Editing Schleswig-Holstein (section)

===Languages===
The official language of Schleswig-Holstein is German.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=VwG+SH+%C2%A7+82a&psml=bsshoprod.psml&max=true| title = §&nbsp; 82a LVwG SH| access-date = 4 May 2020| archive-date = 7 December 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191207032350/http://www.gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=VwG+SH+%C2%A7+82a&psml=bsshoprod.psml&max=true| url-status = live}}</ref> In addition, [[Low German]], [[Danish language|Danish]] and [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] are recognized minority languages.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=VwG+SH+%C2%A7+82b&psml=bsshoprod.psml&max=true| title = §&nbsp; 82b LVwG SH| access-date = 4 May 2020| archive-date = 22 October 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201022122816/http://www.gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=VwG+SH+%C2%A7+82b&psml=bsshoprod.psml&max=true| url-status = live}}</ref>

Historically, Low German (in Holstein and [[Southern Schleswig]]), Danish (in Schleswig), and North Frisian (in Western Schleswig) were widely spoken in Schleswig-Holstein. During the language change in the 19th century some Danish and North Frisian dialects in Southern Schleswig were replaced by [[Standard German]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bock|first1=Karl N.|title=Mittelniederdeutsch und heutiges Plattdeutsch im ehemaligen Dänischen Herzogtum Schleswig. Studien zur Beleuchtung des Sprachwechsels in Angeln und Mittelschleswig|date=1948|publisher=Det Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hinrichsen|first1=Manfred|title=Die Entwicklung der Sprachverhältnisse im Landesteil Schleswig|date=1984|publisher=Wachholtz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nordfriiskinstituut.de/index.html |title=Nordfriisk Instituut |access-date=13 August 2017 |archive-date=9 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109141350/http://www.nordfriiskinstituut.de/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Low German is still used in many parts of the state. [[Missingsch]], a Low German dialect with heavy [[High German]] (Standard German) influence, is commonly spoken informally throughout the state, while a [[mixed language]] [[Petuh]] (mixture of High German and [[Danish language|Danish]]) is used in and around [[Flensburg]]. Danish is used by the [[Danish minority of Southern Schleswig|Danish minority]] in Southern Schleswig, and North Frisian is spoken by the [[North Frisians]] of the [[North Sea Coast]] and the Northern Frisian Islands in Southern Schleswig. The North Frisian dialect called [[Heligolandic dialect|Heligolandic]] (''Halunder'') is spoken on the island of [[Heligoland]].

As is the case throughout Germany, High German, introduced in the 16th century, has come to steadily replace local dialects for official purposes, and is today the predominant language of media, law and legislature. It is spoken by virtually all inhabitants in formal situations. Since the end of World War II and widespread adoption of TV, radio and other mass media, it has gradually come to supplant local dialects in urban areas as well.