Katalanisch und Schwäbisch. Überraschende Gemeinsamkeiten und Verbindungen

Languages can have similarities that have arisen through parallel development without necessarily having come into contact with each other. This is the case in Catalan and Swabian, where a phonological-typological change to a word language has taken place. In the course of the historical development of Old Catalan and Old Alemannic, the syllable structure at the edges of words became more complex and the unstressed vowels were centralized or deleted. These features are typical of word languages in which the phonological word is emphasized. In his lecture, Javier Caro Reina (University of Cologne) traces this change and shows the similarities between Central Catalan and Swabian.

The parallel linguistic developments have been followed by diverse connections between the two regions right up to the present day, from the "Spanish March" founded by Charlemagne, which encompassed large parts of Catalonia, to the close cultural and economic ties between Catalonia and Baden-Württemberg today.

Moderator: Christian Schwarz (Humboldt University of Berlin)
With an introduction by Marie Kapretz (Representation of the Government of Catalonia in Germany).

The event is part of the European Cultural Days 2025: Catalonia of the Museum of European Cultures.