Video: Is it Possible for all People to Speak the Same Language? The Story of Ludwik Zamenhof and Esperanto

fot. Stowarzyszenie Żydowski Instytut Historyczny

While often presented as an utopic dream of the 19th century, Esperanto did survive two World Wars and it shows a new vitality in the web era. Why Ludwik Zamenhof devoted his life in the definition and launch of this linguistic project? How did he eventually succeed to form a stable community of speakers?

Lecture text [PDF] >>

First, we will see the pillars of Zamenhof's thinking and why his linguistic project attracted the Esperanto pioneers. Then, we will move on the contemporary days, looking to the motivations of nowadays speakers and their aspirations for the present and future of Esperanto.

Lecture by Professor Federico Gobbo from University of Amsterdam. Federico Gobbo is Full Professor at the University of Amsterdam, holding the Special Chair in Interlinguistics and Esperanto, and teaching fellow in Language Planning and Planned Language at the University of Torino (Italy). He is a well-recognized leading scholar in the analysis of the Esperanto phenomenon and language, including Zamenhof’s heritage in the Esperanto community of practice.

Lecture delivered in English with simultaneous translation into Polish.

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The lecture is organized within the Global Education Outreach Program.

The lecture was made possible thanks to the support of the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, and the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland.