La Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda
Besides the Spanish history competition the Real Maestranza also carries out educational and arts activities. These include a programme of prizes and grants to local university students, organising Ronda Music Week and publishing books on subjects related to the Mestranza’s origins and its cultural heritage.
EUSTORY Academies in 2009
12 – 19 September 2009 in Ronda, Spain
Between Orient and Occident: The Power of Religion(s) in Andalusia
In cooperation with: La Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda
Financed by: Gerda Henkel Foundation and Unicaja
Photos: Tina Gotthardt / Eva Hoerpel
In September 2009, more than a thousand years have passed since the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty on the Iberian Peninsula. The same dynasty, which established the Caliphate of Córdoba in 756 AC. Al-Andalus, was an Arab “kingdom” until 1492. Under Arabic governance, Islam was the main religion. But what about Christianity or Judaism? What status did they have under Islamic dominance? And what changed in 1492 when after centuries of wars the Catholic rulers Isabella and Ferdinand terminated the regime of the Muslims?
Traces of 700 years of Arab presence in Europe can still be easily found all over southern Spain. And now, 18 students from across Europe searched for these traces of Arab history by visiting historical places like Córdoba and the Alhambra in Granada. At the meeting point of Orient and Occident, they discovered the past and present role of religion in that region and compared it with other parts of Europe. Was or is peaceful coexistence between all three religions possible? And how was and is life for people of different faith under one official religion?
Before going into the topic of the academy, the students presented their works that have been awarded by the respective national history competitions. While presenting their posters to the other participants the diversity of topics and perspectives were quite obvious and really interesting for all of them. And in spite of all differences they found lots of common experiences in researching their topics and preparing their work. (Foto: Presentation Foto)
Starting point of the work was the situation regarding religious conflicts and the influence of religion in Europe. All participants presented the situation of their countries and prepared a glossary with the main terms in groups.
To manage the way from “Europe” to “Spain” the students got professional help: the professor Emilio Gonzalez Ferrín of the University of Seville gave the students an insight in “Al-Andalus” and it’s perception within the historiography today. He also informed the students about the Alhambra, its history and the special places to visit. Kristina (18), from Serbia: “Lectures of such experts are always welcome and he pointed out the critical review of religion and our national histories.” But talking about the Alhambra and visiting it where two different things: “For me, the greatest experience was visiting the Alhambra, because there I could see something so different and oriental. It really brought me seven centuries back, to the time of Al-Andalus and I could also see how refined was the culture of Arabian rulers of Granada.” said Vojtěch from Czech Republic.
To close the gap between the history of different religions in Spain and the situation today the students dealt with a conflict that has its roots in history: the use of the mezquita-catedral in Córdoba. Build as a mosque – the biggest one in the world at that time – from the Arabic rulers, the catholic emperors put a cathedral in the center. Today only the cathedral is used for services but the Islamic community in Spain claims the right to use the mosque for prayers.
How could one get a better insight than to experience the situation? To simulate the discussion about the dispute if Muslims could use the cathedral in Córdoba, the students prepared the different positions (extremistic and moderate from both sides, catholic and Islamic) and simulate the discussion in a role play.
Vojtěch: “I liked preparing the discussion about the Cordoba mosque-cathedral controversy. It was very inspiring to try to understand the viewpoints of all the sides of the conflict, to find out, what rhetoric they use and finally to present them in the talk show – although the person I had to imitate didn't have very sympathetic stance” and Meriam (18) from Norway added: “The debate challenged me a lot, all of us I think. The sources the teamers had found could not have been better; they both represented the opinion of young and more radical people as well as of the people with power such as the Archbishop or the mayor of Còrdoba.” Ivan (18) from Ukraine agreed: “As a moderator my task was to lead the process and give different controversial questions to each group. The group of moderators started the debates, but what was important that then the rate of debates didnt reduce and was supported by everyone. I think it was a great challenge for me, and also I have been acquired a good experience of communication and leadership.”
The visit of Córdoba after the debate was also interesting, Evelina (18) from Sweden: “While preparing the debate and working out a position we got really deep into the topic. Then during the debate I started to understand why there can’t be a solution of the conflict: everyone sticks to his position and believe that it’s the right one and no one moves. The mezquita-cathedral in Córdoba is indeed something worth visiting. The mixture of Islam and Catholic Christianity makes you feel like you have entered a symbol of historical conflict. “
In Córdoba one group of the students met members of the Islamic community. “It was great that we were allowed to enter the mosque and to sit down in the main room. The Moslems we’ve talked to were really friendly and open. There told us a lot about the role of the women in Islamic societies that I didn’t know before” summarized Iina (19) from Finland. Sitting in the mosque and talking to the Imam was for all of them a unique experience, It was also a big surprise that they weren’t really interested in using the mezquita-cathedral as a place for praying but in building a bigger mosque than the one they can use right now; but the bureaucracy in Córdoba complicates that. Nevertheless they don’t feel discriminated for being Muslims but sometimes for being immigrants.
The other group visited a sephardic museum and talked to Jews living in Córdoba. Joel (18) from Switzerland: “The visit of the small Sephardic museum was not only culturally interesting, but complemented with a musical “intermezzo”, when a woman, actually studying music and flamenco in Sevilla performed a Jewish Sephardic song and a Hebrew Psalm. The visit of “La Casa Sefarad” as well as the interview with the Jewish woman was mind opening.”
On the last day a press conference with local media took place where the organizers as well as representatives of the participants presented results and experiences of the week.
In the evening the final presentation of all results took place in front of representatives of Hespérides, the teachers association of Andalusia, that supports the Spanish history competition. The results were presented as a stage performance and a power point, which were both prepared in self-chosen and self organized groups.
But what are the participants taking with them from that academy?
Kristina (18) pointed out: ''Always make questions, never trust fully to any historical thesis. All can be disproved, especially when religion and history are overlapping!” Meriam (18) summarized: “The EUSTORY Youth Academy in Ronda gave me history, beauty, challenges, friendships, love and new perspectives on religion - and most importantly, it gave us our own stories.” And of course not only the work but also meeting people from all parts of Europe and discuss about history, politics and culture is an event that no one will forget, as Vojtěch pointed out: “When we were trying to understand the sources of the conflict, we also managed to understand each other. For me, some countries will be no more just places on the map of Europe, but places, where my friends live.”
