Thursday, 11 December 2014, 1.15 – 5.00 pm

BIS Hall, University of Oldenburg, Uhlhornsweg 49–55, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany

The great variety of languages in Europe is a distinctive feature of regional culture and identity. In particular, the ‘lesser-used languages’ protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages make a significant contribution to Europe’s cultural diversity.

The Liet International Foundation ( liet-international.com/), based in the Frisian city of Leeuwarden (NL), aims to provide endangered languages with a modern musical platform. A competition, modelled on the Eurovision Song Contest, has been organised in various cities across Europe since 2002 under the patronage of the Council of Europe. For the first time, it will be held in Germany this year, on 12 December at 7.30 pm at the Kulturetage in Oldenburg (www.kulturetage.de/). The eleven finalists will draw on a wide variety of musical genres, showcasing Europe’s linguistic and musical diversity.

Even before the final competition begins, on 11 December, the University of Oldenburg is hosting an international academic conference which will examine the regional and minority languages Low German and Saterland Frisian in north-western Germany, and Dutch Low Saxon and West Frisian in the north-east of the Netherlands.

The speakers will present information on the languages themselves, as well as on the current status of a number of initiatives in language policy aimed at promoting them in a sustainable manner.

Conference participants will include guests from the European countries represented in Liet International – and, of course, anyone with an interest in regional and minority languages.

All presentations will be held in English. Attendance at the conference is free of charge.

Please contact Gabriele Diekmann-Dröge () to register by 9 December 2014.