Círculo Cervantes: “Se habla español” in Maastricht

If you are a lover of Spain’s culture, its language, its traditions and its cuisine or if you are a Spanish expatriate feeling a little homesick in Maastricht, Círculo Cervantes is the organisation you are looking for.

Founded in 1953, Círculo Cervantes takes its name from the renowned Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) who was the literary father of the unforgettable Don Quijote and Sancho Panza. The Círculo endeavours to bring together individuals who share a common love for the Spanish language and culture, and the history of Spain and Latin America. To achieve this goal, the organisation hosts every month different events and activities, both in Dutch and in Spanish, related to Spanish/Hispanic culture. These include lectures, conferences, music concerts, exhibitions and movie showings.

Last January for instance the Círculo presented a lecture by Spanish professor Agustín Sequeros on the Spanish sonnet during the 17th century. In February, Dutch professor Wouter van Romondt gave a presentation on “The Life and Times of Alfonso X ‘el Sabio’ (1221-1284)” (see below).

The association publicises its activities through local papers but would certainly benefit from more exposure to the general public, by having its own website for example. According to Chairman José Deckers, the Círculo currently has 70 active members, though only around 30 people attend a normal monthly meeting. Member Joel Meijers explains that “members of the Círculo not only come to the meetings to learn about a particular aspect of the history and culture of Spain or Latin America. They also come because they enjoy having the chance to practice their Spanish, talk about their last trip to Mallorca or discuss Gabriel García Marquez’s last book over a cup of coffee.”

Members share the same passion for the Spanish language and culture that Chairman Deckers shows when he speaks about the Círculo. A now retired professor of French, Chairman Deckers worked in Curação for many years and travelled extensively around Latin America during the holidays. Learning Spanish became almost a necessity in order to discover the continent. After his visits to Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico he picked up some Spanish and went on to follow formal classes in Seville (Spain), Costa Rica and Cuba. He now speaks the language like a native and his love for the Spanish speaking world shines through his enthusiasm.

“Everyone is welcome to join the Círculo,” says Chairman Deckers. The association counts in its ranks four or five Spanish nationals living in Maastricht, but members are overwhelmingly Dutch. The enrolment fee of 35 euros entitles them to participate in the members’ dinner (organised two or three times a year) and in a unique event called “las Jornadas Hispánicas”.

Jornadas Hispánicas: the Low Countries go Spanish
The Jornadas Hispánicas are a series of yearly conferences and activities organised by the Unión de Asocaciones Ibéricas e Iberoamericanas del Benelux, an umbrella organisation for all the Spanish cultural associations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. Currently, fourteen organisations form part of the Unión. They are based in Amersfoort, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Breda, Brussels, Deventer, Eindhoven, Ghent, The Hague, Luxemburg, Oostende, Rotterdam and, of course, Maastricht.

Las Jornadas are an example of the activities used by the Unión to promote the Spanish language and culture in this region of Europe. These events bring together more than two hundred members from the local organisations in the cities above mentioned. The weekend long Jornadas take place in a different city every year and feature lectures, music and dance performances and culinary specialties. The Spanish embassies in the Benelux, Instituto Cervantes, the Real Academia Española and several Spanish and Latin American Universities sponsor the Jornadas.

The first Jornadas Hispánicas were held in 1954 in the Dutch town of Nijmegen and since then, they have become renowned international congresses focusing each year on a specific topic, such as contemporary Latin American literature, Spanish cinema, the artistic and cultural heritage of Spain’s Comunidades Autonomas, etc. High-profile speakers such as Literature Noble prize winner Camilo José Cela, scientist Gregorio Marañón and writer Carlos Fuentes have given lectures at the Jornadas.

Círculo Cervantes collaborated with the Unión in organising the Jornadas both times they were celebrated in Maastricht, in 1994 and in 2004. Chairman Deckers, who has being heading the Círculo for the past five years, took an active part in organising the 50th edition of the Jornadas and remembers them as a high point in the history of the Círculo. The lectures and events were devoted to studying the historical relation between Spain and the Low Countries of the Benelux and were attended by the Spanish ambassador in The Netherlands, the Dutch Minister of Education and the Mayor of Maastricht.

The Jornadas, however, are just one of the many events which the Círculo helps organising. The lecture about King Alfonso X “el Sabio” is a perfect example of the monthly activities hosted by the Círculo.

The literary legacy of the wise king
The Círculo’s latest event took place on February 27 at the Buurthuis ’t Förtsje, a community centre in the Ebenistendreef. Art history professor Wouter van Romondt gave an engaging presentation in Dutch on “The Life and Times of Alfonso X ‘el Sabio’ (the Wise)”, the 13th century King of Castilla, León and Galicia who is famous for composing many of the medieval songs compiled in the manuscripts Las Cantigas de Santa María (“Songs to the Virgin Mary”).

Professor van Romondt studied Art History and Culture at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague and at the University of Utrecht. He has taught Art History at the University of Maastricht for many years and has given lectures at the behest of Maastricht’s other cultural associations, such as the Società Dante Alighieri, the Alliance Française and the Netherlands-England Society.

Although he is now retired, Professor van Romondt works during weekends as an art guide in Maastricht’s Bonnefanten Museum. In addition to this, he and his wife (who is also and art historian) have founded a cultural centre in their home, where they organise regular lectures on various artistic subjects. Every year in May they publish a booklet announcing a schedule of events and activities related to Spain, which include organised trips to admire Spain’s rich artistic heritage. Professor van Romondt and his wife have already guided several groups of up to 50 participants to Mallorca, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid and Andalucía.

Professor van Romondt’s connection with the Spanish language resembles that of Chairman Deckers. He was raised in Aruba, one of the Dutch Antilles islands, where he took Spanish lessons as a child. With the passing of the years, he grew interested in the strong influence of Spanish in Papiamento, the autochthonous language of Aruba and decided to learn more. This personal connection with the language and his love for Spanish art made him the ideal person to talk about the cultural and historical developments that took place in Spain under the rule of King Alfonso X.

Van Romondt’s had originally presented his lecture at the Kunstdagen (Art Days) in Wittem. A Belgian music group had been invited to perform King Alfonso’s Cantigas using Spanish medieval instruments and Professor van Romondt was asked to give a preparatory presentation. His lecture, delivered the day before the concert, explained who was King Alfonso and what were the main artistic and historic events surrounding his rule. The goal was to provide the audience with a better understanding of the zeitgeist and the history surrounding the composition of the Cantigas. Due to the large success of the event, Círculo Cervantes approached Professor van Romondt and asked him to give the same lecture for its members.

Through the use of slides depicting the major artistic accomplishments and historical developments in the Iberian Peninsula at the time, Professor van Romondt charted the cultural background in which King Alfonso composed the Cantigas. These 420 poems, written in Galician-Portuguese, form one of the largest collections of monophonic songs from the Middle Ages. All of the songs mention the Virgin Mary and many of them are devoted to recounting miracles attributed to her.

It is believed that King Alfonso was the author of many of the Cantigas, Van Romondt explained. He is certainly remembered as a “wise king” (“el sabio”) who excelled in literature, poetry, rhetoric and legal studies. When he became king in 1252, he began official initiatives to promote the study of astronomy. He also drafted the Fuero Real and Siete Partidas, two of the first codes of laws implemented in the Kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula with a consistent judicial system. Furthermore, he encouraged the work of the Toledo School of Translators, a pioneer initiative that brought together Jewish, Muslims and Christian scholars who worked on translating texts of Greek philosophy. Under his leadership the school became one of the leading centres of culture in the world and radically increased the flow of knowledge into Christian Europe.

The members of the Círculo at the Buurthuis ’t Förtsje followed the two hour long presentation with interest. The numerous slides showing different artistic accomplishments of the period (i.e. the mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra of Granada) and different maps of the Iberian Peninsula were and important visual component which made the lecture more engaging and informative. During the break the members had a chance to greet other friends present at the event or meet new people.

Like the Toledo School of Translators, Círculo Cervantes seeks to spread knowledge about Spain and Latin America in this part of Europe. Lovers of Spanish culture in the Limburg area should keep an eye on the upcoming activities of the Círculo. These include a presentation on Ayacucho (an Inca city in Peru) and a lecture by a member of the Spanish Embassy in Brussels (topic to be determined).

¡La llama de la cultura Española brilla en Maastricht!

By Hector Pascual Alvarez

Hector Pascual Alvarez, 21, is a Spanish student enrolled at Macalester College in Minnesota (US) where he is majoring in International Studies and Theatre Arts. He is spending the first semester of 2007 at Maastricht University as part of a study abroad programme.

Sources:

Paul van den Broeck, La Unión de Asociaciones Ibéricas e Iberoamericanas del Benelux, treinta años de difusión del hispanismo.

Alfonso X of Castile, Wikipedia

Las Cantigas de Santa Maria, Wikipedia

Contact information:
Círculo Cervantes
Kurasruwe 28
6218SH Maastricht

Website: Circulo Cervantes