The formation of national and regional identity in Spain from the Middle Ages to the present

Abstract

The study provides a historical perspective on the development of national and regional identities in multi-ethnic, multilingual Spain from the Middle Ages to the present day. This geographical area, which is a privileged crossroads of peoples and cultures, but also a border between European and non-European continents, has many of the characteristics that authors of identity studies have described in their models.

The purpose of this article is to examine, how identity content has evolved throughout history, with a special focus on the characteristics of national and regional identities. The research is based on an interpretation of Spanish written sources and Spanish and Hungarian literature, and a brief presentation of the results of questionnaire surveys conducted in the new millennium, for example, a survey of 18 EU countries using the Eubarometer.

The history of the peoples and cultures of the Iberian Peninsula, living together or side by side, in the medieval and early modern period, is followed by a description of the elaboration of the concept of identity from the 17th to the 18th century onwards, showing that the content of the identity today has been clearly influenced by the history of the peoples of Spain. During the period of Franco’s dictatorship, until its fall in 1975, regional identities were also a form of protest and rebellion against the national, state „Spanish” identity. The paper will discuss the identity formations that followed the 1978 Constitution, with an emphasis on the characteristics of regional identities of autonomous communities in Spain, with particular reference to the Gallegos, Basques and Catalans. Sources and surveys show that a common historical tradition, a common language, a common geographical area have a very strong identity-forming effect, which can retain its content even across continents, as was the case for the Gallego population that emigrated en masse to Latin America. At the same time, it is also apparent that more recently a dual or multiple identity has become a feature of communities that accept elements of social and global identity in addition to their own regional identity, historically established notions of identity are being supplemented with new content and are constantly evolving.

Therefore, the results of identity research and surveys conducted in Spain indicate that the evolution of the concept and content of identity is in a constant state of change and can produce new and surprising results in just a few years. The 17 autonomous communities have developed regional/ethnic identities that have varied in content and strength throughout history, and today they form together the multi-hued puzzle that is Spain. This multi-ethnic state of the Iberian Peninsula is certainly worthy of the interest of researchers studying identity in other countries of our continent, as its historical and present diversity can provide many lessons for the study of the Iberian country. To understand the concept of identity in Hispanic Spain, a very complex historical background is outlined, starting in the Middle Ages, when the territory was inhabited by different peoples, followers of different religions, who, despite their conflicts and struggles, had a huge impact on each other in cultural, linguistic and scientific terms, as well as in the dimensions of everyday life, from gastronomy to dress. The main changes in the interpretation of identity from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries are discussed, highlighting the main works associated with this process. The paper will briefly refer to the Catalan efforts for independence, which are important for the development of national identities, and to the results of surveys on identity in Europe and Spain over the last two decades.