Language shifts in the domain of religion: Approaching a multi-layered process in Friedrichstadt

Abstract Language shift is a complex phenomenon. This paper analyzes the shift from Dutch to Low and High German among the Remonstrants of Friedrichstadt, a community of religious refugees from the Netherlands to the Duchy of Schleswig, over a time period of approximately 300 years in a data-driven approach. It shows that language shift can happen at different levels and at different points of time even within the same domain. This picture of differing and diverging processes of language shift then poses new questions, concerning the interplay of such shifts. Especially the argument that Low German supported the long use of Dutch in Friedrichstadt has to be questioned. To grasp this multi-layered phenomenon, this paper also calls for a broad data approach considering different sources to complete the picture.