The Institut d'Estudis Occitans (English: Occitan Studies Institute or Institute for Occitan Studies; ), or IEO, is a cultural association that was founded in 1945 by a group of
Occitan and French writers including
Jean Cassou,
Tristan Tzara
Tristan Tzara (; ; ; born Samuel or Samy Rosenstock, also known as S. Samyro; – 25 December 1963) was a Romanian and French avant-garde poet, essayist and performance artist. Also active as a journalist, playwright, literary and art critic, c ...
,
Ismaël Girard,
Max Roqueta,
Renat Nelli, and
Pierre Rouquette. It aims at maintaining and developing the Occitan language and influence of
Occitania
Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...
through the supervision, harmonization and normalization of everything dealing with the Occitan life and culture.
The IEO is divided into regional and departmental sections and local circles that cover the whole of the country from the cities (called in
vernacular
Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...
language) of
Lemòtges and
Clarmont up north to
Marselha,
Tolosa or
Bordèu down south. A number of carefully targeted activities are sponsored by groups and other associations affiliated with the institute, or by members themselves. The IEO is the Occitan counterpart of the
Institut d'Estudis Catalans
The Institute for Catalan Studies ( ), also known by the acronym and initialism, acronym IEC, is an academic institution which seeks to undertake research and study into "all elements of Catalan culture". It is based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spai ...
. Its motto is ''La fe sens òbras mòrta es'' ("Faith without works is dead").
History
The first Institute for Occitan Studies was created around 1923 as a section of the League of Meridional Homeland (''Ligue de la Patrie Méridionale''), but had a short lifespan.
In 1930, the Society for Occitan Studies (SEO) was founded by
Joseph Anglade and
Valère Bernard, with
Louis Alibert
Adrien Louis Marie Alibert, known as Louis Alibert (''Loís Alibèrt'' in Occitan; 1884–1959) was a French linguist, born on October 12, 1884, in Bram in the Aude and died on April 16, 1959, in Montpellier. He specialized in Occitan and Langu ...
as secretary.
[On SEO and IEO History, read "L'IEO e l'occitanisme dempuèi 1945", ''Estudis Occitans'' 18, 2nd semèstre de 1995]
At the end of World War II, as both the Felibrige and the SEO had been discredited by the involvement of some of their leaders in the collaboration, some occitanists decided to create a new institution, the IEO, with a clear message: the IEO is an offspring of the
Resistance.
Presidents of the IEO
Affiliates
IEO-Ideco: Ideco is the publishing house and distribution network of the Institut d'Estudis Occitans. It is based in
Puèglaurenç.
EOE: the EOE or Escòla Occitana d'Estiu is the Occitan summer school. It is one week long and takes place every year in August in
Vilanuèva d'Òlt.
UOE: the UOE or Universitat Occitana d'Estiu is the Occitan summer university. It is one week long and takes place every year in
Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
.
Controversy
The IEO went through several crises throughout its history, the most serious of which in the late 1970s and early 1980s when two ideologies clashed: the populist view of
Ives Roqueta, and a more academic one promoted by
Robèrt Lafont. This confrontation led to the eviction of Lafont and his followers from the institute, which nearly sealed the fate of all scientific projects at the IEO, with many researchers finding jobs in universities and the ''Associacion Internacionala d'Estudis Occitans'' ("International Occitan Studies Association"). Most linguists among them migrated also to the ''
Gidilòc'' and the ''
Conselh de la Lenga Occitana'' ("Occitan Language Council"). Nevertheless, the IEO has remained the leading organization in the field of cultural life and by far the most popular body among Occitan activists.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Institut D'estudis Occitans
1945 establishments in France
Occitan language
Organizations established in 1945