Study Sorabistics in Jena (2026/27)

Sorabistics programs in Germany offer international students the rare opportunity to study Europe's smallest Slavic minority language and culture, focusing on the Sorbs of Lusatia—where 60,000 speakers maintain their distinct identity in eastern Germany, creating specialists who preserve endangered languages while navigating minority rights in the heart of Europe, proving that linguistic diversity survives even within seemingly homogeneous nation-states. These unique English-taught degrees explore the fascinating microcosm of Sorbian culture: students master Upper and Lower Sorbian languages diverging like Czech and Polish, analyze how bilingual education sustains minority languages against German dominance, investigate medieval manuscripts revealing Slavic presence predating German settlement, document oral traditions before last native speakers disappear, and understand why Germany's constitutional protection of Sorbian culture offers models for minority rights worldwide—discovering that studying "small" languages illuminates universal questions about identity and survival. Germany's Lusatia region provides immersive fieldwork opportunities through partnerships with Sorbian institutions constitutionally guaranteed support: the Sorbian Institute in Bautzen preserving linguistic heritage, bilingual schools teaching math in Sorbian, cultural centers maintaining traditional festivals, media outlets broadcasting in languages many Germans don't know exist, and villages where street signs in two scripts remind visitors of hidden diversity. The interdisciplinary curriculum combines linguistic rigor with cultural studies: comparative Slavistics understanding Sorbian's position between Polish and Czech, sociolinguistics examining language shift and revitalization, ethnographic methods documenting contemporary Sorbian life, digital humanities creating online resources for scattered speakers, and minority rights law protecting linguistic diversity.