Maria Elikowska-Winkler

Maria Elikowska-Winkler ( Sorbian Marja Elikowska-Winklerowa ; born May 12, 1951 in Posen , Poland ) is a Sorbian teacher and journalist . She was the head of the School for Lower Sorbian Language and Culture (Šula za dolnoserbsku rěc a kulturu) in Cottbus for many years , founded the Lower Sorbian Children's Ensemble in 1993 and was awarded the Ćišinski Prize in 2019 .

Life

Born in Poland, she studied philology at the University of Poznan . Since 1981 she has been a lecturer at the Central Sorbian Language School in Dissenchen , where she gave Polish courses. During the time of reunification, she taught at various institutions in Niederlausitz . With the establishment of the School for Lower Sorbian Language and Culture, Elikowska-Winkler became its director in September 1992 and remained in this position until January 2017. In 2002 the school was awarded the European Language Seal. In addition, Elikowska-Winkler founded the Lower Sorbian children's ensemble in 1993, of which she is the artistic director. She also works for Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg as an author and reporter for the Sorbian program.

The Foundation for the Sorbian People awarded the Ćišinski Prize 2019 to Maria Elikowska-Winkler for “her long-term and tireless work to preserve and pass on the Lower Sorbian-Wendish language in all generations and for the ongoing support of Sorbian cultural and sustainable projects in the Niederlausitz ".

Elikowska-Winkler lives in Cottbus, she is married and has three children, including the composer Sebastian Elikowski-Winkler (* 1978), who received the Ćišinski Prize in 2015.

Honors

• Honored in Polish Culture 1997
• Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland 2001
• Medal of the State Parliament of Brandenburg 2016
• Ćišinski Prize 2019
• Advancement award of the Ćišinski Prize 2001 for the Lower Sorbian children's ensemble.

Publications

As editor

• Sorbs (Wends) and Lemken. Ethnic minorities in Brandenburg and Poland . Sorbian Institute, Bautzen 2012. ISBN 978-3-9813244-3-3 .
• Stary Žylowaŕ Erwin Mjerśeńc wulicujo [The old Sielower Erwin Mjerśeńc tells] . School for Lower Sorbian Language and Culture, Cottbus 2013.
• Něgajšny Turnojski gólc a jogo starki [A Turnower boy of yore and his grandmother] . Cottbus 2014.
• Žywjeńske dopomnjeńki serbskich žeńskich [Memoirs of Sorbian Women] . Cottbus 2015.
• Ze žywjenja serbskich muskich [From the life of Sorbian men] . Cottbus 2017.

Web links

• Märkischer Bote: Cottbus: Immediately in love with Wendish .
• lr-online.de : Excellent. Maria Elikowska-Winkler honored with the Cisinski Prize .
• rbb-online.de : Highest Sorbian award for Maria Elikowska-Winkler .