A Wendish Mother and Child
Media
Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People
- Title
- A Wendish Mother and Child
- Year
- 1935
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- 66 THE YOUNG CITIZEN April 1935 A WENDISH MOTHER AND CH IL D H A VE you ever heard of the Wen dish folk? Do you know where they live? They now live in Lusatia which is located in Germany. But a long, longtime ago the Wends were only a neighboring people of Germany. Today 111,000 of them inhabit a unique stretch of land which is but a very short journey ·from Berlin, the capital city of Germany. The Wends continue to cherish and practice their old customs and traditions. Their festivities and their food, their language and their dress are still strictly Wendish and not German. Wouldn't it be a good idea if we kept all Philippine customs and traditions that are really worth while? Let us continue wearing our Philippine dress; let us sing and play our Philippine folk-songs; let us dance our Philippine folk dances; let us continue to be respectful toward our elders; let us be thoughtful and considerate toward strangers on the street and in othe1· public places. There are many good things Philippine that we should remember and practice. But we were telling you about the Wendish folk who now live in Germany. They settled In a part of the country which is quite different from the rest of the Ge1·man land. We said it was unique, it is! It so happens that the river Spree divides into many little brooks and canals · (Courtesy of Reichsbnlrn::critrnle fur den Dcutsche'll Rciscl'akchr, Bcrlin) in a part of Germany which is known as the Spreewald-the Spree forest. There thousands of little islands may be found around which flow the numerous brooks and canals. Instead of sidewalks on land, " they are all little crooked water streets. Each Wendish home stands upon an island of its own. The workman, the doctor, the postman and the policeman come and go in boats. Children travel to school in boats. People row to the factory; they row to their shopping; they rnw to church. Even the cows are rowed in the boats to s·mal! stretches of pasture land. In winter time; however, it is menier still. Then all the . little canals and brooks are frozen up. Big and small, old and young ride in sleighs or go skating along over the smooth ice roads. The Wends are a very industrious and thrifty little group of people. Even in the picture their dress shows how much time and thought ai·e spent upon it. Everything is immaculately clean and colorful and neat. Many good weavers and many fine needle· w01·kers may be found among the Wendish people.