Apply now! Procuj se něnto!

The State Commissioner for Sorbs/Wends, State Secretary for Science and Culture Tobias Dünow: "Anyone following our advertising campaign on social media may be surprised – to reassure them: There will of course be neither a 'Bachelor of Blueprint' nor 'Certificates for Zampern'. But the academic training for teaching the Lower Sorbian language at primary schools is, figuratively speaking, a degree as a Sorbian future designer. And if the slogans succeed in raising awareness of the Sorbian/Wendish teacher training programme, we would of course be delighted. The programme is an absolute novelty: we are training primary school teachers in Sorbian/Vendish for the first time in the state of Brandenburg. And the best thing is: there is also money for it. Both the city of Cottbus/Chóśebuz and the district of Spree-Neiße/Wokrejs Sprjewja-Nysa as well as the Foundation for the Sorbian People are providing generous scholarships. Starting today: Apply now! Procuj se něnto!"

The BTU is expanding its teaching degree programme at the Senftenberg/Zły Komorow campus for the 2026/27 winter semester to include a second subject Sorbian/Wendish for primary school. The programme is designed as a practice-integrated Bachelor's degree course and will later be continued in a dual Master's degree course. Students can choose between the subject combinations maths – Sorbian/Vendish or German – Sorbian/Vendish. Twelve study places are planned each year, six per combination. Practical experience in schools is to be secured via WITAJ schools and schools offering Sorbian/Wendish as a foreign language. The programme is initially aimed at applicants who are already proficient in the language – knowledge of Lower Sorbian at level B1 is recommended. From next year, additional bridge courses and propaedeutics will also facilitate access for new speakers. Further information: www.b-tu.de/lehramt-primarstufe-bed

The study programme has been developed in close cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Science, the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, the Council for Sorbs/Wends Affairs, the Sorbian Institute and the Ministry of Education. The BTU is planning to build up additional personnel capacities for the implementation of the new study programme. The co-operation with the University of Leipzig will be continued. It will continue to offer Sorbian studies and training for teachers at secondary schools.

Scholarship offers for the Sorbian/Vendish teacher training programme

• The city of Cottbus/Chóśebuz offers an annual scholarship of 500 euros for up to 60 months for students studying to become teachers of Sorbian/Vendish. The scholarship holder undertakes to teach at a publicly funded school in Cottbus/Chóśebuz for a period of five years after completing their studies. Further information: www.cottbus.de/verwaltung/gb-1/dz-1-1/fb-40-schulen/stipendium-fuer-lehramtsstudierende-im-fach-sorbisch-wendisch/
• The district of Spree-Neiße/Wokrejs Sprjewja-Nysa offers an annual scholarship of 500 euros for up to 60 months for students studying to become teachers of Sorbian/Wendish. The scholarship holder undertakes to teach at a publicly funded school in the district for a period of five years after completing their studies. Further information: www.lkspn.de/aktuelles/ausschreibungen/stipendien.html
• The Foundation for the Sorbian People/Załožba za serbski lud awards merit scholarships of 200 euros per month from the 3rd semester onwards to students who are studying the Sorbian/Wendish language, culture or literature. Further information: www.zalozba.de/projekte/stipendien/

The Sorbian/Wends have been living in Lusatia for around 1,500 years. Despite attempts at assimilation by previous rulers and governments, they have retained their own language and a culture characterised by numerous festivals and diverse customs. The Lower Sorbian language belongs to the Slavic language family, is a recognised minority language in Germany and is protected in Brandenburg by the state constitution. The state of Brandenburg is helping to better preserve and further develop the culture and language of the national minority with a range of measures. This year, the state is supporting the Foundation for the Sorbian People with around 4.9 million euros.