Strasbourg, 19 February 2018 MIN-LANG (2018) PR 1 EUROPEAN CHARTER FOR REGIONAL OR MINORITY LANGUAGES Sixth periodical report presented to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 15 of the Charter GERMANY Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to Article 15 (1) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages 2017 3 Table of contents A. PRELIMINARY REMARKS ................................................................................................................8 B. UPDATED GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ...............................................9 C. GENERAL TRENDS..........................................................................................................................10 I. CHANGED FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS......................................................................................................10 II. LANGUAGE CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 2014 .........................................................................................14 III. DEBATE ON THE CHARTER LANGUAGES IN THE GERMAN BUNDESTAG, JUNE 2017..............................14 IV. ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION CONFERENCE ...............................................................................................15 V. INSTITUTE FOR THE LOW GERMAN LANGUAGE, FEDERAL COUNCIL FOR LOW GERMAN ......................15 VI. BROCHURE OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR ....................................................................19 VII. LOW GERMAN IN BRANDENBURG.......................................................................................................19 D. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS ...................................................23 I. RECOMMENDATION 1 ..............................................................................................................................23 II. RECOMMENDATION 2 ..............................................................................................................................23 III. RECOMMENDATION 3 ..............................................................................................................................25 IV. RECOMMENDATION 4 ..............................................................................................................................27 V. RECOMMENDATION 5 ..............................................................................................................................29 VI. RECOMMENDATION 6 ..............................................................................................................................33 E. THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS' EVALUATIONS........................................................................35 I. EVALUATIONS WITH RESPECT TO PART II OF THE CHARTER..................................................................35 1. Article 7 (1)(b)...................................................................................................................................35 2. Article 7 (1)(c)....................................................................................................................................38 a. Upper and Lower Sorbian ...........................................................................................................................38 b. Low German..................................................................................................................................................40 c. Romani...........................................................................................................................................................41 3. Article 7 (1)(d)...................................................................................................................................42 4. Article 7(1)(f) .....................................................................................................................................43 a. Low German..................................................................................................................................................43 b. Sater Frisian..................................................................................................................................................47 c. Romani...........................................................................................................................................................47 5. Article 7 (3)........................................................................................................................................49 6. Article 7 (4)........................................................................................................................................50 a. Low German..................................................................................................................................................50 b. Romani...........................................................................................................................................................50 II. EVALUATIONS WITH RESPECT TO PART III OF THE CHARTER ................................................................52 1. Danish in the state of Schleswig-Holstein ....................................................................................52 4 a. Article 8 (1)(i).................................................................................................................................................52 b. Article 10 (1)(a)(v).........................................................................................................................................52 c. Article 11 (1)(b)(ii) and (c)(ii).......................................................................................................................52 d. Article 12 (3)..................................................................................................................................................53 e. Article 13 (2)(c) .............................................................................................................................................53 2. Upper Sorbian in the Free State of Saxony .................................................................................54 a. Article 8 (1)(a)(iii)..........................................................................................................................................54 b. Article 8 (1)(b)(iv)..........................................................................................................................................54 c. Article 8 (1)(d) ...............................................................................................................................................55 d. Article 8 (1)(h) ...............................................................................................................................................56 e. Article 8 (1)(i).................................................................................................................................................56 f. Article 8 (2) ....................................................................................................................................................56 g. Article 9 (1) ....................................................................................................................................................57 h. Article 10 (1)(a)(iv)........................................................................................................................................58 i. Article 10 (3)(b) .............................................................................................................................................59 j. Article 10 (4)(c) .............................................................................................................................................59 k. Article 11 (1)(b)(ii).........................................................................................................................................60 l. Article 11 (1)(c)(ii).........................................................................................................................................60 m. Article 11 (1)(f)(ii)..........................................................................................................................................61 n. Article 12 (3)..................................................................................................................................................61 o. Article 13 (2)(c) .............................................................................................................................................61 3. Lower Sorbian in Brandenburg ......................................................................................................63 a. Article 8 (1)(a)(iv)..........................................................................................................................................63 b. Article 8 (1)(b)(iv)..........................................................................................................................................64 c. Article 8 (1)(c)................................................................................................................................................64 d. Article 8 (1)(e) ...............................................................................................................................................64 e. Article