Sorbs

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sorbs

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic distribution?Predominantly inhabit Lusatia, located in Saxony and Brandenburg, Germany
2. What is the historical political status?Once formed independent principalities, later integrated into various European empires and kingdoms
3. Who are the Sorbs and where do they live?The Sorbs are a West Slavic minority living in eastern Germany, mainly in the region of Lusatia, which is now part of Saxony and Brandenburg. They speak two languages called Upper and Lower Sorbian.
4. What makes the Sorbian languages special?Upper and Lower Sorbian are fully developed languages, not just dialects. They are officially protected by German law and are closely related to Czech and Polish.

Indigenous West Slavic: An ethnic group originating from Slavic peoples of Central Europe, with deep historical roots in the region.
Germanization Policies: Historical efforts by German states to impose German language and culture on minority groups, suppressing their own.
Cultural Preservation: The active efforts to maintain and pass on the traditions, languages, and heritage of a cultural group.