Slavic-speaking fishermen on the island of Rugen in 1890

Tomenable

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There is anecdotal evidence that "Reboken" (fishermen) near Sassnitz (Jasmund Peninsula, R?gen) could still speak Slavic as late 1890:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmund

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassnitz

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Source:

"Ziemia gromadzi prochy" (the book published in 1938, in which the author described his travelling in East Germany in 1937-1938), page 150.

In 1847 another traveller Wincent Pol visited M?nchgut Peninsula and his account of local fishermen was similar to that from 1890s Jasmund.

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Around 80% of all toponyms on Rugen have Slavic origin, and the Ostsiedlung barely touched the island.

Someone should DNA test people native to Rugen, and especially old villagers/fishermen from Jasmund Peninsula and from M?nchgut Peninsula.

Even blood markers indicate, that the population there is different than neighbouring Germanic-speakers:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14717531

"Abstract - 24 haemogenetic markers (5 erythrocyte antigens, 7 polymorphisms of serum proteins, 12 polymorphisms of red cell enzymes) had been studied in 171 individuals from the island of R?gen (Germany, Baltic Sea). The cluster analysis separates clearly the R?gen sample just as the islands of Hiddensee and Ummanz from the neighbouring populations. The comparison of the data with neighboured larger populations as for instance Denmark, Hamburg or Sweden clearly results in an exceptional position of the island of R?gen. The possible reasons are discussed. (...)"

This may be the last remnant of pure Polabian Slavic genetics (Sorbs are a different branch of West Slavs).

This, and possibly also some old people in Hanoverian Wendland.
 
To sum up:

M?nchgut Peninsula - fishermen who still knew some Slavic words were reported there in 1847
Jasmund Peninsula - fishermen who still understood & replied in Slavic were reported in 1890s

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Germans would not notice, because they didn't speak to those fishermen in Slavic, so they did not reply in Slavic either (I'm sure they were bilingual).

But Polish travellers/tourists who visited, reported that they could communicate with "Reboken" in Slavic.
 

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