Federal government and two federal states secure funding for Sorbs

The Sorbs in Lusatia will continue to receive financial support from the federal government and the states of Saxony and Brandenburg in the coming years. Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and the heads of government Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Dietmar Woidke (SPD) signed an agreement to continue funding the foundation for the Sorbian people until 2030, as they announced. The aim is to preserve customs, culture and the Sorbian language.

The Sorbs have been living in Lusatia for around 1,500 years. The descendants of Slavic tribes cultivate customs and traditions. In Brandenburg, the older term Wends is officially on an equal footing with the term Sorbs.

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the two federal states, the foundation will receive almost 29.3 million euros in funding this year. The federal government is providing half of the funding, Saxony one third and the state of Brandenburg one sixth. The respective amounts are to increase for the years 2027 to 2030 in order to compensate for cost increases. According to the Brandenburg Ministry of Culture, the funding of all three partners should be just under 33 million euros in 2030.

Preserving language and culture

In Dobrindt's opinion, the foundation is fit for the future. "The foundation and the Sorbian institutions it supports can thus continue their essential work to preserve the Sorbian language and culture," he said.

Kretschmer believes that continued funding is crucial. "The Sorbs are an indispensable part of the cultural identity of our Free State of Saxony." This will secure the future of a unique cultural tradition in Saxony.

Woidke: Revival of the Sorbian language

Brandenburg's head of government Woidke said that the increased funding should also be used to finance projects for digitization or the revival of the Sorbian language. "The culture, language and customs of the Sorbs and Wends are part of Brandenburg's intangible cultural heritage and living diversity in Lusatia. We want to preserve and further develop this 'wealth'."

The Foundation for the Sorbian People was established in 1998 by a state treaty between Brandenburg and Saxony and is based in Bautzen. Last year, Woidke and Kretschmer asked Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to advocate for an agreement on the joint financing of the Foundation for the Sorbian People in Upper and Lower Lusatia. The previous agreement expired at the end of 2025.

In Brandenburg, funding for the culture and language of the Sorbs/Wends is set to increase from just under 4.9 million euros this year to just under 5.5 million euros per year by 2030.