Handrij Zejler



Handrij Zejler (1 February 1804 – 15 October 1872; official German name Andreas Seiler) was a Sorbian writer, Lutheran pastor, and national activist. He co-founded the Lusatian cultural and scientific society Maćica Serbska.

Zejler was born on 1 February 1804 in Słona Boršć (German: Salzenforst), now a part of Budyšin (Bautzen). He was an author of popular religious, love and patriotic poems, as well as the Sorbian national anthem Rjana Łužica, linguistic works, publicist works, ballads, satires, fables. He died on 15 October 1872 in Łaz (Lohsa) near Wojerecy (Hoyerswerda).

Zejler is seen today as one of the founders of Sorbian national literature.

Memory
His name bears the State Prize of the Ministry of Science and Art of the Federal State of Saxony.