Fight for the correct pronunciation: East demands respect for place names!

Fight for the correct pronunciation: East demands respect for place names!

There are few things more satisfying than correctly pronouncing a place name. But this is exactly where there is often a problem, especially when it comes to cities in Eastern Germany. Mayk Pohle from Swabian In his current article, he discusses how great efforts often have to be made to correctly pronounce even simple names like Güstrow or Stralsund. A video shows how to do it correctly - and that should be a lesson to everyone!

But why is this so important? In the last few weeks, an article by Nordkurier about the correct pronunciation of East German cities such as Lübtheen and Torgelow stimulated many lively discussions. A majority of readers shared the opinion that it is time to have respect for the regional language and culture. Hans Burwig from Perleberg asks himself in this context: Is it ignorance or perhaps convenience on the part of the editors when typical East German place names are mispronounced? Burwig is optimistic that such banalities will not displace the commonalities in the vocabulary, as he believes Northern Courier entrusted.

The importance of correct pronunciation

People like Reinhard Rodewald from Rostock also express their displeasure about the joy of incorrect pronunciation. He sees this as a lack of respect, as names like Bollewick and Ferdinandshof are often misrepresented. Kerstin Beck from Lenzen has even created information sheets on correct pronunciation in order to preserve the linguistic identity of her homeland. Such efforts should not be underestimated, because they show that many people have a valuable part of their culture in their ears and in their hearts.

The discussion about correct pronunciation is, above all, a sign of identity. Steffen Lexow from Chemnitz even finds the incorrect pronunciation arrogant and draws a comparison to the correct pronunciation in Hamburg. In a world that is experiencing globalization more than ever, local identity is a valuable resource that must be preserved.

Dialects and regional differences

Linguists note that the diversity of German is enormous in many regions, especially in northern Germany. The Atlas of everyday German language documents this diversity and records regional differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammatical forms. In many German-speaking areas, traditional dialects are primarily used by older people, which means that younger generations are often unfamiliar with linguistic peculiarities.

An example of these regional differences is the word “Saturday,” which is used in the Northeast, while “Saturday” is more preferred in the South. This is where it becomes clear how complex and rich the German language is, which continues to change over the years.

The discussion about correct pronunciation also shows how important it is to respect and value the regional language. Because at the end of the day, it is precisely these small linguistic subtleties that make up our culture and build bridges between generations. Therefore, the call for correct pronunciation is not just a question of politeness, but an important step towards greater respect and understanding for the diverse German language.