EXHIBITION: Plazara Goaz, 25 years in Intxaurrondo
Plazara Goaz Association is the Basque language group of the neighborhood of Intxaurrondo (Donostia). It was created in December 1998 with the aim of normalizing the use of Basque in the neighborhood. To this end, it organizes various activities every year.
In order for those who know Basque in the neighborhood to get to know each other, to build a human network, the association uses different ways: a mailing list to publicize the events (plazaragoaz@gmail.com), a website (plazaragoaz.eus), and a Twitter account (@plazaragoaz).
Motivation and creation
One hundred years ago, Intxaurrondo was a rural area within the municipality of Altza, where everyone in the neighborhood spoke Basque. But in the last centuries, many laws prohibited the use of the Basque language, such as the followings:
- 1857 – In Spain, the Moyano Law created the public school, but established that it would be in Castilian only.
- 1924 – During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The use of the Basque language in public acts was forbidden.
- 1936 – Franco’s army banned the use of Basque. In 1938 it was eliminated from public records and later from all public spaces.
- 1940 – Franco’s regime incorporated the municipality of Altza into that of Donostia-San Sebastián, and then the presence of the Basque language disappeared from official life.
In the 1960s, popular movements were formed to try to recover the use of the Basque language. Thanks to popular organization, ikastolas were created so that boys and girls could learn Basque, and euskaltegis so that adults could also learn Basque.
Since the 1970s, thanks to that popular pressure against the prohibitions of the Franco regime, important steps have been taken to recover the Basque language and culture (education, television (ETB1), newspaper (Berria), local magazines (Irutxulo), university (UPV-EHU), technology, administration…), but it is very difficult to reverse in a few years a process of prohibition that has lasted so many centuries, Apart from legal measures and that the Basque language is formally learned in schools, it is necessary that we get together to give life to the Basque language among the neighbors, to “go out with the Basque language to the square” (“plazara goaz”).
In 1998, several associations and people from Intxaurrondo got together to promote the recovery of the Basque language in the neighborhood. Among the creators of the initial committee were the AEK euskaltegi, the neighborhood associations (IZBE), the Casa de Cultura Larrotxene Kultur Etxea, Intxaurrondo Ikastola, the Bagera group, the Euskal Herrian Euskaraz group of the neighborhood, the Zulo Zahar association, and independent people.
We work Basque not to be only the language of the school or the euskategi,
so that it can also be a tool for everyday relationships in our neighborhood.
In 2024, the association organised an exhibition to remember what has been performed during these 25 years. The texts and photographs have been divided into four sections: 1) Children and youth, 2) Promoting the use of Basque on the street and participation in other neighbourhood activities, 3) Cultural activities, and 4) Awareness-raising.