I was wondering if there was a town or village that uses Esperanto as a primary language. I found this website, which is interesting. This town is located in Germany. Has anyone been there? Does it live up to its ideals?

This is a quote from the site:

It is hoped that Herzberg could become a model Esperanto-Town with bilingual street signs and signposts, bilingual restaurant menus and a series of other services for Esperanto visitors. First steps in this direction may already be seen in the many signs directing visitors to the 'Esperanto Centre' and in several restaurants guests can order from a menu in Esperanto. Other services for Esperanto-speakers are planned for the future.

Alkanadi:Does it live up to its ideals?

Bedaŭrinde, no. If I got it right only few esperantists try to hold some small Esperanto tradition which were established by one former railway employee. Before travelling got that cheap like today, railway employees were one of privileged ones which could travel without any costs. So, at these times a lot of railway employees did spread Esperanto that way. Of course that association of Esperantista railway employees doesn't play that big role nowadays. Anyway, in-the-middle-of-nowhere town Herzberg remains event location for some international Esperanto events like archaic pride parades and high-quality education events i.e. SALO, TORPEDo.

Alkanadi:I was wondering if there was a town or village that uses Esperanto as a primary language. I found this website, which is interesting. This town is located in Germany. Has anyone been there? Does it live up to its ideals?

I am in Herzberg on a somewhat regular basis and know the Esperanto activists living there. It is right that the Espernato activity is mainly due to Joachim Gießner, the former railway employee who has died more than ten years ago. Since then there is a group of esperantists who keep Gießner's heritage alive with a little bit of financial support of the German Esperanto association. They regularly offer all kinds of seminars about Esperanto from beginner courses to teaching seminars. Personally I attended seminars there to get my teaching approval from the German Esperanto association.

Recently the Esperanto activity in Herzberg became a little more visible. There are lots of bilingual signs. You can follow the signed walk to learn about the town with signs in Esperanto. In the tourist information office they have leaflets in Esperanto. They usually don't speak Esperanto there, though. In the bakery store where I usually have breakfeast when I am in Herzberg I talked to them in Esperanto when I was there for the first time back in 2007. At that time they were like "What...?" Nowadays they are more like "Sorry, I don't speak Esperanto, although this is the Esperanto town." In most restaurants they have menu cards in Esperanto. They teach Esperanto in schools facultatively. A couple of Esperanto speaking families came from abroad to live in Herzberg. So there is visible Esperanto activity in Herzberg, yet it is by far not a place, where you would hear Esperanto on the streets all the time.

The long time mayor of Herzberg is a strong supporter of Esperanto and even speaks it fairly well. I am not sure about the new mayor, though. Anyways the local politics is supporting Esperanto in the way that they are hosting congresses and seminars for free. The municipal government is supporting by man power and things like that.

So it is a really valuble contribution to the Esperanto movement. There are not many other places where you can attend seminars on Esperanto and meet important Esperanto speakers on such a regular constant basis. But don't expect a small fina venko.

johmue:

Alkanadi:I was wondering if there was a town or village that uses Esperanto as a primary language. I found this website, which is interesting. This town is located in Germany. Has anyone been there? Does it live up to its ideals?

So it is a really valuble contribution to the Esperanto movement. There are not many other places where you can attend seminars on Esperanto and meet important Esperanto speakers on such a regular constant basis. But don't expect a small fina venko.

So how is the trend of progress, if one can call it that? Are you seeing an increasing or decreasing presence of Esperanto?

If I am not very mistaken a portion of the local library is soon to open a section dedicated to Esperanto literature?

vikungen:So how is the trend of progress, if one can call it that? Are you seeing an increasing or decreasing presence of Esperanto?

More or less its stable, slightly positive developments in organisation and self-presentation are increasing, in fact there's generation change upcoming at D.E.B. That change started with disbandment of traditonal IS renkontiĝo by the end of 2008/2009 and creation of JES renkontiĝo. That was hard break. Some activists of this time slide into D.E.B. positions now. For sure that will influence Esperanto activities in Herzberg, too.