Flags of Barcelona and Catalunya

By Shanayia Munoz

Portland Community College

There are about 4 to 5 flags you will find all over Barcelona with valued importance. There is the Barcelona city flag that carries the cross of Saint George (Sant Jordi), the patron saint of the city as well as the red and yellow stripes of the Senyera, colors of Catalonian flag.

The other flag is for Catalonia, called the Senyera, which signifies the area as a region. This flag has red and yellow horizontal stripes.

Barcelona's city flag: Cross of St. Jordi 

& the Senyera

The flags Catalans value most would most likely be the flags of independence for Catalonia. These flags are called Esteladar, which basically means starry. This flag has a blue triangle and white star over the coast-of-arms (red and yellow stripes) and represents pro-independence only. The other flag very similar to this one is the yellow triangle with a red star over the coat-of-arms. This flag is for pro-independence and socialists.

Catalonia's Senuyera

Catalonia's Esteledar

You will see many of these flags hanging from balconies all over Barcelona, and even other regions. These flags express the desires of the Catalan-speaking areas to form their own nation, independent from Spain. They have been fighting to keep their language since back in the day when the leader and government of Spain wanted no one to speak Catalan and only Spanish, people would get in serious trouble if caught speaking their native language. Thank goodness it wasn't forgotten like many others, and to this day it is their first language in Catalonia.

FC Barca fans show their colors

The Catalans have also been fighting for ages to try to become an independent country, so the Catalans can create their own laws and finally be their own community without having to attend to a country they don't feel a part of. They do not say they are not Spanish, but they do say they are not part of Spain. This is where the famous “Catalonia is not Spain” phrase comes from.

Catalan Graffiti

I believe the Catalans are tired of having to follow the rules of the Spanish government in Madrid, their rivals in politics and fútbol (soccer). Which brings me to the flag for FC Barça. This flag has the crest with the cross of St George, the Catalan flag, and the team colors. FC Barça is not only a fútbol team but a symbol of Catalan culture as well, that's why you were hear the phrase “Més de un club” (more than a club). During their FC games against Madrid things get very serious between the two teams and fans. This is Catalonia’s time to express to the place that is making them a part of Spain that they want independence. You will see many Catalan flags of independence being waved or worn by the fans of FC Barça.

So you will find these flags hanging from most terraces, windows, and flag posts within the region of Catalonia. I have even bought one because I believe strongly in what they are trying to portray.  

Sources: I used fellow friends that live in Barcelona to help me with the information and some Wikipedia. For the images I used some of my own work and some off of Google. 

Catalonia and the Catalan language

By Selena Tamme-Juarez 

Portland Community College

            The people of Catalonia relish in their protests. After the oppression under Franco began in 1939, the people of Catalonia had the freedom to use their language and beliefs taken from them. In 1947 they lost their voice, so the FCBarça (soccer) stadium was where they kept the culture alive speaking Catalan. After all, who could stop thousands of passionate Barça fans all in one stadium anyway? The people were forced to strictly read in Spanish, speak in Spanish, and if they could have made them think in Spanish too that would have certainly been forced. If one opposed these rules he or she was considered a “rebel” and properly taken care of.  There was even a large immigrant group from poorer, southern Spanish cities that was moved into Barcelona to enforce the transition to Spanish.

            In 1975 Franco died, and after almost 30 years of persecution the Catalan people were free to speak their mother tongue again. Now in the streets you can encounter many people who speak both Catalan and Spanish. However, depending where someone is from many choose to speak either Catalan OR Spanish to publicly display their passionate political views.

In Catalonia, schools teach Catalan as the primary language and you can spot at least four Catalan flags from almost anywhere you stand in Barcelona. Also, you’ll find signs reading “Catalonia is not Spain!” Many people who moved here in the past from other parts of Spain also consider themselves Catalan, after marrying and having children with a native. The people of Catalonia do not reject Spanish; they embrace it as a counterpart to Catalan, which is the official language of Catalonia.

            History is happening right before my eyes as I’ve lived here. I’ve seen countless protests (almost always non-violent), signs, flags, and chants within the city of Barcelona, but especially in front of the government buildings near the Jaume I metro station.  These protests are about banks, unemployment, poverty levels, education cuts, more expensive healthcare with a bad economy, treatment of animals, people losing their homes, protests being oppressed and the want for separation between Catalonia and Spain.  They have a lot to say, and they want their voice to be heard. One current issue that has caused a lot of heat is that the government wants to take away Catalan from schools.

The Catalan people argue that between the mass media, television, and movies in Spanish that having school in Catalan will only educate two languages at the same time instead of one. When I return home, I will be checking the news, eager to see what becomes of Catalonia.

 References:

http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpol.illinoisstate.edu%2Fcurrent%2Fconferences%2FDaviespaper.docx&ei=6nuiUazINevQ7Aa1wYHwDA&usg=AFQjCNEciaaIxgErAFEeCWkUYpnJ77mPgQ&bvm=bv.47008514,d.ZGU

http://holayessica.com/2012/11/17/spanish-protests-the-n14-vaga-general-in-barcelona/

http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/spain/p/Francisco-Franco.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ_cAQ8j1O8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Catalonia 

Sevilla's Alcazar

By Maleia Sheldon

Portland Community College

           

For a weekend trip I decided to go to Seville with my mom. I didn’t know what to expect or what to look for when I got here. Once we got into our flat the manager gave us The Tourist magazine, which went well with the Rick Steves book my mom brought along. Since we had no idea what to do at this point we wandered around the first day. As we were hanging around on our flat’s terrace we spoke with another occupant who said that one place we should check out is the Real Alcazar, or Royal Palace, which she said it has a great garden in the back and is gorgeous in general.

The Real Alcazar is a group of palaces that for a thousand years has been the center of power and is still the royal residence to this day.  The Real Alcazar is located in the Santa Cruz neighborhood in the historical area of the city.

The Real Alcazar was built in the early 15^th century by the Moors and commissioned by King Pedro I when the Spanish conquered Seville. Over the years Spain’s monarchs kept expanding the palace creating a palace with several different architecture styles. To this day the top floor is still used by the royal family.

The entrance is at the Puerta Del Leon or Lion’s Gate, after entering into the Real Alcazar you are greeted by a triple arched wall that is the last remaining piece of the theater that had been destroyed. Passing through the archway you are greeted by another courtyard that will take you into the royal viewing room and chapel where the royal family used to meet with its subjects.

After that the Patio de las Doncellas greet you, which was the main courtyard of the palace and the center of public life. The patio was named after the ladies that spent much of there time there, the Donacellas. From this patio you can reach several different halls in the palace.

The next place that you will see is the expansive gardens, that are currently filled with hundreds of birds, including swallows, peacocks, pigeons and much more.  There are several different gardens with different names such as the Garden of the Dance, the Garden of the Ladies and the Garden of the Prince.  Only the royal family and the high court once used all these gardens. These gardens were equipped with ponds, flower gardens, fountains and a labyrinth.

After several hours wandering around the Real Alcazar it was easy to see why it was a must see area in Seville, not only does it offer a great piece of history past and present but it is also one of the most beautiful spots I had seen.

Photos by Malea Sheldon

Bibliography:

http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/realalcazar.htm

The Tourist, Seville. Website, www.thetouristseville.com

Rick Steves, Spain 2013, Berkeley, Calif.: Avalon, 2013

Strasbourg: one city; two cultures

By Kristin Young

Portland Community College

While Barcelona has a rich historical and cultural heritage, sometimes it is nice to get out of the city and travel, especially since it is so fast and easy to move from one European country to the next.  Recently, I visited a friend in Kandel, Germany, which is very close to the Baden/Karlsruhe area in the Rhineland.  After flying out of Spain and landing at the Baden Airpark in Germany, we drove into France just to end up back in Germany again within the next twenty minutes.  Given that it takes forty minutes to drive to Washington from my house in the Portland suburbs, and several hours to drive into the states bordering Oregon’s south and east, I was completely fascinated by being in three different countries within the same day.

However, what ended up being the most fascinating part of my trip for me was simply the fact that for a much-too-short weekend, I was living in the Rhineland, an area over which wars have been fought, most notably, World War II.  As a result of several conflicts, generally between France and Germany over the region, the Rhineland has been kept as a demilitarized buffer between the two countries which carries and interesting mix of the different cultures.  As tensions were starting to build in the lead up to World War II, Hitler had his troops occupy the region as a test to whether or not France (really, the rest of Europe in general) would put a stop to his advances and military occupations, which of course they did not.  After the end of the war, the Rhineland became a more unified region for the warring countries, and has contributed strongly to their economies through shipping and agriculture.*

Strasbourg, France is perhaps the greatest example of the mixture of French and German cultures, likely because it switched ownership multiple times throughout its history between the two countries.  You can take a guided boat tour around the center of the city along one of the branches of the Rhine River from BATORAMA^, which explains some of the historical and cultural importance of the UNESCO World Heritage City.  What I found to be most interesting is that in a city that proudly identifies itself as French, the most interesting architecture is actually classical German with dark wood accents. 

Strasbourg is a great place to go to get away from American tourists since more of them tend to head to big cities like Paris. Instead, you will find people from all over Europe and Asia.  You also get the benefit of hearing a regional dialect that is specific to the region and its multicultural heritage.  And for a history or architecture buff, it is a fantastic stop that is slightly off the beaten path for those from across the Atlantic.

photos by Kristin Young

*http://www.rollintl.com/roll/rhine.htm

^http://www.batorama.com/

Montjuïc Park

By Austin Baranko

Portland Community College

More than the average park possibly dreamt of, the confines of Montjuïc Park bleed with historical significance. Rising 184.8 meters or roughly 605 feet above Barcelona, Montjuïc is hardly what most would consider to be a mountain. While perhaps Montjuïc lacks in certain vertical accomplishments, it does satisfie the avid explorer, or nature lover, or student of local history with feats of a tumultuous past, and a promising future. From the Neo-Baroque style Palau Nacional (National Palace), built in 1929 for the International Exhibition and which now houses the Museum of Catalan Art to the Olympic Plaza, constructed for the 1992 games, a visit to Montjuïc is essential to the understanding of Barcelona’s harrowing history.

In medieval Catalan, ‘Montjuïc’ literally translates to ‘Jew Mountain.’ Evidence of the donning of the term can easily be spotted today. Nestled on the north side of the mountain lies a neighborhood by the name Poble Sec. In modern times, this is widely considered to be the immigrant neighborhood, which until recently housed forty six percent of the city’s population. A noted exodus has a occurred in more recent times, due to a flailing economy. The eastern slope is steep and rocky, providing great views to the port below, a boasters a strong sport climbing scene, which gladly calls these mountainsides home.

Despite the current bubbly state of affairs one may perceive upon first entrance in to the park, Montjuïc has been the home to many hardships. The oldest surviving structure on Montjuïc is the aptly named Montjuïc Castle, constructed in 1640. Originally designed to protect the city against invasion, the castle found a different use under the reign of Spain’s fascist dictator Francisco Franco (1939 - 75). Once used to protect and serve the city, the guns of Castle Montjuïc were pointed towards the city.  During this period of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime which followed, Castle Montjuïc saw the execution of hundreds of thousands of political prisoners. Nationalists, socialists, anarchists, trade union members, and Republicans met equal fates amongst Castle Montjuïc’s walls under Franco’s rule. More often than not, these executed prisoners found their final resting place in a mass unmarked grave site, many of which can still be seen today, at el Cementerio de Montjuïc.

            

            It may prove difficult to compare Montjuïc to an average American urban park. This could perhaps be due to its history, or its modern societal significance. Today Montjuïc is a popular picnic location and a hive of activity serving the entire city. In the summers, avid movie fans view classic cinema at sunset on the same grounds that once saw the ruthless execution of all those who opposed the Franco regime. There lies a degree of magic held deep within the core of Montjuïc that cannot be properly explained, only experienced -- as could be said for the whole of Europe.

The author and the Palace of Catalan Art

Photos by Austin Baranko

References

http://w3.bcn.cat/turisme/0,4022,495525130_712089581_3,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montju%C3%AFc

http://www.barcelona-tourist-information.info/montjuic-castle.html

http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelona/montjuic.