24% of Germans agree: the best standard German is spoken in Hanover. But now researchers have debunked this myth. We asked what this has to do with Low German short vowels, whether Northern Germans are now “Füschköppe” and why there is still hope.
It was a new blow for Lower Saxony. The paint is not only from the VW Group, but also from the “best standard German” spoken in Hanover. Scientists at Leibniz university in Hanover, of all places, have debunked this myth. This is the result of a large-scale research study that WELT first reported on three years ago. We asked their leader, the Germanist Francois Conradif he still dares to be among the people of Hanover.
BRUISE: A few days ago the german media reported that “a study disproves the myth that the best German standard is in Hanover”. How did you and your colleagues discover this?
Francois Conrad: This wasn’t our title, but dpa changed it slightly accordingly. Pure standard German is not spoken anywhere, we knew this in advance. Regional pronunciation characteristics also exist in Hanover. And when I say “regional” I mean the region. So Göttingen, Braunschweig, Celle, Hildesheim and Hannover speak more or less the same, based on what we know
BRUISE: However, in Hanover it is said that the purest High German is spoken. Who believes it?
Francois Conrad: It is a historically created myth. And as myths are, they persist.In fact, many people in Hanover attribute this to themselves. They then answer the question “How do you speak?” and then “Of course the best standard German”. But above all, many older people know that it is indeed more complicated. They say, “No, no, itS not that easy.Others might say the same about us, but we still have the Hanoverian language.”
“I’ve had enough of these attacks in Hanover now. now they are taking away our beautiful language too!”
BRUISE: So the Hanoverians didn’t take it as a narcissistic insult that you refuted the old myth?
Francois Conrad: I actually received some nasty letters. I quote: “I’ve had enough of this attack on Hanover now.Now they are taking away our beautiful language too!” Others say, “No or what? Hey, we don’t have much to offer. now our language is no longer
Francois Conrad: For about 200 years. There are the first reports in the 19th century where language historians or early linguists mentioned it. For example, Hermann Carl Otto huß in his 1879 work “The German in the Mouth of Hanover”.
BRUISE: How did the myth that they speak in a particularly pure way there arise?
Francois Conrad: There are three reasons for this. The first is that Low German was spoken throughout northern Germany, including braunschweig and Hanover. During the Reformation and with Luther’s translation of the Bible, the idea spread throughout Germany that Meissnian Saxon, a special variant of High German, was the best German.From this developed the High German we know today.
Dialectologically low German was very different from High German.That’s why Northern Germans learned High German as a foreign language.When you learn a foreign language, you naturally want to pronounce it particularly perfectly.This means that Northern Germans today still speak so close to Standard high German because their original language was so far from it.
Francois Conrad: Hanover was the residence of the king of the Kingdom of Hanover. This is why it was not braunschweig,Celle or Göttingen,which probably spoke and speak exactly the same,that became the focus of this myth,but rather Hanover. As it was the most critically important city of the kingdom and later also of the Prussian province.Braunschweig was the largest city. But as a royal residence, Hanover enjoyed greater prestige. And then the prussian officers came there after the annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover in 1866 and knew Hanoverian German and found it exemplary. Prussia then became the largest state in the German Empire.And so the myth became super widespread.
Francois Conrad: in the northern outskirts of Germany, on the coast, Low German has survived much longer, in isolated cases up to the present day. This development was thus limited to Lower Saxony and specifically to Hanover.
Francois Conrad: This is a relatively new phenomenon that exists throughout Northern Germany. Of course also in Hanover. I investigated this in a follow-up exam. A change in sound is currently taking place: if an i is followed by a consonant in which the lips are rounded, i.e. protruding, articulated (for example with sh as in fish or with f as in pencils), this rounding “appears the” . I about. And if you pronounce an i with rounded lips, an ü is automatically created. So simplify the pronunciation. changes like this happen from time to time all over the world. In northern Germany also the i before the r as in church or in some way is influenced by it. I hope to find out why exactly.
Francois conrad: AND. Pin, Church, Tisch with ü there are many examples. This is a general trend in Northern Germany. But it’s relatively new. I also have records from 60 years ago where in certain specific cases this is already done, but only sporadically. While nowadays almost everyone in the younger generation does.
Francois Conrad: YES. This falls into the same category as “the bathroom” and “the bicycle” with a short. High German would be Shower with a long u, Low German – that is, Low German – would be Shower with a short vowel. These are old Low German short vowels, remnants of Platt, which have also been preserved in High German - like many other features we found in Hanover and the surrounding area. For example “der Zug” – pronounced “Zuch”. this is especially common among older people. The older you are, the more often you “shower,” and the younger you are, the more you “shower.” standard German is much more pronounced among young people than among older people.
Francois Conrad: The project had two pillars. In my opinion: “Tongue in mouth” means: how do you actually speak? What comes out of people’s mouths when they speak? And “language in the head” means: how do people think about language? How do you rate the language? What do you know or think you know about the language? These are the two areas we have covered in parallel. For both we spoke to 100 volunteers, natives of Hanover, who also grew up here.
Francois Conrad: Such as, in a language experiment that lasted two to four hours, which was quite a long time, these people had to name pictures. Then they saw a shower and just had to say “shower” or “shower” without knowing it was pronunciation. Or they had to read short sentences and fill in the gaps. That was “tongue in mouth”
In “Language in the Head” we mainly conducted a long linguistic biographical interview and asked them,such as: “How did you speak?” “With who?” “What languages do you actually speak?” does he still speak flatly?” “Did you speak differently at school than at home?” “Have there been linguistic changes in your life?” “What else do you know about Low German in Hanover?”
Francois Conrad: It was very exciting. we also gave them a map of Germany and they had to mark where they thought people spoke similarly to Hanover. Then you should create a mental language map.And in reality they largely delimited the surrounding territory, more or less the Hanover region. But part of it goes to Göttingen. A region emerged here in the Eastphalian area.
There were then two more hearing tests. One was that we played them recordings from seven cities: Bremen, Magdeburg, Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Hannover, Bielefeld, Kassel. And then we asked, “Where do you think the person is from?” To find out: Can you hear when someone comes from Hanover? Most people cannot distinguish between Braunschweig, Göttingen and Hanover. In certain specific cases even Bielefeld no longer exists. This means that the differences are not that big here in all these cities.
Francois Conrad: We had the test subjects reproduce sentences in which one element had changed, i.e. was not standard German. For example: “The cleaning schedule says to clean the bathroom” – with a short vowel in the word “bathroom”.The question to people was, “what isn’t the best standard German here?” What do you notice here and why do you notice it?” We wanted to find out what certain pronunciations are like? How are they evaluated? What are their connotations? Do people notice? Especially the elderly, who still use these non-High german pronunciations, evaluated them very little negatively, while the young people were much more critical and said much more often: “No, this is not real High German, I would never
There were exciting differences between the generations.
BRUISE: These Low German pronunciation habits are old. If I understand correctly, not much has changed and people in the extended Hanover region can still rightly claim to speak relatively better standard German than people in other parts of Germany?
Francois Conrad: Yes, actually I can answer like that.First of all because people still believe in it.They will continue to believe it.It doesn’t matter what they discovered. That’s just what myths are. On the other hand,it can be said that in the Eastphalian area,compared to other regions of Germany,particularly few regional characteristics are felt. This area extends from Göttingen to Celle. Braunschweig is included. Hamelin,Hildesheim.And Hanover too,of course. It can be said with a certain wink: yes, here High German is the “best” there are particularly few traits that deviate from High German;
How do perceptions of “pure” language affect intergenerational language use in Hanover?
Is dichotomy allowed us to explore both the actual linguistic patterns of pronunciation and the perceptions that people have about thier language. We are trying to understand not just what is said, but how these beliefs influence identity and regional pride.
BRUISE: And what were the key findings of your research in terms of actual speech patterns in Hanover compared to othre regions?
Francois Conrad: We found that, while there are distinct features of Hanoverian German, these are not universally “purer” than other regional dialects. For example, the pronunciation of certain vowels has similarities across the Northern German regions. One notable observation was the tendency of younger speakers to gravitate more towards Standard High German pronunciations, while older speakers tend to retain more of the regional traits.
BRUISE: So, is the myth a way for Hanoverians to cling to their identity in the face of changing linguistic landscapes?
Francois Conrad: Exactly. Language is a deeply personal aspect of cultural identity.For many Hanoverians, the association wiht ”pure” High German serves as a point of pride and a way to differentiate themselves from the surrounding regions. But as we see linguistic trends shift, especially due to migration and technology, these ties become more complex.The younger generation often finds themselves in a position where they must navigate between regional pride and the pressures of a more standardized language.
BRUISE: That leads us to consider the future of Hanoverian German. Do you think the myth will persist or will it fade with time?
Francois Conrad: My hope is that, rather than a complete fade-out, it will evolve. My research indicates that while ideas about “pure” language may diminish, the unique features of Hanoverian German will still retain their charm and significance for locals.It’s a matter of reconciling that identity with the reality of a dynamic language that reflects cultural changes.
our investigation into Hanover’s linguistic landscape reveals a rich tapestry of historical influences, present realities, and future possibilities. This dialog between tradition and change is what ultimately shapes how we understand not just language, but community and identity as well.