Suchergebnisse

Nation, Nationality and Nationalism in Contemporary Europe. Basque and Catalan Identity Narratives
This article explores the identity processes that are currently taking place in the Basque Country and Catalonia. Its main focus is the Basque/Catalan identity which is understood as a form of local, regional and/or national form of collective identification. In particular, the paper analyzes how contemporary Basques and Catalans define, declare and manifest their collective identity, whether they see it as a national identity (or not), and what the political implications of these identity choices are. Based on the results deriving from the latest research on self-identification of the members of the Basque and Catalan society, this article explores the relationship between 1) Basque/Catalan local identity, which is a wide category that encompasses various forms of socio-cultural identification, 2) Basque/Catalan national identity, which is based on the conviction that Basques/Catalans are not just nationalities (have important and particular social and cultural features), but they are in fact nations of their own (this identity has therefore an important political dimension), and 3) Basque/Catalan nationalistic identity, which is understood as a form of identity, that resides on the belief that the Basques and Catalans constitute separate national communities, and this very fact is used to fuel certain rhetoric and ideology: separate nationhood becomes the basic element of identification and social mobilization.

Basqueurban policies: the construction of new symbolism and the new image of Bilbao In the article, I analyze the process of the revitalization of Bilbao. Taken the success of the revitalization strategy and the profound change of Bilbao's image, which in less than a decade from a decaying postindustrial city transformed into a modern and innovative centre, Bilbaonian revitalization model is often used as a best practice for the planning and the execution of revitalization activities in postindustrial areas. The flagship investment of Bilbao's transformation was the restoration of Abandoibarra, the postindustrial centrally located city's waterfront. The most recognizable object located in this area is Guggenheim Museum, which soon after its building became a showcase of the city and the symbol of it's regeneration. From the very beginning the museum attracted international attention becoming a magnet for tourists. This is one of reasons, why the success of the Bilbaonian revitalization has commonly been known as the so‑called "Guggenheim effect". Even though the museum has become a symbol of modern Bilbao, the equating of the whole project with one emblematic building is unjustified. In fact, what stood behind the "Bilbao effect" and made it possible, was not one object as such, but the strategy that was based on long‑term planning and the cooperation between public and private organizations.

This article contains an analysis of the "ECC effect," that is, the long-term change produced in Polish cities by participation in the competition for European Capital of Culture 2016, which lasted in Poland from 2007 to 2011. The authors concentrate on four basic subjects: (1) city identities; (2) city images; (3) the influence of new cultural institutions on the socio-cultural fabric of cities; and (4) the development of cultural policies and the Europeanization of Polish cities. Their findings are based on the research project "The ECC Effect: In Search of New Urban Narratives," which was commissioned by the IMPART Festival Office and conducted in 2016 in 7 of the 11 candidate cities: Gdańsk, Katowice, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, and Wrocław. The authors claim that the competition for European Capital of Culture indubitably initiated extensive transformation processes in Polish cities. It led to an improvement in their images more openness and internationalization, and to a redefinition of the role of culture in innovative development policies.