Esperanto history
In
1878,
L. L. Zamenhof considered a revival of
Latin to be the solution for the
language problem, but after learning it he realized it was obsolete and too difficult for the task. When he learned English, he noted that verb
conjugations were unnecessary for comprehension. At this point, he still had the problem of a large vocabulary base until he encountered two signs labelled
ŝvejcarskaja (porter's lodge-- place of the porter) and
konditorskaja (confectioner's shop-- place of sweets). Then he realized that the proper use of suffixes could greatly decrease the number of words needed in the vocabulary. The vocabulary was chosen to be the most recognizable by the most speakers of the most number of languages.
For six years he worked on translations and poetry to see which of his linguistic theories really worked and which needed to be discarded due to being cumbersome or ugly. See Pra-Esperanto. In 1887, he published his Unua Libro (First Book) with a basic introduction to Esperanto. From this base, Esperanto evolved naturally into the language spoken today.
In the early 1920s, there was a proposal for the League of Nations to accept Esperanto as their working language. Ten delegates accepted the proposal with only one voice against, the french delegate, Gabriel Hanotaux. Hanotaux did not like how the French language was losing its position as the international language and saw Esperanto as a threat.
Later, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin murdered many Esperanto speakers because of their anti-nationalistic tendencies. Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf that it was created as a universal language to unite the Jewish diaspora. Stalin declared it as "the language of spies."
Timeline of Esperanto, with particular focus on Esperanto Youth
- 1859: L. L. Zamenhof, the iniciator of Esperanto, was born.
- 1887: The first grammar book of Esperanto was published
- 1908: World Esperanto organization was established by a 19 year old Esperantist
- 1920: World Esperantist Youth Association (TEJA) was established (and several years later “fell asleep”)
- 1938: During the first International Youth Congress (IJK) in Groet, Netherlands, according to a decision of more than 200 hundred participants from 10 countries The World Youth Organization (TJO) was born.
- 1939: The second IJK took place in Tervuren, Belgium
- 1947: TJO became special section of the World Esperanto Organisation (UEA)
- 1948: Organization “Native Esperanto speakers” became part of TJO. The third IJK took place in Ipswich, Great Britain and it's taken place every year since then.
- 1952: During the 8th IJK in Ry, Denmark, TJO became TEJO, the World Esperanto Youth Organization). In that period TEJO was going through financial and structural crisis.
- 1956: During the 12th IJK in Büsum, Germany, the committee of TEJO proposed TEJO to become youth section and integrated part of UEA. Period of internal reorganization started.
- 1960: The reorganization process was closed during 16th IJK in Rotterdam, Netherlands. TEJO opened itself to the outside world by starting cooperation with several non-Esperanto YNOs.
- 1963: Kontakto, an international magazine of TEJO, was born. It still comes out six times a year, and it is a magazine in Esperanto, but not about Esperanto.
- 1964: PR got into the focus of attention. Several brochures and flyers were published in national languages and special group for contacts with other youth organizations was established.
- 1965: First in a serial of seminars was organized in Ljubljana, ex-Yugoslavia, with the goal to discuss the language problem and exchange experience with different YNOs. Seminars soon also got more practical topics, such as exchange of experiences between generations and other issues of youth work.
- 1966: In the same time with the most successful IJK (more than 900 youngsters participated), TEJO went through a serious financial crisis. TEJO became a correspondent member of the UNESCO’s Commission on International Voluntary Service. In Argentina the “Programme Passport” was launched which turned into “Pasporta Servo” (network of Esperanto speakers around the globe willing to host other Esperanto speakers for limited time) several years later
- 1979: TEJO organized its first seminar at EYC-S. It was accepted to the Geneva Informal Meeting, GIM.
- 1983: TEJO-tutmonde, another one of TEJO’s magazines, related to the movement itself, was launched.
- 2001: The Wikipedia project in Esperanto was launched resulting in the first really international encyclopedia (not written in a national language).
Outside events influencing Esperanto history
- 1914, 1939: The World Wars slowed down development of the Esperanto movement generally (activists were killed, publication destroyed, achievements in international relations lost)
- Stalin-period in the Soviet Union: Esperanto was prohibited, many Esperantists were executed or forced to move to Siberia.
- 1968: Worldwide anti-war protests and changes collared declaration that was signed by participants of 25th ILK in Tyresö, Sweden, 1969.
- 1980: Social and economical changes in the world also influenced policies of the youth Esperanto-movement. During IJK in Rauma, Finland, goals and objectives of the movement were redefined through the Rauma manifesto.
- 1985: United Nations declared International Year of Youth which inspired a series of activities in TEJO and its national branches.
- 2001: The International Year of Languages was declared, and became the year of language festivals, as new form of action in TEJO. Most of the festivals organised during that year became traditional happenings.
Works Cited
Lins, Ulrich. La Danĝera Lingvo. Gerlingen, Germany: Bleicher Eldonejo, 1988.
Privat, Edmond. The Life of Zamenhof. Bailieboro, Ontario: Esperanto Press, 1980.
