German-Catalan colloquium in Vienna to discuss the concept of “Catalan countries”

Vienna (ACN).- The 22nd edition of the German-Catalan Colloquium begins this Thursday in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The colloquium is organised by the association Deutscher Katalanistenverband (DKV), a German Catalan association. The conferences will go on until the 26th of September. The theme of this year’s colloquium is 'El concepte de Països Catalans: Llengua, literatura i cultura' (The concept of Catalan countries: Language, literature and culture). It is supported by the University of Vienna and will include the presence of both Germans and Catalans interested in Catalan culture. Conference attendees will debate issues such as autochthonous language vs. common language or if having a common language helps in following “common political objectives”, according to the DKV.

The DKV argues that “all parts of the linguistic domain” have contributed to the current Catalan language. The colloquium will also propose questions like who are “the most distinguished representatives of Catalan culture” today. Conference attendees wish to “calmly discuss problems of unity and diversity”.

The German-Catalan Colloquium will also touch on the adjective “Catalan”. “Does it make reference to an autonomous region? Or is it rather tied to the whole Catalan-speaking culture that has developed in different ways throughout the years?” The organisation believes that questions like these “make it difficult for foreigners to understand Catalan culture”.

According to the DKV, the fact that the conference is being held in Vienna is very significant because of the parallelisms that exist between Catalan and German-speaking territories. “In German-speaking territories you can also find dialects in between linguistic unity and political diversity that can be problematic”, explained the association.