Papers by Jeroen Zandberg
This paper examines a peculiar case of genetic inheritance where the descendant (the author) is m... more This paper examines a peculiar case of genetic inheritance where the descendant (the author) is more genetically related to many of the grandmother's relatives than the grandmother herself. Using DNA data from MyHeritage and Ancestry.com, shared matches, centimorgan overlap, and segment size distributions are examined to analyze inheritance patterns. Results indicate that 70.6% of the shared DNA matches show closer relatedness to the grandson than to his grandmother, and smaller segment sizes correlate with greater relatedness. Significant contributions from other grandparents helped create this pattern. The analysis is set within the cultural and historical context of Friesland's Northern Woods (Noardlike Fryske Wâlden) and parts of Groningen, which represent the ancestral roots of the grandmother. This research underlines the complexity of recombination and inheritance, which challenges the traditional notions of direct-line genetic relationships. It integrates genetic data with regional and cultural insights to provide a comprehensive perspective on how ancestry shapes identity. The findings have implications for genealogical research, regional studies, and the broader understanding of genetic heritage.
According to a 2005 report published by the Rehoboth town council, there are at least 70 differen... more According to a 2005 report published by the Rehoboth town council, there are at least 70 different churches in Rehoboth, Namibia. For a population of less than 40-thousand people, this is an enormous amount. Why are there so many different churches in Rehoboth? In order to answer this question we need to look into the history of the Rehoboth Basters.
A collection of official statements, reports and contributions on the Minority Rights of the Fris... more A collection of official statements, reports and contributions on the Minority Rights of the Frisians in Germany, which were submitted or delivered at United Nations bodies and forums, like the Forum on Minority Issues (FMI), the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) during 2022 and 2023.
This study is an extension of earlier research into bilingualism management by local public admin... more This study is an extension of earlier research into bilingualism management by local public administrations in Nord Friesland, covering the area of Amt Föhr-Amrum which has not been explored so far. In the original study, the research explored the cases of Amt Suedtondern, Amt Mittleres Nord Friesland, and Husum, and found a range of practices regarding the status of Frisian-German bilingualism in administrative procedures, public visibility, and contact with citizens. This appendix study adds information on Amt Föhr-Amrum, a municipality that incorporates the islands of Föhr and Amrum. This thus provides a comprehensive view of bilingualism management in all four local administrations. The study makes use of the same questionnaire and techniques that were already used in the previous research, thus enabling comparison. The most important points are the analysis of the development of bilingualism's integration into the internal administration of Amt Föhr-Amrum and the analysis of communication with citizens. The results show that in Amt Föhr-Amrum Frisian is quite frequently used in daily office communication by the employees, but this is not reflected in official documents or administrative software. Furthermore, employees in this municipality showed higher proficiency in Frisian and more positive attitudes toward bilingual communication than the employees from the other three municipalities. However, Frisian is neither supported by Amt Föhr-Amrum's public administration in official documents nor in the communication with citizens, even though informal use of Frisian is higher and perceived benefits of bilingual communication are greater. The present study reveals significant differences between Amt Föhr-Amrum and those municipalities that have been investigated so far, highlighting a need for specific strategies aimed at promoting bilingualism in the administrative and public sphere.
This paper analyses the linguistic landscape and public administration practices concerning the F... more This paper analyses the linguistic landscape and public administration practices concerning the Frisian language in three Nord Friesland towns and municipalities: Husum, Amt Mittleres Nord Friesland (Bredstedt), and Amt Südtondern (Niebüll). The study shows a complex interplay between German and Frisian, with significant differences in realized bilingualism on signs and in public communication. Results from a survey on the use of Frisian in public administration show that, contrary to what is legally established on paper vis-à-vis local governments' obligation to support speakers of Frisian, it occupies only a marginal role. The study subsequently shows that there is significant variation in the use of Frisian across the three local governments.
The first part of this report investigates the linguistic landscape of Saterland, a municipality ... more The first part of this report investigates the linguistic landscape of Saterland, a municipality in northwestern Germany with a population of 14,313, spread out across four villages. Saterland is home to the Sater-Frisian language, which is considered to be the smallest national minority language in Europe. The study aims to document the presence and relative frequency of the German and Sater-Frisian languages in public signage. Data collection was done by photographing 400 public signs and boards along the main road and its immediate side streets on 23 and 24 May 2024. The results indicate that Sater-Frisian is predominantly visible on place-name signs and tourist-oriented boards managed by the municipality, reflecting its role in cultural heritage rather than active communication. In contrast, German dominates public and commercial signage. Sater-Frisian is also absent in the digital environment due to the lack of a digital language model for automatic translation. Despite these challenges, efforts to increase the visibility of Sater-Frisian are undertaken by the local government. Initiatives include bilingual signs in public buildings and future plans for Sater-Frisian street names in a developing industrial area.
The second part of the report looks at the impact of bilingual administration on the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative processes and how the use of German and Sater-Frisian influences democratic engagement. To this end the study collected data through a survey among the employees of the municipality and an interview with the scientific official for Sater-Frisian at the municipality. The results of the survey show that the Sater-Frisian language is mainly limited to verbal interactions with citizens and, informally, among colleagues who speak the language natively. The Sater-Frisian language is currently completely absent in official communication and documentation within the administration. The Sater-Frisian language was used in the external communication of the local government through their website until February 2024 when a new, more complex, system was implemented and it was decided to abandon the Frisian-language website and the corresponding external communication.
Negative bias concerning the Rehoboth Basters in literature
Books by Jeroen Zandberg
The Rehoboth Griqua Atlas describes the history of the Baster States of Southern Africa. The stor... more The Rehoboth Griqua Atlas describes the history of the Baster States of Southern Africa. The story of the 19th century Griqua states, the smaller Baster states and the Rehoboth state that survived until 1990 are chronologically presented through maps, photos, drawings and text, which visualises a largely unknown part of human political history.
Lulu.com, 2023
The Cham are an Albanian speaking community who lived in a region what is now northwestern Greece... more The Cham are an Albanian speaking community who lived in a region what is now northwestern Greece and which was part of the Ottoman Empire for many centuries. They were driven out to Turkey and Albania in several waves during the time-period between 1913 and 1944 and were stripped of their citizenship. Their land, houses and other possessions were seized and nationalized through several laws in 1947, 1953 and 1959. The Cham have tried to reclaim their rights since that time and have been advocating for historical justice for decades. This book is about the Chameria advocacy campaign that started in 2017 and was aimed at getting the Cham issue on the international political agenda, mobilize the people and get historical justice for the Cham community. The Republic of Chameria was an advocacy vessel to mobilize the Cham and highlight the main problem that hinders the ability to solve the Cham issue, namely their exclusion from democracy, the Rule of Law, their territory and the opportunities to shape their own future. The advocacy campaign was aimed at bringing Chameria into Europe as a social and political entity that can offer the Cham community the opportunities they are now denied. The book consists of a selection of articles, press releases, speeches and non-commercial photo’s that I made during my work with and for the Cham. Most of the activities took place between 2017 and 2019, although some activities go until May 2022.
Uploads
Papers by Jeroen Zandberg
The second part of the report looks at the impact of bilingual administration on the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative processes and how the use of German and Sater-Frisian influences democratic engagement. To this end the study collected data through a survey among the employees of the municipality and an interview with the scientific official for Sater-Frisian at the municipality. The results of the survey show that the Sater-Frisian language is mainly limited to verbal interactions with citizens and, informally, among colleagues who speak the language natively. The Sater-Frisian language is currently completely absent in official communication and documentation within the administration. The Sater-Frisian language was used in the external communication of the local government through their website until February 2024 when a new, more complex, system was implemented and it was decided to abandon the Frisian-language website and the corresponding external communication.
Books by Jeroen Zandberg
The second part of the report looks at the impact of bilingual administration on the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative processes and how the use of German and Sater-Frisian influences democratic engagement. To this end the study collected data through a survey among the employees of the municipality and an interview with the scientific official for Sater-Frisian at the municipality. The results of the survey show that the Sater-Frisian language is mainly limited to verbal interactions with citizens and, informally, among colleagues who speak the language natively. The Sater-Frisian language is currently completely absent in official communication and documentation within the administration. The Sater-Frisian language was used in the external communication of the local government through their website until February 2024 when a new, more complex, system was implemented and it was decided to abandon the Frisian-language website and the corresponding external communication.