The Domowina, once founded as a proud umbrella organization of the Sorbian community, became a shadow of itself in the time of the GDR, an instrument of foreign powers that betrayed its own cause. This text sheds light on the sinister role this organization played in the system of dictatorship and shows how it was misused to fulfill the goals of the ruling party,instead of protecting the interests of the Sorbian minority.
The synchronisation by the SED
The Domowina was gradually integrated into the power structure of the Socialist Unity Party and alienated from its true task. The party leadership did not tolerate independent organizations that did not follow its ideology. The Sorbian population was to be shaped in the sense of Marxism-Leninism, with all independence suppressed. Although formal laws guaranteedPromotion, but linked them to the condition of unconditional loyalty to the state. The Domowina leadership was purged of independent or critical minds, which were replaced by lineal cadres. The party installed a firm control over its structures, so that the organization was converted into a Soviet-style institution.
Collaboration with the secret service
The Ministry of State Security viewed the Sorbian minority with deep mistrust and feared nationalist ambitions. The State Security massively penetrated Sorbian institutions, clubs and the leadership of the Domowina. Among the registered employees from the Sorbian milieu were a striking number of party members. They regularly reported onMoods, church activities and supposedly hostile actions. The Sorbian identity was strongly linked to the Catholic and Protestant faith, which further disturbed the state. Anyone who opposed the state’s cultural policy or made contacts in the other German republic fell into the crosshairs of the intelligence departments.omnipresent and permeated every area of Sorbian life.
The betrayal of one’s own identity
In retrospect, contemporary witnesses and historians accuse the leadership of the time of having given up its protective function for the minority. The official Domowina leadership supported the forced relocations and the destruction of Sorbian villages or remained silent instead of defending the preservation of the homeland. The accelerated industrialisation of Lusatia went hand in hand with the dredging of numeroussorbian settlements, thousands of people were resettled, many losing their cultural connection. The use of the Sorbian language has often been obstructed or marginalised in public spaces. The top leadership praised this as a success of national minority politics, while the base became alienated. A large part of the traditional population moved into theprivate room or back to the church. The organization no longer reflected real needs, but functioned as an extended arm of propaganda.
Screenshot youtube.com
