Friisk Foriining

The Danish minority traditionally cooperates with the Friisk Foriining (Friesian Association).

Around 10.000 people in North Frisia and on the island of Heligoland speak Frisian. Moreover twice as many have passive knowledge of the language.

Friisk Foriining has about 600 members and regard themselves as being an ethnic-autochthonous minority within Germany like the Sorbs in Lusatia. The most imperative objective is to preserve and to promote the Frisian language and its culture.

In cooperation with the Frisian youth organisation “Rökefloose” (“flock of ravens”, www.rökefloose.de) the Foriining arranges events for young people, leisure activities among other things. During these arrangements Frisian is spoken. Within education Friisk Foriining cooperates with the Dansk Skoleforening for Sydslesvig (Danish School Association of the Danish minority in Southern Schleswig). Skoleforening facilitates Frisian lessons in some of its schools besides runs the only school in which classes are conducted in Frisian on equal footing with Danish and German (www.risumskole.de). The Foriining also arranges tours to visit other language minorities in Europe and offers a so-called “Friisk Harfsthuuchschölj” for individuals and families every year. This “Harfsthuuchschölj” offers courses over a period of 5 days, usually in October. Interested parties can participate in various activities like computer workshops, story-writing, craft activities, history workshops etc.. All held in Frisian. Additionally, the Friisk Foriining broadcasts daily news in Frisian, which can be downloaded from www.friiskforiining.podspot.de. Since 2006 the Friisk Foriining organises every other year a European-wide film festival for movies produced in minority languages.

Since 1945, the organisation has worked closely with the Danish minority. In 1948, it co-founded the political party SSW. In the field of education, it cooperates with the Danish School Association for Southern Schleswig. Organisationally, Friisk Foriining is closely affiliated with SSF, where it has an own office and is represented accordingly in SSF forums. Friisk Foriining's Secretariat is part of the Danish General Secretariat.