A New Direction

Abstract

At the end of our sabbatical (1996–1997) we had learned a great deal about the meaning of Catalan identity. We had also learned, to our dismay, that our planned comparative study was flawed by the reality of the situation on the ground. One sees only traces of Catalan culture in Cerbère. As for Portbou, while it is true that, in some ways, it remains a typical Catalan village, in other important ways it differs from the ideal because of its overly large transient population and the number of its resident retirees that severely skews the demographic pyramid. On the other hand, fortunately for Portbou, because it is in the region of the Principat, it can rely for strong financial support on the autonomous government in Barcelona that has a vested interest in maintaining Catalan culture in all the ways it can. As previously noted, the Generalitat has heavily subsidized the new port, the new school building, and the restoration of the Civic Center, and it has also expressed an interest in supporting projects associated with the Walter Benjamin Foundation. Beyond this local support, the central Spanish government has recognized the need to improve the economic isolation of Portbou by subsidizing the construction of an expensive tunnel between the village and Colera. This project, when finished, will make it easy for residents living in Portbou to drive to and from Figueres where work is relatively plentiful.