Eusko Ikaskuntza : Who we are : History

«The idea of a general meeting from which the Basque Studies Society was to be born was first expressed by Angel de Apraiz in a conference in Bilbao. The idea spread quickly and, thanks to the support from the Basque Diputations and to the enthusiastic adhesion of numerous entities and individual people, from Zuberoa to Roncal up to Carranza and Valdegobía, it was possible to hold that important assembly».

José Miguel de Barandiarán explained with these words the origin of Eusko Ikaskuntza-Basque Studies Society, as a result of the 1st Basque Studies Congress held in Oñati (Gipuzkoa) in 1918.

Under the honorary presidency of Arturo Campión and with Julián Elorza as the executive chair of the society, in its first years of existence Eusko Ikaskuntza organised three big Congresses (the 2nd Basque Studies Congress, on education-related and socio-economic matters, in Iruñea-Pamplona in 1920; the 3rd Basque Studies Congress, in Gernika in 1922, on language and teaching; the 4th Congress, on occupational orientation and education, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1926), together with their Assemblies, on municipal problems (1919) and on the situation of Basque fishing (1925).

Also in its beginnings, Eusko Ikaskuntza set up Euskaltzaindia – the Academy of the Basque Language, established the theoretical bases on which the future ikastolas (Basque schools) were to function, and commissioned the drafting and publication of the first school textbooks in Basque.

At the same time, it organised methodology and culture courses, it awarded scholarships, and provided financial aid to archaeological projects. It also sponsored the first systematisations in archiving and documentation, and started the publishing of the Anuario de la Sociedad de Eusko Folklore (Eusko Folklore Society Yearbook) and of the Revista Internacional de los Estudios Vascos, (International Journal of Basque Studies) RIEV.

After a period of difficulties that coincided with General Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, as from the late nineteen-twenties Eusko Ikaskuntza increased its zeal with the organisation of the first Summer Courses (as from 1927), in the study of bilingualism in teaching, or setting up a pro-Basque University Committee. It renewed its congress tradition with the 5th Congress dedicated to Popular Basque Art (Bergara, 1930). At the same time, a non-partisan Autonomy Commission offered in May 1931 the first autonomic project in Basque history, which was known as the Statute of Estella.

After the Civil War the activities of Eusko Ikaskuntza were suspended in the peninsular territory, but this was not an obstacle to hold Congresses in Biarritz (1948) and Bayonne (1954), in which it was possible to regroup people belonging to Basque culture that were dispersed in five continents.

In September 1978, the General Assembly held in Oñati approved restarting Eusko Ikaskuntza’s activities, and elected José Miguel de Barandiaran President of the society. He established the objective that «our Society becomes a centre of Basque research and studies, a centre of union or convergence of all Basqueologists, here and abroad».

Since then, Eusko Ikaskuntza has been out its scientific and cultural work in all culturally Basque territories.

José Miguel de Barandiaran (1978-1991) was succeeded in the presidency of the institution by Gregorio Monreal (1992-1996), Juan José Goiriena de Gandarias (1996-2002), and currently by Javier Retegui (since December 2002).