Durmstrang - where is it?

[Phinea Rogue]

Hogwarts seems to cover the entire United Kingdom, and if Durmstrang covers the whole Eastern Europe area (Yugoslavia, Czechoslovacia (my most profound to anyone from there if I butchered the names), Bulgaria, etc.) and Beauxbatons covers the rest of the Western European countries, namely France (that seems to be quite clear, by the way).

Yes, that's possible, but then... if it covers the Eastern Europe (former Yugoslavia, former Czechoslovakia and some other countries... borders seem to change often in this region... ), what language would they speak? Why would it be Bulgarian if it were never really an official language spoken there. German used to be, and still is, widely used, but those students seem to speak Russian or other Slavic language (is it Bulgarian, I haven't noticed, I'm not sure)... maybe they have more than one language in there? And when Lucius wanted to send Draco there - does he speak Russian or German? Or maybe they have something like the "Babel fish" from Douglas Adams' books, some spell or charm which can translate the speech to them in their mother tongue...

[Mistress Siana]

I always thought they would have to use translation spells of some kind. I mean, you usually learn foreign languages at secondary school, so where would the Durmstrangs and the Beaubatons have learned English? Then again, there's the accent...possibly the spell/babel fish equivalent don't work perfectly?

[carsten]

I always thought they would have to use translation spells of some kind. I mean, you usually learn foreign languages at secondary school, so where would the Durmstrangs and the Beaubatons have learned English? Then again, there's the accent...possibly the spell/babel fish equivalent don't work perfectly?

Not so.

If you remember the Quidditch World Cup, even high ranking officials from the ministry had problems with translations. This rules any kind of babblefish or spell out, I think.

[Mistress Siana]

You have a point there...but how could a fifteen year old french witch who has never attended a secondary school speak English? Honestly, that doesn't make sense, even if English is the lingua franca.

[carsten]

You have a point there...but how could a fifteen year old french witch who has never attended a secondary school speak English? Honestly, that doesn't make sense, even if English is the lingua franca.

Why 15? I thought the Triwizard participants were at least 17?

Maybe other schools teach kids more than wizardry. For me, the spectrum of classes in Hogwarts is rather limited. The other schools may do better!

[Broccoli]

I just assumed that they do learn some English at school, apart from magical subjucts. And then, there are always holidays and self-study books to improve the language.

[Tanuki]

Yeah, language claases are a very likely thing. We should also assume that they choose the participants to go to the other schools based on the ability to speak that language

[carsten]

Yeah, language claases are a very likely thing. We should also assume that they choose the participants to go to the other schools based on the ability to speak that language

Good point! If Hermione would visit Beauxbatons, she would likely have a few phrases prepared to ensure at least basic understanding. And she had a vacation in France as well.

[sirius_lives_forever]

i had always thought it was in germany, but from the "very short winters" description, it makes it sound like siberia(northern russia)

[Hagger 9003]

yeh, i agree with the russian idea, but i think it is reasonably close to europe though. it might be an enchanted area, with enchanted weather, because i think hogwarts must be. snow like that doesnt really happen anymore in the UK, i dont think. annoying, but i havent been to scotland, so maybe im not a good judge...

[Manticore]

yeah, but JKR obviously wants us to get the impression that it is in Eastern Europe. Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,somewhere like that because she gave all the characters eastern european accents and if Krum is from bulgaria, it can't be too far away

[Phinea Rogue]

I haven't checked this in a book yet, but my boyfriend was reading the fourth book and he said that when students of Beaubatonx were talking to each other, Hermione, Ron and Harry didn't understand them (because they were talking in French). But when Karkaroff talked to Krum and that other student (Poliakoff?), they understood him. Was it because they were talking in English? Maybe the official language of Durmstrang is English... But I need to go check it...