AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L Archives

From: "Andrew & Vicki Genrich" <>
Subject: Transcript # 5 of 5
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 21:55:06 +1000

The 20th century
After WW1 Germany lost Alsace-Lorraine to France, the northern tip of
Schleswig to Denmark and West Prussia to Poland, thus forming the so-called
corridor. After WW2 Prussia (proper) became Russian and Polish, part of
Pommerania and all of Schlesia became Polish. Germany was divided into 4
sectors. In 1949 the Russian sector became the Socialist Republic of East
Germany and the American, British and French sectors became the Federal
Republic of Germany. In 1990 East and West Germany were reunified after the
collapse of the Communist dictatorship in East Germany.
Today Germany is made up of 16 states with Berlin as its old and new
capital. Berlin is a city state, similar to the ACT in Australia. Hamburg
and Bremen also retain their independence as city states. The largest state
is Bavaria, the most densely populated is Nordrhein-Westphalia, with its
numerous industrial centres. In East Germany the old historic states of
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Thüringen and Sachsen-Anhalt and
Sachsen (Saxony) were re-established.

The aim of this overview was to show how German boundaries changed
internally and externally over the last 200 years, particularly illustrating
the expansion of Prussia. Many Germans coming to Australia in the 1860s had
therefore been living under Prussian rule before coming to Australia.


6. German dialects and languages

To see a map showing German languages and dialects and a full list of these
go to German dialects and languages
http://www.genealogy.net/misc/dialect-e.html

This map shows the main distribution of regional languages and dialects in
Germany. 43 dialects and languages have been identified and they are
divided into three groups. These are Hochdeutsch (High German) Mitteldeutsch
(Middle German) Niederdeutsch (Low German). "High", "Middle" and "Low" are
not a judgement in any way. They refer to geographical features. The High
German originates from the higher mountainous regions in the south (Bavaria,
Wurttemberg, Saxony), whereas Low German originates from the Northern
lowlands (Schleswig-Holstein, Niedersachsen, Mecklenburg, but also extending
as far south as Cologne and Berlin).

While High German is the standard language today, some of the High German
dialects are actually as far removed from the standard language as Low
German is. The "purest" High German today is spoken in and around Hanover,
which is traditionally a low German speaking area.

While Low and High German each have a very distinct vocabulary, the main
difference lies in the actual pronunciation of vowels and consonants. Over
the centuries High German underwent was is called "Konsonantenverschiebung"
a shift of consonants. Low German consonants however remained the same. High
German 't' sounds became 'ts' sounds, while 'p' sounds became 'pf' sounds.

To give you an example: for English 'pipe', the High German is 'Pfeife'
[sounds like English 'Pfyf" - rhymes with 'life']; and Low German 'Piep'
[sounds like English 'peep']. For English 'cat', the High German is 'Katze'
and low German is 'Kat' [sounds like English 'cut']. You might say that
Low German sounds more like English, and you are right. The Anglo-Saxons
that went to Britain in the 6th century came from what today is northern
Germany and they would have spoken an old Low German dialect. That is why
low German today is still a lot closer to English then High German.

Although High German had become the standard language in the mid 19th
century (it was the language taught in all schools) and was predominant
throughout the whole of Germany, most people would have grown up bilingual.
And more likely than not as their first language Germans they would have
spoken a dialect or language and it is safe to say that they would have
identified much more with their dialect than with the High German they
learned at school

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• Transcript # 5 of 5 by "Andrew & Vicki Genrich" <>