The Low German Forum aims to make the regional language more visible in the cultural life of the university - all interested parties are invited to the fortnightly meetings.
"There are great opportunities to learn Low German at the university, but it's difficult to keep practising afterwards," says German studies student Joschka von Lienen. Together with fellow student Thees Becker, he therefore launched the Low German Forum -
in Platt: Nederdüütsk Forum - at the beginning of last winter semester. They meet every fortnight in room A6-0-009 - to chat in Low German, but also to work together to ensure that the regional language is more visible in the university's cultural programme.
The forum guests have already enjoyed joint trips to Low German performances at the Oldenburg State Theatre and an excursion to the "ThinkTank Platt" of the Low German Secretariat in Hamburg. Relevant literature - from the Low German poetry book "Quickborn" to "Harry Potter un de Wunnersteen" - has also already been a topic.
Although the meeting is explicitly intended to be more than just a "Klöönkring", i.e. a chat, for many the main reason for attending is to talk. When they cross the threshold, most participants automatically switch from High German to Low German. Language skills are not even required to take part. "We also have two or three people who don't actively speak Low German themselves, but only understand the language," says Becker.
What they all have in common is a love of the regional language, which very few of them already have from their parents. Lucia Gerst, for example, grew up in Stuttgart. "When I came to Oldenburg to study, I saw that there was a certificate in Low German and just went for it," says the German studies student. Today, as a student assistant, she is involved in teaching students the language herself and writes her own stories in Low German. "I just love the sound of it," she says.
André Graën from near Hildesheim, on the other hand, is so interested in the linguistic view of the barely spoken Low German variant of his Eastphalian homeland that, despite having successfully completed a degree in computer science, he is currently studying again: on the new Bachelor's degree programme in Low German. "There are so many aspects that research has never dealt with before and so many linguistic treasures to discover," he says.
Up to 13 participants are currently involved in the Low German Forum. Members of the university can join at any time. In addition to joint excursions, the focus in the summer semester will be on planning their own activities. "For example, we would like to organise a Low German poetry slam," says von Lienen. Outside of teaching and research, there has been a lack of Low German influence on campus so far. "We want to close this gap," says Thees Becker.
