Thursday, December 11, 2014, 1:15 – 5:00 p.m.

BIS-Saal, University of Oldenburg, Uhlhornsweg 49-55, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany

The great variety of languages in Europe is an exceptional mark of regional culture and identity. Especially the “lesser used languages” that are protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages contribute significantly to Europe’s cultural diversity.

The foundation Liet International (liet-international.com/), based in the Frisian city of Leeuwarden (NL), wants to give endangered languages a modern musical platform. A competition, which is based on the Eurovision Song Contest, has been organised in different cities across Europe since 2002 under the patronage of the European Council. For the first time, it will be held in Germany this year, namely on December 12 at 7.30 pm in the Kulturetage in Oldenburg (www.kulturetage.de/). The eleven participants who have made it to the finals are going to use a great variety of musical genres so that it’s possible to hear the linguistic and musical diversity of Europe.

Even before the final competition begins, on December 11, the University of Oldenburg is hosting an international scientific 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 northeast of the Netherlands.

The speakers will present information on the languages themselves, but also on the status quo of a number of undertakings in linguistic politics to foster them in a sustainable manner.

Participants of the conference will be guests from the European countries that are represented in Liet International – and of course anyone interested in regional and minority languages.

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

Please contact Gabriele Diekmann-Dröge (Gabriele.diekmann-droege@uol.de) for registration by 9 December 2014.