International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-12, Dec.-2018 http://iraj.in CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC REVITALIZATION OF A SPECIFIC GERMAN ETHNIC GROUP – KEY STUDY FROM

1KATARINA SLOBODOVA NOVAKOVA, 2LUKAS KURAJDA

Department of ethnology and world studies, FF UCM , Slovakia E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract - The article discusses the influence of macro-social processes and issues of assimilation, acculturation, ethnic and linguistic revitalization on the example of one particular group of German woodsmen in the social context of Western Slovakia. It attempts to analyse how historical and political changes during the 20th century influenced changes in the structure, system of values and hierarchy of ethnic group and whether that helped or prevented the assimilation of the group’s members. The article also attempts to indicate the possibilities of today’s ethnic and linguistic revitalization.

Index Terms - German ethnic group, linguistic anthropology, minority culture, revitalization, Slovakia

I. INTRODUCTION main symbol is something so valuable? Why should we try to set back or halt ethnic or linguistic The research focused on the relations between assimilation? When can we speak about “natural will individual groups with different ethnic, cultural and of an ethnic group to be itself” and when does an social characteristics has its justification not only in artificial construct – “ethnic engineering” start? [2] terms of content, character and direction of In the process of ethnic/linguistic preservation, development of such relations but also in terms of important role is played by the actors themselves – by recognition of specific patterns typical for small social the interest of the members of a particular group (in groups. In a broader context, the purpose of such this case of an ethnic minority) to remain a distinctive research Our aim is to discuss on the example of a unit with a unique culture of its own. In such context, specific group of German woodsmen, “Huncokári“, a theory of “ethnolinguistic vitality“ which is formed the influence of macro-social processes and changes in by status, demographic factors and institutional the structure and hierarchy of the particular group and support was created. [3] its system of values in the social context of Western Slovakia. The discussed ethnic group has a primary interest in the preservation of its ethnic consciousness, identity, Huncokári in the Mountains of the Little Carpathians, language and culture. However, its public located in Western Slovakia, are very specific and presentation, popularization and promotion is of unique ethnic group in terms of archaicity of their secondary importance; the main effort is to document traditional way of life in view of the material, spiritual the ancestors‘ way of life, record testimonies of the and social culture. They form the last wave of German oldest living survivors, collect material artefacts and settlement in Slovakia. The peculiarity of their way of pass this knowledge to future generations. living has been determined by their cultural and From the ethnologic, historical and linguistic linguistic uniqueness (their own German dialect), viewpoint, the research focused on Huncokári can be geographic and social isolation (life in hamlets, considered a salvage research. In Slovak scientific endogamy) and also by specific forms of texts (historical, ethnological or linguistic), the issue communication within and outside their group. These has been covered only marginally. The research is factors resulted in conservation and long-term represented by no more than five scientific articles, preservation of several archaic elements of their three masters theses, a few short, popularizing articles traditional culture. [1] Huncokári in the Little or notes about Huncokári in ethnologic analyses of Carpathians represent a specific form of adaptation German ethnic minority in Slovakia. Therefore, there and acculturation of a particular group in different are only a few available authentic resources or ethnicenvironment. Therefore, we consider them to be scientific analyses. Taking into account the results of a an important element of Slovak and European cultural few 20th century researches, other available heritage. According to Šatava, any efforts to preserve information and our own primary surveys, it is clear and further develop small ethnic or language that in the environment of Huncokári local communities need to be seen within the context of community/families is possible to record the last contemporary trends; within the context of a struggle surviving evidence of their culture, either material for unique element in a globalizing world. The crucial artefacts of elements of spiritual and social culture. question is whether an ethnicity with language as the However, in several cases such precious material

Cultural and Linguistic Revitalization of a Specific German Ethnic Group - Key Study from Slovakia

58 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-12, Dec.-2018 http://iraj.in survives only as a part of individual memory of a few assume that such active element associated with an descendants or a part of collective memory of individual would be an appropriate indicator of the Huncokári community and its environment. With a orientation and dynamic processes within the entire decline of this group, there is a danger of total ethnic minority. Therefore it is significant to examine extinction of unique expressions of their culture and ordinary situations in the life of an individual within memories. the entire community on which it is possible to demonstrate a wide spectrum of attitudes towards II. METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH ethnic minority ranging from loyalty to displacement and negation. Huncokári in Slovakia can be considered as an ethnic minority, ethnic group or a community. As in the past, III. CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE today they have a strong consciousness of ethnic and GROUP IN THE OBSERVED REGION local belonging, feeling of fellowship and at the same time otherness from neighboring local communities. During the 18th century, mountain regions of Western We can observe a presence of specific and unique Slovakia (mostly the Little and White Carpathian cultural expressions in material, spiritual and social ranges) were colonized by the settlers of German field. We consider their own dialect to be a specific origin. Numerous wealthy landowners invited and typical expression of an ethnic minority. This colonists from different German-speaking regions to ethnic group is the evidence of cultural diversity and settle on their lands under conditions that were multiculturalism of ethnic and linguistic environment mutually beneficial. According to Franz Beranek, the of Slovakia and the entire European area. growth of this ethnic group was associated with the Multicultural society is characterized by cultural activities of Count Pálffy, the largest land owner of diversity and plurality. Various cultural layers do not County, who in the mid-18th century exist there autonomously but in mutual interaction invited woodsmen with their families from Lower and communication. Within this communication, Austria and Styria to settle on his lands in the Little cultures influence and enrich one another, they are Carpathians. engaged in a cultural dialogue. Other sources claim different localities of woodsmen’ Minorities do not exist without opposition towards the origin in the collective memory of their descendants, majority. It is the confrontation of aims and values consciousness of origin from Tirol or Bavaria has been between the minority communities and majority preserved. The uniqueness of this group resides in the society that explains the internal development and specific way of coping with the new conditions and in attitudes of the members of minorities. Often, the forms of identification with their own group and emphasis is given to these differentiating elements its cultural traditions. According to the information which are perceived as important, though after from the end of the 18th century, there were about 500 objective evaluation, their importance seems to be Huncokári living in Slovakia and they lived in overestimated. In any case, from within the group terraced wooden houses with two to four apartments these elements are perceived as important and they are which included living room, attic room, kitchen and supported through various strategies. pantry. They lived in isolated conditions, two or three families per hamlet, with hamlets several kilometers Within such community, significant area of research distant from one other and from the nearest villages. is formed by the line of social heritage, manifested in In the mid-20th century, about 1000 people considered various forms of communication, speech stereotypes themselves to be Huncokári. The most recent results of or gestures. Important fact is that ethnic consciousness the research of family genealogy indicate that the in many cases persists even if the community is number could have been much higher, at least 1500 geographically distant from the central group. To people in the mid-20th century. Already during the know and understand the relations it is necessary to interwar period, Huncokári were frequently forced (by observe the development and changes of the discussed changes in political situation, or changes in forest minority within the entire of 20th century with ownership) to move from their isolated localities to overlaps to the 19th and 21st centuries. Such wider lower areas, closer to towns and villages. After World coverage enables the inquiry of the potential process of War II, a part of the population was forcibly relocated identity crisis associated with re-evaluation of to Germany. The remaining Huncokári eventually community values, active search and perception of assimilated with the majority population. The ethnic positives and at the same time negatives of ethnic minority status was granted to only in 1968 minority; and, in the stage of stabilization, acceptation and the right to be educated in their own language or rejection of original ethnic delineation which suits only after 1989. [4] an individual, or on the other hand, limits him. We

Cultural and Linguistic Revitalization of a Specific German Ethnic Group - Key Study from Slovakia

59 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-12, Dec.-2018 http://iraj.in Huncokári worked as of loggers, foresters and they until 1919 By 1927, Huncokári children were used technological processes that were unknown in attending a Slovak school in weekly turns. Slovakia at that time. The German terms for their It looked like as if the life of Huncokári became more profession Holzhacker and Holzfäller gave birth to the distant from developing historical events, influences, term Huncokár in local dialect, which can be new elements and circumstances. Despite this fact, understood as an ethnonym today. At present, the there appeared tendencies in the first half of the 20th members of the group call themselves either as century in their social life which somehow signalized Holzhacker/Holzhackeri or as mountain people. They they were getting closer to society and this led to a perceive the term Huncokár/Huncokári to be disruption of internal closeness of the group. Among derogatory or unsuitable but they tolerate its use by the the important moments was the change in school majority. Their work and service were of a hereditary policy of the first ČSR. With the introduction of character; they were paid for it and received benefits compulsory 8 year schooling, children of school age such as timber from the woods from their landowner. from the mountains were brought to everyday contact Among their other privileges were rights to use house, with the social environment of towns and villages and garden, field and meadows for mowing. They could in this way, they were somehow released from the also graze their domestic animals in landowner’s exclusive social environment of their group. woods. The relative equality of professional and social Difficulties resulting from everyday school attendance status resulting from similar economic position was from distant hamlets gradually led to moving of the basis for equal social relations within the group Huncokári closer to villages. Under the pressure of life and as a result, it had integrative function. Any circumstances, they were forced to leave their distant possible differences in economic situations of the and isolated settlements and settle in villages or in individual families could be a result of their particular their vicinity. [6] situation. Equality in relations was highlighted by the members of the group as a significant value of IV. CONCLUSION: PRESERVATION AND interpersonal ties and it was often compared to REVITALIZATION OF MINORITY- REALITY unequal social status of people living in villages which OR FICTION? was based on their wealth. [5] Their origin and resulting ethnic, linguistic and cultural otherness led Until the 1980s, the research of German minority in in specific economic and social conditions to the Slovakia remained a bypassed, even a taboo topic creation of isolated and closed group with a because of political, social and historical reasons. consciousness of group fellowship, consciousness of Possibilities for the development of minority cultures difference from majority and its own system of values. in Slovakia in the last few decades has not been the Up to the first third of the 20th century was the same for each ethnic group living in Slovakia. existence of the group (including education of the Carpathian Germans were among those who did not children) associated with the mountain environment. have opportunity for a development of their own Settlement isolation and professional exclusiveness culture. Only the events of 1989 and the creation of did not provide a larger space for communication Slovak Republic in 1993 brought changes, when the between Huncokári and village inhabitants. Only at constitutional right of minorities living in Slovakia the beginning of the 20th century the first cases of was granted. This included the right to develop their exogamous relationships appeared. This was the own culture, and to establish and preserve their period when the contacts between Huncokári and educational and cultural institutions and villagers or townspeople intensified. During the consciousness. period of the first Czechoslovak Republic, their traditional way of life started to be disrupted, when for Ethno-linguistic revitalization efforts of the past example Huncokári children began attending schools decades has demonstrated their potential for in larger villages or towns, usually in weekly intervals realization. The question therefore is not whether is and the entire system of the work in the woods began the halt of assimilation in current conditions possible, to change. but whether it is viable and desirable in a particular Regarding the fact that Huncokári settlements were situation of a particular group. As different researches dispersed and distant from towns and villages, specific have shown (for instance Jewish or Armenian ways of education for children were instituted in the diasporas), the vitality of small, frequently dispersed form of weekly turns, with individual settlements populations and communities can bein this regard alternating. Education was realized by a so-called unbelievably strong and long-term in present-day. [7] mountain teacher in , later this role In this particular case,we assume that the efforts for was performed by a retired game warden. Permanent revitalization do not come from the outside but from German school for Huncokári children was the inside of the group. Up to this day, members of the established in 1876 in Piesok and provided schooling group live in the researched localities, they still have

Cultural and Linguistic Revitalization of a Specific German Ethnic Group - Key Study from Slovakia

60 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-12, Dec.-2018 http://iraj.in partial group consciousness, preserve some of their Huncokári and their descendants in Slovakia to customs and traditional culture and Huncokári dialect implement the above-mentioned constitutional right, is still alive. In addition to that, several material reacquire and develop group consciousness and artefacts and material expressions, great amount of identity, and eventually even revitalize some of the photographic and iconographic material, personal cultural elements. Last but not least it is not possible to written accounts (almost 20,000 photographs, omit research-wise promising documentation value numerous sound recordings of interviews, personal that all the acquired data and knowledge will bring. correspondence and other materials) have been preserved Mapping of the population and settlement REFERENCES development of this group is necessary since we are not completely familiar with it up to this day. From [1] Priečko, M, „Dynamika spoločensko-politických this point of view we are interested in the life zmien v druhej polovici 20.storočia a ich strategies of individual families orfates of kultúrne, sociálne a ekonomické dôsledky.“ “population” surpluses of the group in the 19th and Trnava 2003, pp. 106-134. 20th centuries. The demographic characteristics has [2] Šatava, L., „ Etnicita a jazyk. Teorie, praxe, been to a great extent influenced by the work trendy: čítanka textú“, Brno, 2015, pp.12-30. conditions of woodsmen that did not create conditions [3] Šatava, L., “Noví mluvčí v kontextu menšinových for a growth of naturally growing family in one jazykú”, Národopisní revue, vol.27, no.4, household, locality and manor. These caused a break pp.323-330. up of families and their spreading across the territory [4] Nováková Slobodová, K., „Study Possibilities of of the group, which was accepted. This fact caused Present-Day Ethnic Revitalization of German constant renewal of intergroup ties and was one of the Woodsmen in the Little Carpathians“, Ethnologia conditions for the integrity of the group and Actualis SLovaca, vol. 14, no 2, 2015, pp.97-108. development of its traditional culture. There is no [5] Habáňová, 1992, „K niektorým problémom intra- clear prognostic answer to the questions associated a extraskupinových vzťahov drevorubačov tzv. with the phenomenon of ethno-linguistic assimilation Huncokárov v Malých Karpatoch.“ In. Zmeny v and revitalization. Similarly there is no clear border hodnotových systémoch v kontexte každodennej between what is ”salvageable” and “expendable”. kultúry. Bratislava: Ústav etnológie SAV, 1992, Therefore it is a demanding and intricate topic that pp. 66-85. depends on the viewpoint and the beholder. With a [6] Fedič, D., “ Analysis of Huncokars dialect. realistic view on the past and present of German Ethnologia Actualis, vol- 14, no.2, 2014, minority in Slovakia is the research of culture and way pp.109-119. of life of the German woodsmen in the Little [7] Šatava, 2013, pp.28; Krauss, M., „ The worlds Carpathians area necessary. In several respects, it can languages in crissis“, Language, vol 68, no.1, be considered a salvage research of a disappearing pp.4-10. minority. The results of the research will enable

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