participants.

2.2 Judicial authorities

People who do not speak Polish are allowed to call a Kashubian-speaking interpreter (see country report).

2.3 Public authorities and services

Since Polish is the official language, Kashubian does not play any significant role in public authorities. The same is true at a local level where it is only spoken in unofficial contacts (see country report).

2.4 Mass media and information technology

There are no daily newspapers in Kashubian. However, some other print media exist: Pomerania, published monthly since 1956, is the official bilingual (Polish-Kashubian) publication of the Kashubian Pomeranian Association (ZK-P); Najô ùczba is an educational insert of Pomerania, Òdroda. Pismiono Wòlnëch Kaszëbów is published monthly and exclusively in Kashubian, since 1999; Norda, a weekly regional section in Kashubian and Polish published in the daily Dziennik Bałtycki. The Gdańsk regional radio station broadcasts two programmes once a week for 55 and ten minutes respectively: Na bôtach ë w bòrach [In boats and woods] and Klëka [News]. The Koszalin radio station broadcasts a weekly five minute Kashubian news programme. Kashubian radio stations are also available via the internet: Wasze Radio [Your radio] or Domoce zwãczi [Home bells]. There is one Kashubian language TV programme which is broadcast twice a week for ten minutes by the Gdańsk TV station: Rodnô Zemia [Homeland] Regional TV stations in Gdańsk and Słupsk show Kashubian programmes twice a week for 23 and 20 minutes. Progress has also been made in the field of new media. In 2003 Kashubian could be used for the first time in Microsoft’s Word for Windows. Other developments are: the international coding standard for Kashubian, Kashubian fonts and Web browsers in Kashubian.

2.5 Arts and Culture

Friedrich Lorentz (1870-1937), a scientist from the German region Mecklenburg, earned great merit with the research of the Kashubian language. He wrote books on the spelling and grammar as well as a dictionary of the “Pomeranian-Kashubian language”. A similar work was published by the famous Polish linguist Stefan Ramult (1859-1913) from Krakow. As is the case for many other autochthonous regional and minority languages Kashubian is marked by a broad fragmentation into dialects (often each town has its own dialect). However, two major dialects can be distinguished – North and South Kashubian. Apparently, this fragmentation is one of the reasons why the first attempts to establish a Kashubian written language were made very late (in 1850). However, a universally accepted Kashubian literary language uniting all the dialects has never been developed. This has had a negative influence on the Kashubians’ cultural consciousness.

A specific (although very modest) Kashubian literature only emerged in the 19th century with Xazeczka dlo Kaszebov by Florian Cejnowa (1817-1881). Whereas Cejnowa used the Sławoszyno home dialect from the Puck district the second Kashubian author Hieronim Derdowski (1852-1902) used the Wiele dialect from the Chojnice district and enriched the Kashubian culture mainly by poetry. Another author is Aleksander Majkowski (1876-1938) from Koscierzyna and his Koscierzyna-Lipusz dialect.

In 1907 Ernst Seefried-Gulgowski (or Izydor Gulgowski) and Friedrich Lorentz founded the Association for Kashubian Folklore in Kartuzy which in 1911 published the book Von einem unbekannten Volke in Deutschland [Of an unknown people in Germany]. Gulgowski (1874-1925), influenced by German local history and folklore, established an open air museum in Wdzydze Kiszewskie in the Chojnice district. It exerted influence throughout the territory of Kashubia and still has a prominent status as a cultural site for the Kashubian way of life [Kaszubski Park Etnograficzny]. Friedrich Lorentz carried out his research at about the same time and already started dealing with the Słowińcy in 1897.

Another Kashubian pioneer was Aleksander Majkowski from Koscierzyna. His biggest merit was the establishment of Gryf in 1908, the Periodical for Kashubian Issues. He also wrote the only Kashubian novel Żëcé i przigodë Remusa [Life and adventure of Remus] in 1938.

Between 1994 and 2002 a total of 172 books were published in Kashubian. During the last decade 10-20 new books appeared including world literature: A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh (translated by B. Szymańska & T. Wicherkiewicz). The major anthologies and compendia for the Kashubian language were written by Neureiter 1973, Drzeżdżon 1986 and Neureiter 1991. For 20 years now, there has been an annual Kashubian language Poetry and Literature Competition [Rodnô mòwô].

2.6 The business world

According to article 27 of the Constitution Kashubian, along with other minority languages, is of no importance in the business world as an official language. The economy of the Kashubian language area is very rural and is characterised by agriculture, cattle breeding and forestry.

2.7 Family and social use of the language

In the 2002 census 52,556 persons declared Kashubian as their home language. Apart from this it can be assumed that Kashubian is the dominant language in families and for social use. Although the Kashubian minority is only organised to a limited extent, there are organisations, like the pan-Kashubian Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie founded in 1956, which were already established a long time ago. Information about other organisations is provided on the Kashubian information website.

2.8 The European dimension

The European dimension is evident in the establishment of immersion language programmes in Wales or Lusatia, or in the organisation of European conferences on minority issues: 39th Congress of the Federal Union of European Minorities in Gdańsk (1994) and the 6th International Conference on Minority Languages in Gdańsk (1996). The European influence is considered very important: since Poland has signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, it is widely expected that the country will also ratify the Charter, which will have a positive influence on language policy.

3. Conclusion

Despite discreet efforts at revitalising Kashubian language and culture, the situation of the Kashubians in Poland is still relatively weak. Reasons for this include: the lack of a standard language, a wide range of dialects and the weak economic status. Just like the Ladin language, Kashubian also lacks the connection to a national territory. The EU enlargement is thus rather ambivalent for the Kashubian minority: on the one hand it means a greater protection but on the other hand it might entail alienation and migration from the rural region. Therefore, even the last domain of language use – the family – risks losing its impact. Indications of this were found in surveys on language use conducted in the context of this project.