Sorb

Sorb, German Sorben, any member of a Slavic minority living in eastern Germany. The Sorbs are concentrated in the Spree River valley, in the area of Bautzen (Budyšin) and Cottbus. This area was part of the traditional region of Lusatia (q.v.), whose history is intimately bound up with the Sorbs. The Sorbs are descendants of two small Slavic tribes, the Lužiči and the Milčani, who were subgroups of the major tribe known as Sorbs. The latter were one of a number of Slavic tribes collectively known as Wends, who lived in the area between the Elbe and Oder rivers for centuries until they were subdued and assimilated by the Germans in the late Middle Ages. Though surrounded by Germans for centuries, the present-day Sorbs have managed to preserve their own ethnic identity, language, literature, and customs. The Sorbs are mostly Roman Catholic and use an alphabet of Latin origin. They numbered some 75,000 in the late 20th century. See also Wend.