18 February 2020
Der Kliny Fjyśt in Wymysiöeryś
Mały Książę, Wymysiöeryś, wilamowski
Little Prince, Wymysorys, Vilamovian
At the end of the 20th century, the Wymysorys language was considered almost extinct. Its origins go back to the 13th century, when settlers from Western Europe came to the present area of Wilamowice – a small town on the border of Silesia and Lesser Poland. The language developed in this environment until 1945, when it was officially banned as part of post-war persecution. Penalization of its use and the threat of deportation to the Ural mountains or to post-war concentration camps meant that the Vilamovians abandoned almost entirely the language of their ancestors.
Thanks to the work of local activists and researchers, intense activities have been carried out since the beginning of the 21st century to revitalize Wymysorys, which is currently spoken by around 60 people.
This publication is another milestone in the development of the Vilamovian literature whose traditions date back to the 19th century. The timeless philosophical tale penned by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has been translated into many national and minority languages, the number of which Wymysorys joins proudly.
Translation into the Vilamovian language: Joanna Maryniak, Tymoteusz Król
