Early Twentieth-Century Catalan Regionalist Theory: Lluís Duran I Ventosa,His Times,and the Influence of the Austrian Empire

Abstract. The constitutional question of how to treat ethnic minorities within the context of a greater state has presented problems since the age of nationalism up to the present day. Several Catalan political theorists from the beginning of the twentieth century produced a large quantity of generally overlooked and untranslated work on the subject, which defined a terminology and discussed solutions in a manner coherent enough to be applicable to most times and places, and to withstand the test of scrutiny alongside better-known theorists. The thoughts of Lluis Duran i Ventosa, the theorist behind the Catalan regionalist movement in the first quarter of this century, deserve special exposure. He and his contemporaries demonstrated great understanding not only of their context within Spain, but also of generally applicable concepts, as well as an understanding of other societies, notably the Austrian Empire.