The Spanish Poles (article from Poland)

Tadeusz Kościuszko led the Polish and the US in their fight for Independence.

He is an example for Catalan, Polish, and American freedom fighters.

Spaniards use the derogative term “Pole” when referring to Catalans. We can hear this expression in the streets of Barcelona, but also in Girona, Lleida or Tarragona. Catalonia is located in the Mediterranean and borders with France, Andorra, Aragon, and Valencia. Catalonia is an upland and mountainous region with few plains on the coast and on the valley of Ebro. At the moment there are approximately 7.7 million inhabitants in Catalonia.

Until recently the Catalans were considered by the Spanish authorities just a part of the Spanish nation. They were considered as a nation just until reforming the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia. The reform was enacted by the Parlament de Catalunya on September 30th, 2005 and came into effect on 9th August 2006. According to information I have found, almost 40% of Catalans would vote for independence, but most of them are in favor of a gradual process of separation from Spain.

The language

Catalan is a Romance language which evolved in the ninth century from Latin. It has a lot of features in common with the Gallo-Iberian and Gallo-Romance languages. At the end of the Middle Ages, Catalan was an important language in the area of the Mediaterranean Sea. It was also an official language in the autonomous region of Catalonia during the times of the Second Spanish Republic. During Franco’s dictatorship, the Catalan individuality was persecuted and severely punished, and speaking Catalan in public was forbidden. After the fall of the dictatorship, Catalan became an official language again in the autonomous community, and Catalan became again the most important language in Catalonia.

Interesting facts

The only country where Catalan is an official language (in Catalonia there are two: Catalan and Spanish) is Andorra. In France, Catalan is spoken by the people of the Eastern Pyrenees. This region became a part of France in 1659 (it was called Northern Catalonia before). In an Italian city of Alghero, Catalan is also an official language. At the moment, Catalan is in the 14th place of the most commonly used languages of the European Union, but is not the only official language of Catalonia.

The Catalan language was spoken by many celebrities such as Antoni Gaudí, Antoni Tàpies, Salvador Dalí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Let's not forget about nowadays, with Pep Guardiola, Cesc Fàbregas, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernández, or Víctor Valdés – for them Catalan is the primary language used daily. This language endured many difficult moments in the past, and despite many attempts of banning it from Catalan public life, Catalan is still spoken in various places and regions.

A language in itself holds an intrinsic value, and learning a new one opens the way to learn a new culture. The one spoken in Catalonia is undoubtedly very rich. The Catalan mentality and life style may prove to be very close tu us, the Polish people. In the end this might be the reason why in Spain Catalans are called "the Poles."

Written by Patryk Gęsicki
Translated by Przemysław Kuryłło
Thanks to Duma Katalonii