Siegfried Bradl is promoting a new regulars' table for the Association of the Bavarian Language, which will take place on Friday at the Maierbräu in Altomünster.
District – Siegfried Bradl is an enthusiastic supporter of the Bavarian language. As chairman of the Association for the Support of the Bavarian Language and Dialects (FBSD), he is passionately committed to their preservation. The Altomünster native appreciates the precision and expressiveness that a single Bavarian expression can convey in certain situations. Or how different emphasis on a word can change its meaning. However, fewer and fewer children speak the Bavarian language. In order to bring the Bavarian language closer to more people, the support association founded a regional dialect regulars' table. In the interview, Siegfried Bradl explains what makes the Bavarian language so special for him, why fewer and fewer children speak the dialect and how the FBSD wants to help rekindle young people's enthusiasm for the Bavarian language.
Mr. Bradl, what makes the Bavarian language so appealing to you?
Siegfried Bradl: What fascinates me about the Bavarian language is its subtlety and versatility as well as its rich vocabulary. There are many idioms and expressions that can accurately describe certain situations, such as “griaby” for a situation or a place that is comfortable. But the emphasis in pronunciation can also completely change the meaning of a word or phrase. “A such a pig dog” can be meant positively or negatively.
Aside from that?
The Bavarian language also tends to shorten or lengthen the vowels. This creates a melodic and rhythmic sound. It is these small linguistic subtleties that make Bavarian so lively, charming and popular.
Which Bavarian idioms do you use particularly often?
There are of course the classic Bavarian greetings such as “Griaß God”, “Habe d'Ehre” and “Servus”, which for me have something friendly and benevolent. I treat others with tolerance, acceptance and appreciation. And is there a better way to say goodbye to someone than with “Pfia God”, “God be with you on your paths”?
Do you have a word that perfectly describes a situation in just one word?
When food is talked about in the media today, you often only hear the expression “tasty”. But I think “it tastes great” is actually much more accurate.
Do you always speak in dialect?
Yes, I actually always speak Bavarian. But I always depend on the conversation partner as to how much I let my Bavarian dialect shine through. This ranges from the Altomünster dialect, which I spoke with my father, to the South Bavarian High German, which I used in Hamburg.
How has the use of Bavarian changed over time?
The Bavarian dialect actually thrives on its small scale. In the past, if you drove three or four kilometers in the country, people spoke a completely different dialect, emphasized certain words differently or used completely different terms. The regional differences are sometimes enormous. But this small space is increasingly being lost due to structural change and today's mobility.
Would you say the Bavarian dialect is dying out?
No, I wouldn't necessarily say that. However, there are clear differences between rural and urban areas. In the city there are fewer and fewer people who speak the dialect. In rural areas, however, the dialect is often still an integral part of everyday life and people's identity. Here the Bavarian language is not only cultivated by the older generation, but also passed on to the young.
But there is noticeably less dialect spoken than before?
This decline has various causes in which the school system plays a crucial role. As early as the 1960s, the dialect was banned in schools and teachers viewed speaking the dialect as undesirable and even actively fought against it in order to wean the children off the dialect. Although this attitude has persisted for a long time, a lot has changed for the better in the last ten years.
Do you have any tips for people who want to learn or improve Bavarian?
Just stop by our regional dialect get-together, which the Bavarian Language and Dialects Support Association is now founding. We know from various conversations that there is great interest in such a get-together. It is clearly noticeable that the topic of dialect is becoming increasingly important again here. That's why the first regional dialect get-together will take place next Friday at 7 p.m. in the Maierbräu brewery inn.
What do you hope to achieve from it?
The main goal is: We want to do something for our members and interested parties here in the room, to bring them together so that they can get to know each other personally and enable exchanges with each other. Together we want to see what we can do for the Bavarian language, capture people's interests and creativity and develop joint activities from this. Overall, we want to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and accepted, regardless of their language level or experience with the dialect. Anyone who is interested in the Bavarian language is welcome.
How do you want to get the younger people on board?
Youth is an important issue for us. We want to approach them specifically and give them the opportunity to contribute their ideas and ideas. We also want to use the knowledge of the young generation to break new ground with regard to dialect and also be present on social media such as Instagram and YouTube.
Interview: Frederic Rist
The first dialect get-together
will take place on Friday, April 19th, at the Maierbräu brewery inn in Altomünster. Siegfried Bradl asks that you register at siegfried.bradl@web.de or at 0 82 54/86 65. Those who decide at short notice can also join us without registering.