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Donostia-San Sebastian.  The University of Liverpool will be the scene of a conference on the political figure and Basque lawyer, Manuel Irujo, thanks to the collaboration between this center and the Etxepare Basque Institute, as well as his own family.  On November 27, with the participation with professors Ludger Mees, the writer Iban Zaldua and historian Xabier Irujo Ametzaga, co-director of the Center for Basque Studies in Reno, as well as Irujo’s family members, that will participate via videoconference from the US.

Presentation of the conference, as well as other events regarding Manuel Irujo, took place yesterday in Donostia and was attended by a large representation of various disciplines, in a show of admiration for the Basque political figure.  Among the participants were Josu Erkoreka, from the department of Public Administration and Justice of the Basque Government and speaker; Aizpea Goenaga, Director of the Etxepare Basque Institute; Mari Jose Olaziregi, Director for the Promotion of Euskera at Etxepare; Chris Harris, Chair of the Department of Culture, Language and Research at the University of Liverpool; Miren Button Irujo, Manuel Irujo’s granddaughter; Richard Chandler, family member and Aingeru Epaltza, wirter and also a descendant of Manuel Irujo.

Irujo Background

In addition to the aforementioned conference, the University of Liverpool will also make Manuel Irujo’s library available to its students and researchers, donated by his family.  There are more than 400 books that Manuel Irujo carried with him into exile in Paris and London.  Now, they will serve as the main resource for research on Basque exile at the University.

The books are written in Basque, Spanish and English and are on various topics like Basque language and literature, Navarre, Basque society and folklore, the Spanish civil war and Basque politics, after the war in Euskal Herria, Basque nationalism, Basques and America, magazines, history, travel, geography, and works on science and nature among others.

Show Youth the Basque Exile

Finally, the University of Liverpool and the Etxepare Basque Institute will launch a Chair Manuel Irujo Fellowship beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year, that will support the study of Basque topics.  According to Mari Jose Olaziregi at the presentation, it is important to make the experience of Basque exiles known to the new generations: “the pain experiences and the alienation of thousands of Basque exiles is part of our collective memory and should be recuperated and visible, to be made a part of our new collective identity.”

The University of Liverpool will provide scholarships to make these studies possible.  During the first year the chair will support studies on Manuel Irujo and will be occupied by Xabier Irujo as the first invited professor.

Pioneer in Basque Studies

At the presentation, the importance of the University of Liverpool on the study of Basque topics in the UK was stressed.  This center has had a Basque language and literature lecturer since 2011, but the Department of Languages and Research has done a lot of work for some time for the Basque language and Basque studies.  This effort, in addition to becoming ever grater, there will also be a permanent position created that will be responsible for Basque studies; they will begin by funding Basque studies that will be increased soon to 20% of the Basque position provided by the department.

Chris Harris, department director, thanked the Irujo family for its generosity and stressed the fruitful work done at the University by Dr. Juan Arana: “we can say that the University of Liverpool is a pioneer in the diffusion of Euskera and the Basque culture,” he concluded.