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Former Yugoslavia followed an internationally acclaimed language policy of constitutional and legal equality of its numerous languages. Anticipating or accompanying the disintegration of this federation, the new states arising on its territory published their constitutions in the period 1990–1993. This paper briefly surveys the basic provisions concerning the official use of languages in each of them and attempts, on the basis of the often scant evidence available, to assess their actual implementation. It is concluded that, whereas language policy in former Yugoslavia was fairly consistent, its successor states display more variety. The inherited spirit of tolerance and language rights still survives in some respects, but there are also clear indications of favouring the linguistic means associated with the "state nation", at the expense of old and new minorities. The administrative multiplication of the former federation's largest language, Serbo-Croatian, is likewise noted, as is the general need to complement internal measures of language policy with external ones in preparation for life in tomorrow's world.

Former Yugoslavia followed an internationally acclaimed language policy of constitutional & legal equality of its numerous languages. Anticipating or accompanying the disintegration of this federation, the new states arising on its territory published their constitutions in the period 1990-1993. This paper briefly surveys the basic provisions concerning the official use of languages in each of them & attempts, on the basis of the often scant evidence available, to assess their actual implementation. It is concluded that, whereas language policy in former Yugoslavia was fairly consistent, its successor states display more variety. The inherited spirit of tolerance & language rights still survives in some respects, but there are also clear indications of favoring the linguistic means associated with the "state nation," at the expense of old & new minorities. The administrative multiplication of the former federation's largest language, Serbo-Croatian, is likewise noted, as is the general need to complement internal measures of language policy with external ones in preparation for life in tomorrow's world. 67 References. Adapted from the source document.

Der Autor gibt einen systematischen Überblick über die Sprachenpolitik in der Bundesrepublik Jugoslawien, in Bosnien und Herzegowina sowie in Makedonien, Kroatien und Slowenien. Die Darstellung beginnt mit Zitaten der entsprechenden Artikel der jeweiligen Verfassung eines Landes. Trotz zahlreicher Unterschiede in den fünf Staaten kann als gemeinsames Merkmal der Einfluss identifiziert werden, den der steigende Nationalismus zusammen mit dem Zerfall Jugoslawiens und der Entstehung souveräner Staaten auf die Sprachenpolitik hatte, wie sie in den jeweiligen Verfassungen festgehalten ist. Im gegenwärtigen Entwicklungsprozess wird die gesamte Sprachenpolitik nach Einschätzung des Autors neu bewertet werden müssen, um ihre traditionellen internen Aspekte (z.B. Standardsprachen, Minderheitensprachen, Sprachrechte) mit sorgsam ausgearbeiteten externen Aspekten (z.B. internationale Kommunikation und Austausch) zu ergänzen. (ICI)