Ricardo Carvalho Calero (Ferrol, 1910 - Compostela, 1990) was a Spanish philologist, academic and writer. He was the first Professor of Galician Language and Literature at the University of Santiago de Compostela. He was one of the main theorists of contemporary reintegracionism and his works on this field are considered a primary reference. Many consider Carvalho Calero as one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century Galician intellectuality.
Contents |
In his student years Carvalho Calero participated in the Spanish left-wing republican movements opposing the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. In 1926 he moves to Santiago de Compostela to study the degrees of Law and Philosophy and do the (compulsory) military service. It is there when he gets acquainted with the ideas of Galicianism and his political activism becomes an integral part of his life thereof.
In the late 1920s, he became friends with Soviet spy Ignace Reiss while the latter was stationed in Amsterdam through mutual artist friends.[1]
In 1931 he joins the Partido Galeguista ("Galicianist Party") and contributes to the draft of the first Galician Statute of Autonomy alongside intellectuals such as Castelao. He also collaborated with left-wing nationalist organizations such as Esquerda Galeguista ("Galician Left") and with political publications such as Claridade ("Clarity") and Ser ("To Be"). He completed his college studies in 1936.
Following the Francoist revolt and start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Carvalho Calero becomes a volunteer combatant for the Spanish Republic, achieving the rank of lieutenant. He was captured by the Francoists and convicted on the grounds of "secessionism" to spend sixteen years in the jail of Jaén (Spain). Yet, he was released in 1941. He returned to his natal city of Ferrol, where he had to work as a private tutor as he was banned from holding any public position, including teaching.
He re-established contact with the Galicianists and began his doctoral studies, eventually getting his PhD in 1955. This was later published in 1963 with the title Historia da literatura galega contemporánea ("History of contemporary Galician literature"). In 1958 he was invited to join the Real Academia Galega ("Royal Galician Academy"). In 1965 he was allowed to hold public positions again, and moved to the Galician capital Compostela where he would teach Galician language and literature at the Rosalia de Castro high school, while he started to also teach at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Finally, in 1972, he becomes the first ever university professor in the field of Galician Linguistics and Literature.
At that stage Carvalho Calero can be considered as the world expert in the work of poetess Rosalia de Castro. He also became an editor and publisher, trying to promote classic Galician writers.
His university research on Galician language made him gain an interest in etymology and the works of Manuel Rodrigues Lapa. This research, allied with his vast knowledge on the history of the Galician-Portuguese language, made him re-interpret Galician classics and develop the theory of what would become contemporary "reintegracionism". In short, the idea that had been stated in the past but never scientifically systematised that Galician and Portuguese languages were not just the same language in the past, sharing a common origin, but still are the same language today. Thus, Carvalho Calero raised as the chief supporter of that view.
With the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1977, Galicia became an autonomous community with Galician as its official language (alongside with Spanish). It was then urgently required to establish a fixed standard form. As professor of Galician language and literature, Carvalho Calero was appointed to lead the group of experts that should prepare the new norms for Galician. The first draft was produced in 1979 with the title Normas ortográficas do idioma galego ("Orthographic norms of the Galician language"). These norms recommended a gradual approach to Portuguese, using Portuguese as the most suitable orthographic reference for spoken Galician and, still, often allowing for a number of different solutions in case of doubt.
However, this approximation to Portuguese was perceived by some pro-Spanish conservative groups as a possible political stance. Consequently, the norms were revoked without Carvalho's consent by means of a special law (the Decreto Filgueira). In the light of those events Carvalho Calero resigned his position in 1980. A new set of norms was passed in 1982 by the newly created Instituto Galego da Lingua ("Galician Institute for the Language") and even the Royal Galician Academy, of which he was still a member. Carvalho Calero had by then helped to create the Galician Association for the Language (1981), in order to counteract what he thought to be an attempt to "damage" the language [1].
He became an open critic of the new decisions on Galician language which he considered to be merely "political and not scientific". He even stated that the new norms and linguistic laws provoked a situation which "is anti-hygenic and goes against the economy" (in Uma voz na Galiza, 1984). In 1984, he was awarded the Medalla Castelao - the greatest civil award in Galicia - and was invited to join the Concello da Cultura Galega ("Council for the Galician Culture"), but he declined the invitation.
Carvalho Calero died in Santiago de Compostela in 1990.