Home of the dialect
My homeland, my language
Every province loves its own dialect, for it is, after all,
the element in which the soul draws its breath.
~ JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
Dialects define the identity of a region. They form its specific culture, provide a means of identification and shape our understanding of the concept of homeland. However, for many years the use of dialects has been in decline, with the number of speakers, and therefore their significance, decreasing more and more rapidly. Lest this cultural asset be forgotten, the Erzgebirge Association is committed to the preservation and use of the region’s dialect in the Erzgebirge.
With the children's songbook entitled, Kinderliederbuch "Hier sei mir drham" (This is where we're at home), the Erzgebirge Association is making a statement that dialect still plays a part in shaping the culture of the Erzgebirge.
More than 100 new, contemporary songs and texts have been compiled in this book. The cheerful illustrations by Annaberg-based graphic designer Sylvia Graupner and the accompanying CD, produced under the direction of Steffen Kindt, transform the musical dialect into a visual and audible experience.
With the songbook, the association wants not only to invite children and families to sing and make music but also seeks to ensure that the dialect lives on.