Katharina Meng’s research while affiliated with Institute for the German Language and other places

This article presents a multifaceted portrait of immigrants to Germany from the post-Soviet states. The article traces the paths of two families over the course almost of a third of a century after immigration, focusing on language use and integration into the new environment. In-depth interviews conducted at various stages of the integration process and age-appropriate tests served as research material. The content, text, and lexical analyses, as well as a linguistic biography method, were used. The research included four generations of Russian Germans and Jews in each family. Russophones in Germany have not had an easy time integrating but, ultimately, have a positive attitude toward their adoptive country. The results show that the German language became the primary means of communication outside the family and partly within the family where Russian dominates among the second and third generations. The oldest generation (great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers) were fluent in German to some extent; those who moved at the age of 20–40 learned it sufficiently for their jobs; their children studied in German preschools and schools and became completely bilingual; and the great-grandchildren were born in Germany. The younger generations have fully integrated into German society, although strong connections with locals exist among the older generations too. Proficiency in the Russian language is still maintained even among the great-grandchildren’s generation, although not to the same extent as among the generation of young parents.

Российские немцы из Казахстана, или Russlanddeutsche, — это этнические немцы, которые жили в России, а затем в Казахстане до эмиграции в Германию. Многие представители старшего поколения выросли, говоря на немецком диалекте, отличном от стандартного немецкого, или на региональной разновидности русского языка. Языковая интеграция все еще может быть трудным процессом для российских немцев из Казахстана, поскольку язык тесно связан с культурой и идентичностью. Однако со временем и при поддержке многие из них могут успешно интегрироваться в немецкое общество и свободно говорить на стандартном немецком языке. В настоящей статье подводятся итоги 30-летнего лонгитюдного исследования семей российских немцев, приехавших с маленькими детьми в Германию. В работе применялся смешанный метод анализа данных. Одной из ключевых проблем, с которыми сталкиваются молодые русскоязычные немцы из Казахстана, является адаптация к культурным нормам и ожиданиям германского общества. Среди прочего, она может включать различия в социальном этикете, образовании и карьерных ожиданиях. Несмотря на трудности, многие молодые российские немцы из Казахстана успешно интегрируются в немецкое общество и строят себе успешную жизнь на новой родине. При поддержке своих семей и доступе к ресурсам и возможностям эти люди могут преодолеть барьеры на пути к интеграции и внести свой вклад в разнообразие и богатство немецкого общества.

The study combines analysis of social interaction between bilingual RussianGerman speakers competent in the two languages to different degrees with assessment of the levels of oral and written proficiency of the young Russian Germans who came as small children to Germany or were born here. This is a part of a larger longitudinal project dedicated to the linguistic integration of the Russian Germans in Germany conducted since shortly after their arrival as repartees to the historical homeland. The communication took place at the family home after 25 years of immigration. It was interesting to discover bilingual practices and means that are in use to achieve certain goals of communication. Questions were asked about different aspects of their life and their attitudes toward the previous and actual situation. The peculiarities of the oral and written German as well as of the oral Russian and of the ability to read were tested and analyzed. The results obtained allow to understand bilingual development of children, now young adults, without systematical support for the literacy in the Russian language. Even if they hear a lot of Russian from their relatives, it is not important to maintain the language and they do not make additional efforts to do it. This is an outcome of the family language policy and the consequences of parents’ comunicative practices.