The Kashubian Parliamentary Group, chaired by Senator Kazimierz Kleina, met on January 22 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and Regional Language enactment. The meeting was attended by dr Justyna Pomierska, Chair of the Kashubian Ethnophilology Programme Council, who gave a lecture on the 10th anniversary of Kashubian Ethnophilology at the University of Gdańsk.
At the invitation of Senator Kazimierz Kleina, a large number of representatives of the Kashubian community attended the meeting ‘Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and Regional Language - a meeting on the 20th anniversary of its enactment - the Kashubian experience’. The prominence of the issue of the 10th anniversary of the Kashubian Ethnophilology at the UG shows that this aspect of the Act is recognised as important. Educating teachers and cultural institution staff who are fluent in Kashubian is extremely important for the preservation of Kashubian heritage - this is the role the University of Gdańsk is trying to fulfil.
Dr Justyna Pomierska recalled the origins of the course and the postgraduate studies that preceded it. This reminiscence featured prominent University of Gdańsk personalities of merit for Kashubian studies, who are unfortunately no longer with us: Prof. Andrzej Ceynowa, Prof. Jerzy Treder or Prof. Ewa Rogowska-Cybulska. Dr J. Pomirska also discussed the organisation of the didactic process in such a way as to make it economical and effective, and the issue of using subsidies from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
‘Kashubian ethnophilology is a practical course, i.e. studies that are closely related to the practical use of skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom,’ said the speaker. ‘Kashubian studies, literature and linguistics as well as history and culture are complemented by a vocational training module (the teaching, editing or journalism specialisation is combined with an appropriate training module at the Polish Philology Institute).’
Both the teaching specialisation and the Kashubian language in cultural practice are equivalent for the development of the Kashubian language and equally important for the organisation of the social life of Pomerania.
‘The University of Gdańsk is the only Polish university that has a Kashubian ethno-philology major in its offer,’ said Vice-Rector for Students Affairs dr hab. Urszula Patocka-Sigłowy, prof. UG, until recently Dean of the Faculty of Languages. ‘The decision to launch it ten years ago was by all means the right one - we wanted to contribute, together with Kashubian communities, to the development of Kashubian language education, Kashubian media and cultural institutions. The scale of the initiatives, scientific and didactic conferences held over the past few years proves that we have created a team of true enthusiasts at the UG who are dedicated to promoting Kashubian culture.’
The Kashubian language and culture are extremely important for the identity of Pomerania, but due to years of neglect and discrimination during the communist period, they need support to survive and regain their rightful place in the social consciousness. As dr Justyna Pomierska points out: ‘Kashubian needs to be helped to rebuild its place in social life. It cannot and will not replace either Polish or foreign languages - it is supposed to complement, support, broaden the linguistic and cultural imagination and build a sense of identity.’
