Die Reform der deutschen Rechtschreibung und die Deutscheorthographische Lexikographie Betrachtung zum falschen Indikativ

The reform of German spelling has been underway for fourteen years at the time of writing. During this period, the new rules – ill-conceived from the start – have been changed twice. In spite of these changes, the so-called new spelling flies in the face of both the laws of German word formation and of spelling convention. Those “seismographs of language’, as Jean-Marie Zemb called them, i.e. contemporary authors, have amply expressed their opposition to this reform, yet the authorities do not take them seriously. The German ministers of Culture admit that the reform has been a big mistake, but in spite of this, for reasons of state, they are unwilling to do away with it. Each change in the spelling rules is followed by the publication of a large number of dictionaries. The State has in effect attempted to manipulate usage instead of having orthographical lexicography observe and record spelling. This has inevitably brought disorder, and order will only be re-established if a stop is put to state interference.