The text sums up the conclusions of the author’s sociolinguistic investigations conducted
(particularly in the form of questionnaires) in years 1996-2001 and published in the monograph Sprachverhalten und ethnische Identität. Sorbische Schüler an der Jahr tausendwende (Language Attitudes and Ethnic Identity. Sorbian Students at the Turn of the
Millennium) in 2005. Investigations were carried out at many Sorbian schools in Upper
Lusatia and were aimed at ethnic awareness of the students, their choice/use of Sorbian or
German, attitude to both languages, and reception of culture among young Sorbs aged 11-19. The author mainly focused on the Sorbian Grammar School in Bautzen (Budyšin in Sorbian). In order to make the generalisation of the acquired outcomes possible, analogical surveys were also conducted at lower secondary schools in the villages of Crostwitz/Chrósćicy, Ralbitz/Ralbicy, Panschwitz-Kuckau/Pančicy-Kukow, Räckelwitz/Worklecy, Radibor/ Radwor, and in the municipality of Bautzen/Budyšin. The findings presented, analyzed and interpreted in the páper can, to a great degree, be in
general applied to the present-day young Sorbian population as a whole. Simultaneously, they yield data for possible comparisons with the situation of other minority ethnic groups in Europe (e.g. the Welsh, the Romansh, Breton...).