Languages at the Border: Danish, South Jutish and North Frisian
The north of Schleswig-Holstein is shaped by several languages. This is especially clear at the German-Danish border. Besides German and Danish, Low German, South Jutish and North Frisian are spoken here. This article gives an overview of the key facts about each form of speech.
Flensburg as a Border City
Flensburg lies in the north of Schleswig-Holstein at the inner end of the Flensburg Fjord, close to the Danish border. It is the northernmost independent city in Germany and the center of the Danish minority in southern Schleswig. The Danish name of the city is Flensborg.
Besides German and Danish, some residents speak Low German and Petuh. Multilingualism is part of the history and daily life here. It is shaped by the city's position between two cultures.
South Jutish: a Dialect on Both Sides
Sønderjysk, or South Jutish, is a Danish dialect that was historically spoken on both sides of today's border. In Germany it has survived only in a few communities, in a narrow strip near the border between Flensburg and Niebüll.
South Jutish is considered endangered because Standard Danish and Standard German increasingly push out dialect expressions. Whether a dialect survives is decided in conversation between people, not in linguistic descriptions.
North Frisian: Dialects from the North Sea
North Frisian is a group of Frisian dialects. It is spoken on the coast of the district of Nordfriesland, on the islands of Föhr, Amrum and Sylt, on the Halligen and on Heligoland. Well known island dialects are Sölring on Sylt, Fering-Öömrang on Föhr and Amrum, and Halunder on Heligoland.
According to official figures there are 8,000 to 10,000 speakers. Because precise surveys are missing, these numbers are only approximations. UNESCO classes North Frisian as seriously endangered.
Protecting the Languages in Schleswig-Holstein
In Schleswig-Holstein, North Frisian is protected as a minority language under the European Charter. The Frisian Act of 2004 governs its use in administration in Nordfriesland and on Heligoland. South Jutish is endangered, but it lives on mainly as a dialect near the border.
The languages of the region show that culture is shaped not only by the official languages of states but also by the dialects spoken locally.
Minorities in the North
The Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein is estimated at about 50,000 people. It is not counted exactly, since membership in a minority is not registered. In southern Schleswig its share is around ten percent, with large local differences. The minority lives mainly north of the Eider.
The Frisian Act of 2004, passed by the state parliament in November, promotes Frisian in public life and applies to Nordfriesland and Heligoland. North Frisian divides into mainland and island North Frisian, nine dialects in all. In the 2021/2022 school year, Frisian was taught at twelve model schools: nine public schools and three schools of the Danish minority. The numbers show how much in schools and administration depends on whether a small language can be learned in everyday life.