Research focus: “ Ways of life in Lusatia in the 21st century”

In modern societies, the ways of life of ethnic minorities are subject to considerable pressure to adapt and assimilate. The focus of this research priority is therefore on contemporary lifestyles in multilingual Lusatia. Economic, political, and demographic structural change is leading to a fundamental transformation of everyday cultural practices. However, these changes are not only reflected in scenarios of loss, but equally in new strategies of localization and cultural tactics with which the various local actors respond to the changes in their living environments (Trummer 2015: 140). Accordingly, a revitalization of minority cultures can be observed in many places.

The research focus centers on three central research questions that are inherent in all assigned projects: How is the complexity of rural Sorbian, bi- and multicultural everyday culture constituted today? What social mechanisms contribute to the (re)vitalization of Sorbian culture, and how can members of minority cultures themselves contribute to its preservation and influence its development?