French language
The French language has its roots in spoken Latin, which was introduced to Gaul by the Romans. French, which developed from the Langue d’Oïl dialect, spread from north to south over time and eventually became the dominant language in France. It replaced Occitan, which was still an important language in the south of France in the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, French became the language of the nobility and diplomacy in Europe, which led to its spread beyond the borders of France.
At the time of the French Revolution, 75% of the inhabitants of France did not speak French as their mother tongue and until the 19th century, French was spoken more frequently in Holland and Germany than in some parts of France.
Today, French is spoken in Canada, Belgium, Switzerland and numerous African countries, among others. And let’s not forget that Saarland has only been part of the Federal Republic of Germany as a federal state since 1957. Prior to this, the region, like Alsace, alternated several times between French and German rule. The influence of the French language can still be found in the Saarland dialect.
There are almost 300 million speakers worldwide. This makes it the fifth most spoken language in the world. Over a thousand native speakers are living in Dresden.
Script
The French further developed the Latin alphabet to meet the needs of the French language. An important step in the development of French writing was the introduction of accents and signs to represent the specific sound differences in the French language. There are many silent letters in French. These are letters that are written but not spoken.
Writing in French was particularly chic in Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially during the Age of Enlightenment and Classicism. It was also the language of diplomacy and high society in Russia. Even Tolstoy wrote some passages in French in his book “War and Peace”.
Today, European treaties are written in several languages, as the European Union (EU) has a large number of official languages. The most important treaties, such as the Treaty on European Union, are available in all the official languages of the EU. However, one language is usually used as the main language for negotiations, often English or French.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Dresden spricht …
Workshops, tours, writing and printing workshops under the motto “Dresden speaks many languages”
Period
03-12.2024
Porject coordination
Yvonn Spauschus (Projektleitung)
Yulia Vishnichenko · Moussa Mbarek · Nadine Wölk · Rosa Brockelt · Yuliya Firsova · Martin Mannig (workshop leader)
Rosa Brockelt · Rosa Hauch · Falk Goernert · Birthe Mühlhoff (moderation, documentation)
Adina Rieckmann · Lydia Hänsel (tourguides)
Inge · Mahsa · Karin (voluntary help)
Cooperation partners
JugendKunstschule Dresden – Standort Passage, Omse e.V., Nachbarschaftshilfeverein, Stadtteilverein Johannstadt e.V., Malteser Hilfsdienste e.V., Jugendhaus LILA as well as Chinesisch-Deutsches Zentrum e.V., Lebenshilfe Dresden e.V., GEH8 Kunstraum und Ateliers e.V., Umweltzentrum Dresden – ABC Tische and many more
Supported by
The project is funded by the State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion. This measure is co-financed with tax funds on the basis of the budget passed by the Saxon state parliament within the framework of the state programme Integrative Maßnahmen.
