Saxon humor in change: where is the lightness of yore?

Saxon humor in change: where is the lightness of yore?

What is special about Saxon humor? In Saxony there is a very own form of joking, which is often not appreciated by humans outside the state. According to mdr , the dialect is decisive in order to be able to transport the subtleties of the Saxon humors. Many of the situational comedy is lost, especially in stressful work environments. People often keep their facade instead of showing the serenity that can be experienced in family gatherings.

But where is the humor in a society that is increasingly taking seriously? The author Bernd Lutz Lange points out that the Saxon mentality could be better preserved at the time of the GDR. In the past, people often kept together at celebrations and fetuses, which promoted people together. Today, however, it is noted that there are fewer opportunities in which the heroism facade can be put down, which of course restricts humor.

Saxon dialect and identity

Despite the challenges, the Saxon dialect remains very popular with part of the population. Kristina Zorniger, known as Kristina from the village, contributes to keeping the dialect and roots alive with her mini clips series for the “So Saxon” campaign. In the clips that she recently recorded, she makes Lene Voigt's poems appear in the new light, especially "de Säk’s Lorelei", which celebrated its premiere on the occasion of the Leipzig Book Fair. Here she meets enthusiasm, because the clips should also give the younger generation a connection to the home, as So-Leht-Saechisch reports.

"Dialects reveal a lot about identity," says language and communication scientist Kerstin Trillhaase. The position on the dialect is often ambivalent. In a survey of 2020, 30 percent of those surveyed found Saxon to be "unappealing", which shows how divided opinions are. Nevertheless, many dialect speakers show solidarity with each other, as the example of Khalil shows, which teaches various dialects to build bridges and to promote the sense of community, as in an article by Deutschlandfunk Nova is.

treasure of the Saxon allusions

Humor has shown its role models in Saxony, as the controversial Lene Voigt, who was himself suppressed by the Nazis. Nevertheless, the art form in cabarets is continued. Long and colleagues such as Tom Pauls and Gunter Böhnke campaigned for many years to bring this special humor to the stage in "Das Kaffengespenst" and thus continue a tradition.

In the past, many people outside of Saxony also appreciated the Saxon joke. From Bavaria to Switzerland there are voices about the dialect, which, without wanting to admit many, also has a musical quality. The art of expressing the special thing about Saxon humor lives on through the commitment of people such as Kristina Zorniger and Bernd Lutz for a long time. So we won't tire of giving space to this treasure - maybe not always as a hero, but always with a smile.