Files
Abstract
This study examines the influence exerted by public policy on the preservation of Sorbian communities and historic sites in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony, Germany, from 1945 to 2001. Although the network of interconnected policies is complex, only three policy categories were studied for the purposes of this inquiry: historic preservation, land and agricultural reform, and coal mining. The pertinent policies are described within the political contexts of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and of the now reunified Germany. A brief history of the Sorbs is provided to help explain the complicated nature of German-Sorbian relations in the past as well as in the present. The official promotion of Sorbian culture within the GDR is also discussed because of its direct connection to the preservation of Sorbian ethnicity in post-World War II Europe. In closing, several suggestions for future preservation policy and private initiative directions are included.