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|
Belarusdeutsche | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Total population | |
| 2,474 [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Minsk, Grodno, Polotsk | |
| Languages | |
| German · Belarusian | |
| Religion | |
| Lutheran · Roman Catholic |
Belarusian Germans [lower-alpha 1] formed a notable ethnic minority on the lands of modern Belarus before World War I.
The first German merchants and missionaries, including Bruno of Querfurt, arrived in what is now Belarus in the late 10th and early 11th century. The medieval Duchy of Polotsk had active trade contacts with the Hanseatic League and the city of Polotsk had a notable German community.
Significant numbers of Germans settled in what is now Belarus during the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and after the annexation of the lands by the Russian Empire.
In early 20th century there were close to 50,000 ethnic Germans living in Belarus. [2] Minsk was home to a 2,000-member community of Germans with a Lutheran church and a German-populated area around it. [3]
Germans faced deportations after the beginning of the First World War and during the Soviet repressions in Belarus. After World War II, the historical German communities in Belarus disappeared. A minor number of ethnic Germans from Kazakhstan and Russia migrated to Belarus during the Soviet occupation after the Second World War. A small German expat community emerged after Belarus regained independence in 1991.
According to a census conducted in 2009, 2,474 ethnic Germans lived in Belarus. [1] There are Lutheran church buildings in Grodno and Polotsk. A sign commemorating the German community of Minsk was opened in May 2019. [3]
Belarusians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. More than 9.5 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 8 million Belarusians reside in Belarus, with the United States and Russia being home to more than half a million Belarusians each.
The lands of Belarus during the Middle Ages became part of Kievan Rus' and were split between different principalities, including Polotsk, Turov, Vitebsk, and others. Following the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, these lands were absorbed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which later was merged into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century.
Minsk is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administrative centre of Minsk Region and Minsk District. As of 2023, it has a population of two million, making Minsk the 11th-most populous city in Europe. Minsk is one of the administrative capitals of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Mogilev, also transliterated as Mahilyow, is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper River, about 76 kilometres from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2011, its population was 360,918, up from an estimated 106,000 in 1956. It serves as the administrative centre of Mogilev Region, and is the third-largest city in Belarus.
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Byelorussia, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Belarus, or simply Belarus, was a republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 1991 as one of fifteen constituent republics of the USSR, with its own legislation from 1990 to 1991. The republic was ruled by the Communist Party of Byelorussia and was also referred to as Soviet Byelorussia or Soviet Belarus by a number of historians. Other names for Byelorussia included White Russia or White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic and Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Grodno Region or Hrodna Region, also known as Grodno Oblast or Hrodna Voblasts, is one of the regions of Belarus. It is located in the western part of the country. Its administrative center, Grodno, is also the largest city in the region.
Novogrudok or Navahrudak is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2023, it has a population of 28,021.
The national emblem of Belarus features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a silhouette of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus, although in heraldic terms this is inaccurate as the emblem does not respect the rules of conventional heraldry. The emblem is an allusion to one that was used by the Byelorussian SSR, designed by Ivan Dubasov in 1950, with the biggest change being a replacement of the Communist hammer and sickle with a silhouette of Belarus. The Belarusian name is Dziaržaŭny hierb Respubliki Biełaruś, and the name in Russian is Gosudarstvennyĭ gerb Respubliki Belarusʹ.
The Belarusian People's Republic, or Belarusian Democratic Republic, was a state proclaimed by the Council of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in its Second Constituent Charter on 9 March 1918 during World War I. The Council proclaimed the Belarusian Democratic Republic independent in its Third Constituent Charter on 25 March 1918 during the occupation of contemporary Belarus by the Imperial German Army.
Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located 168 kilometres (104 mi) west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2023, it has a population of 103,915.
Mir is an urban-type settlement in Karelichy District, Grodno Region, Belarus. It is situated on the banks of Miranka River, about 85 kilometres (53 mi) southwest of the capital, Minsk.
Leanid Marakou was a Belarusian journalist, writer.
Belarus and Lithuania established diplomatic relations on 24 October 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The two countries share 680 kilometres (420 mi) of common border. Lithuania's border with Belarus is the country's longest border. For Belarus it is its 3rd-longest border.
Vasil Zacharka was a Belarusian statesman and the second president of the Belarusian People's Republic in exile.
The Diocese of Minsk is an eparchy of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, which is an exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Russification of Belarus denotes a historical process where the integration of Russian language and culture increasingly influenced Belarusian society, especially during the 20th century.
The architecture of Belarus spans a variety of historical periods and styles and reflects the complex history, geography, religion and identity of the country. Several buildings in Belarus have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recognition of their cultural heritage, and others have been placed on the tentative list.
Jazep Jucho was a prominent Belarusian lawyer, historian and writer and a leading Belarusian authority on the laws of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Lithuanians in Belarus have a long history, as the lands of what is now Belarus was part of Lithuania for more than half a millennium from the 13th century onwards. The land of what is now Belarus was originally inhabited by Balts, while Slavs arrived in those lands during the late Early Middle Ages.
