Spanish Literary Criticism of the 19th Century: Anthology

Compared to other national cases in Europe, Spanish romanticism was usually considered a "weak" and "underdeveloped phenomenon. During the last years a renewed discussion about the character of Spanish romanticism has arisen in the international Hispanic studies. Few attention has been given till now to the role of literary criticism, and the importance of the contemporary discussion about the middle ages has not been considered at all. The project`s aim is the publication of an annotated anthology of Spanish literary criticism which deals with the literary and cultural aspects of the Spanish middle ages. The publication and interpretation of the texts (many of which are far from being well known) will allow a new view of the peculiarities of the Spanish romanticism. It will be shown that one of the decisive reasons for the difference of Spanish romanticism is the complex and controversial interpretation of the middle ages by Spanish writers of the 19th century.

The French Revolution and the napoleonean wars finished, the European nations had to redefine their own position and identity in a modern world that would never be the same as it had been before 1789. The romantic philosophy of history took over an important role in this culturally unstable situation. In the romantic perspective each nation, each society bound together by a common language and a common history, had the task to define its own future according to what was considered the character (the romantics called it the "spirit") of the nation. In this process of redefinition the discussion of the historical background played a central role. The question "Where do we go?" could only be answered by looking back into history ("Where do we come from?"). The position of literature in this discussion was so very important because it was through literature (the romantics thought) that we could know something about the cultural identity of the nation`s past. The Spanish development in the 19th century is often considered today as having failed: no successful liberal revolution, a lack of energy to achieve progress; such were the judgments formulated by the Spaniards themselves or by foreign historians. And yet, before it came to such a desillusioning vision of the modern Spanish state, there was a very vivid and intensive discussion among Spanish intellectuals about the national history. The aim of the anthology prepared in this research project is to reconstruct this discussion by publishing some rather forgotten texts published in Spain as well as during the exile of numerous Spanish liberals in England and France. Reading those texts it becomes evident that the Spanish liberals developed very modern ideas about the possible future of their country as a nation with tolerant traditions (the pacific coexistence of christians, jews and moors in the Middle Ages). It was only later on in the 19th century that this vision of a liberal, modern and tolerant Spanish state was abandoned.