history
Forgotten Serbian Tribe in Germany: They Still Recount an Ancient Legend with Sadness
The Sorbs, also known as Northern Serbs, are an old West Slavic people who today inhabit the northeastern part of Germany, primarily the provinces of Saxony and Brandenburg. This area has been known since late antiquity as Lusatia, or in German as Sorbenland - the land of the Serbs.
TL;DR
- The Sorbs, or Northern Serbs, are an ancient West Slavic people living in northeastern Germany, primarily in Saxony and Brandenburg.
- Despite numbering just over 105,000 today, a large percentage of geographical names in parts of Germany retain their Slavic origins.
- Two main theories exist regarding their origin: settlement from a shared homeland between Russia and Ukraine, or that the region itself is their ancient homeland.
- Historical texts, including those by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, suggest that Balkan Serbs originated from the Sorbs.
- Notable figures like General Pavle Juriši ć Šturm and Catherine the Great are claimed by some historians to have Sorbian heritage.
- Modern-day Lusatia offers affordable tourism with numerous cultural and historical sites, such as the ancient Sorbian town of Bautzen (Budyšin).