Domowina (lit. 'Home') is a political independent league of the Sorbian and Wendish people and umbrella organization of Sorbian societies in Lower and Upper Lusatia, Germany. It represents the interests of Sorbian people and is the continual successor of the previous Domowina League of the Lusatian Sorbs. The organization has been a member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities since 1990.

Name

The Sorbian word Domowina is a poetic expression for 'homeland'. The name was proposed by Domowina co-founder Bogumił Šwjela, then Lutheran pastor of Nochten and Sorbian linguist.

History

The Domowina institution, founded in Hoyerswerda in 1912, is situated in Bautzen (Budyšin) in Saxony alongside other cultural institutions of the Sorbian people for which it serves as an umbrella organization. The Domowina was closed by Nazi authorities in 1937 and reopened on 10 May 1945, right after the end of World War II, and regained official status in the German Democratic Republic. Under East German rule, Domowina was a mass organization included in the National Front, and was effectively controlled by the SED. Though the government did recognize Sorbs as a linguistic community within the GDR, they were not recognized as a minority, which ran contrary to the demands of the league. Upon the fall of communism in East Germany and German reunification, Domowina was reformed yet again on 17 March 1990, this time as an independent organization.

Regional associations

In Sorbian, the regional associations are called župa.

Members

The following associations are members of the Domowina:

Seat

The Domowina has its main seat in the Serbski dom in Bautzen.

Branch offices

Regional offices

Chairmen

Association's journal

Domowina's association's journal is Naša Domowina ("Our Domowina"). Originally, it was created by Pawoł Nedo a supplement for the Serbske nowiny newspaper in 1935. Today, it bears the full name Naša Domowina – Informacije třěšneho zwjazka * Informacije kšywowego zwězka * Informationen des Dachverbandes ("Our Domowina – Information from the umbrella organization") in Upper Sorbian, Lower Sorbian and German. It is issued by the Bautzen branch office of Domowina.