Resumen de Wilhelm von Humboldt and the representative assemblies of the Basque Country
Joseba Agirreazkuenaga Zigorraga
In this article Joseba Agirreazkuenaga gives an account of Wilhelm von Humboldt's writings on the political culture of the Basque people. Humboldt had made two visits to the Basque country in 1799 and 1801, and after leaving public life published his observations about them in 1821. He saw the Basques as having developed a distinctive political culture, which was based on vigorous self-government through local assemblies, which rested on broad popular support from below. He admired this as coming close to the politics of the free city states of ancient Greece, and sought to explain it as the interaction of national character, language and custom, history and geography.
