11). Chief Stages in the Hundred Year Evolution of Esperanto
I think that the life history of Esperanto can be divided into ten stages:
1). Its birth (1887)
2). The extremely rapid growth in the early years (1887-1907)
3). The Ido crisis (1907)
4). The founding of UEA and its infancy (1908-1918)
5). The decline of UEA compared with SAT. The rivalry with IEL (1920-1945)
6). The Literature World (1920-1945)
7). UEA revives under the guidance of Lapenna after the second world war (1945-60)
8). The growing influence of TEJO and the removal of Lapenna (1960-1975)
9). The recent past and present years (1980-1992)
10). The future (1992+)
1). The Birth.
The Polish oculist Ludovic Zamenhof continued to work on his project for an artificial language for ten years until at long last he published at his own expense a small book in Russian during July, 1887. He used the pseudonym, Dr Esperanto.
2). The Growth
The language, named Esperanto from the pseudonym of its creator, soon gained many followers. In 1888 at Nuremberg the World Language Club, which previously had used the other artificial language Volapuk, changed totally to the new language. It also published the first journal in Esperanto, La Esperantisto. Zamenhof himself edited it in 1890 according to the wishes of the other Esperantists.
The number of Esperantists grew greatly in the first ten years- in fact thirty fold. New clubs soon appeared in Moscow and Sofia. Unfortunately in 1891 Zamenhof no longer could stand the expense of the journal. Esperanto was suffering its first crisis. Happily a German surveyor (ground measurer) W.Trompeter agreed to pay for the publication for three years from his own salary. The movement continued its growth. In 1901 Hachette, the important French publishing house, began to publish books in Esperanto (for example the 500 page books of Vallienne). In 1902 the first British Esperanto club was founded at Keighley (in Yorkshire).
The most important matter for the movement, however, occurred during August, 1905- the first international congress at Boulogne-sur-Mare. 688 people were present from 20 countries and Zamenhof, as guest speaker, received a huge acclamation.
3). The Ido Crisis
Nothing progresses smoothly for ever and during 1907 Esperanto was shaken by the Ido crisis. Some reformists suggested fundamental changes to the language of which Zamenhof did not approve. He considered that an international language must be stable without frequent changes. It was suggested that a committee should be set up to consider a suitable solution to the whole world language affair. Zamenhof named de Beaufront as his representative. Unfortunately de Beaufront betrayed him and persuaded the committee to accept a changed form of Esperanto as the only international language. Unknown to Zamenhof, de Beaufront himself was in fact the author of this modified language Ido.
The Esperanto movement split into two factions- the true Esperantists and the Idoists. Ido hindered the business of Esperanto until its decline and disappearance during the twenties.
4). The founding of the UEA.
On account of the Ido business a Swiss Hector Hodler and a Frenchman Theophile Rousseau proposed the setting up of an international conference of Esperantists and in April, 1908 the Universala Esperanto-Asocio (World Wide Esperanto Association) was founded. The organisation also created a net of delegates (then called 'consuls') in many places to help other fellow Esperantists (people with the same idea).
The central office of UEA was then in Switzerland, neutral during the First World War. So it was able to act as an agent for communication between friends and relatives who lived in the fighting lands.
5). UEA between the two World Wars.
After the end of the First World War the League of Nations was set up. In its first meeting eleven delegates suggested that schools in the member states should be obliged to teach the International Language. Iran proposed its use in international affairs. The French government, however, acted short-sightedly and vetoed that (indirectly but in fact).
Through the world after the war, socialism spread under the influence of Lenin and others. As the UEA stayed politically neutral it lost many members to the new workers' organisation, SAT (World-wide Non-national Association). This soon became bigger than UEA itself.
During 1936 the Nazis under Hitler dissolved the Esperanto Associations (in Germany) and menaced, imprisoned and even murdered the Esperantists themselves (on account of the fact that Zamenhof was a Jew). UEA in Switzerland reacted to that with a timid silence. The leader of the Yugoslav movement, Ivo Lapenna sharply criticised that. Finally the Esperanto community again split on account of the formation of the International Esperanto League with its headquarters in London. Lapenna in 1938 was elected to the leadership of IEL. Stalin in the Soviet Union also persecuted Esperantists.
6). The World of Literature
Although the Esperanto movement progressed somewhat uncertainly during the twenties, the language itself and especially the literature prospered. In Budapest K.Kalocsay edited a journal The Literary World, which during the coming quarter of a century gave to the world masterpieces from Julio Baghy, Raymond Schwartz, Nikolao Hohlov and Kalocsay himself. Original literature in Esperanto in fact advanced.
7). UEA after the Second World War
After the Second World War due to the organisational capabilities of Lapenna UEA and IEL united under the name UEA (Berne, 1947). A new world organisation, the United Nations, replaced the League of Nations. Again Esperanto sought support. A petition with the signatures of almost 900,000 individuals and 492 organisations with a total of 16,000,000 members from 76 countries, was collected and passed onto the UN. Ivo Lapenna also addressed the General Conference at Montevideo of UNESCO (the educational section of UN). At last UNESCO gave to UEA the rank of 'in consultative relationship'.
8). The removal of Lapenna.
Ivo Lapenna during 1955-1964 was general secretary and during 1964-1974 president of UEA. He was very energetic and worked hard for the movement. However many thought that he was too dictatorial, too occupied with matters outside the movement and not to internal affairs and also that he was too trusting of politicians.
During 1966 another petition with one million individual signatures and support of associations with 71 million members was given to the UN. Thus international organisation, the most important international body in the world, simply 'lost' it! UN clearly would not listen to rational argument.
Lapenna neglected the internal affairs- for example members preferred the publication of La Praktiko instead of La Monda Lingvoproblemo. Lapenna did not agree- the organisation could publish only one and Lapenna choose the second.
The influence of TEJO (World-wide Esperanto Youth Organisation) continued to grow and at long last at the 59th World Congress in Hamburg during 1974 Humphrey Tonkin, a former president of TEJO, replaced Lapenna as president of UEA.
9). The recent and present years.
The main happenings during the last few years has been the growth of the movement outside Europe. In Asia many new converts appeared- especially in Japan and China. In China Esperanto is taught in many schools and universities, is often broadcast by television and the magazine El Popolo ˆCinio is read throughout the world.
In South America- particularly Brazil- Esperanto is again growing. In Cuba the movement is sufficiently strong that the country could host the World Congress in 1990.
The independence of the countries of the former Soviet Union and the freedom of the peoples of Eastern Europe can only help the movement.
However the newest hot bed is Africa. The first African Esperanto Congress occurred in Togo during December, 1990. Esperantists were present from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Benin and, of course, Togo. Also present were a few Europeans and one American.
UEA, of course, celebrated during 1987 the hundredth anniversary of Esperanto. The World Congress at Warsaw attracted the largest number of members in the history of the movement (5946).
10). The Future
Unfortunately Esperanto will only be able to fulfil its aim when schools throughout the world teach it as a second language to everyone. Upto now it has not succeeded but with the growth of non-European influence possible they will succeed where the Europeans have failed. Of course in the very distant future one will use machines to translate from one language into another and then we will not need Esperanto as a language of communication (but possibly simply for the study of its large original literature already written). It is interesting, however, that the machine which has attained a leading position in the race for an automatic translation system is DLT (Distributed Language Translation) which uses Esperanto as a bridge language between (finally) any two other languages. Praise be to the Zamenhof logic of 1887!
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