Folklore, museums and identity politics in Spain: 1931 to present

Abstract

Spain is a country with a vast folklore tradition characterized by deep regional contrasts. The role of folklore museums as a nationalizing tool of the central government and by regional governments (e.g. Catalan and Basque) to support a diversity of projects for identity construction requires renewed analysis. Examined here is the history of the Museo del Pueblo Español (MPE), a national folklore museum created during the Second Republic (1931–1939) to broadcast the wealth of folkloric tradition within the country. Currents of change in national politics during the 20th century have re-oriented the MPE depending on the contrasting perspectives of Spanish identity that prevailed at different times in the past. In Catalonia and the Basque country, where identity claims have been repeatedly asserted since the 19th century, folklore heritage and its representations were seen by nationalist political movements as useful platforms to support a message of ‘difference.’ We propose to use Tony Bennett’s concepts of the museum as an ‘exhibitionary complex’ and ‘governmental assemblages’ to further clarify the evolution of folklore museums and their role in the development of identity politics in Spain.

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