TheInstitut d'Estudis Occitans (English:Occitan Studies Institute orInstitute for Occitan Studies;Occitan pronunciation:[istiˈtyddesˈtyðizutsiˈtas]), orIEO, is a cultural association that was founded in 1945 by a group ofOccitan and French writers includingJean Cassou,Tristan Tzara,Ismaël Girard,Max Roqueta,Renat Nelli, andPierre Rouquette.[1] It aims at maintaining and developing the Occitan language and influence ofOccitania through the supervision, harmonization and normalization of everything dealing with the Occitan life and culture.
The IEO is divided into regional and departmental sections and local circles that cover the whole of the country from the cities (called invernacular language) ofLemòtges andClarmont up north toMarselha,Tolosa orBordèu down south. A number of carefully targeted activities are sponsored by groups and other associations affiliated with the institute, or by members themselves. The IEO is the Occitan counterpart of theInstitut d'Estudis Catalans. Its motto isLa fe sens òbras mòrta es ("Faith without works is dead").
The first Institute for Occitan Studies was created around 1923 as a section of the League of Meridional Homeland (Ligue de la Patrie Méridionale), but had a short lifespan.
In 1930, the Society for Occitan Studies (SEO) was founded byJoseph Anglade andValère Bernard, withLouis Alibert as secretary.[2][3]
At the end of World War II, as both the Felibrige and the SEO had been discredited by the involvement of some of their leaders in the collaboration, some occitanists decided to create a new institution, the IEO, with a clear message: the IEO is an offspring of theResistance.
| President | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Jean Cassou | 1945 | 1952 |
| Max Roqueta | 1952 | 1957 |
| Pierre Azéma | 1957 | 1959 |
| Robèrt Lafont | 1959 | 1962 |
| Pierre Bec | 1962 | 1980 |
| Patrick Choffrut | 1980 | 1981 |
| Alain Giacomo | 1981 | 1986 |
| Robert Marty | 1986 | 1997 |
| Philippe Carbonne | 1997 | 2001 |
| David Grosclaude | 2001 | 2010 |
| Pierre Brechet | 2010 | Present |
IEO-Ideco: Ideco is the publishing house and distribution network of the Institut d'Estudis Occitans. It is based inPuèglaurenç.
EOE: the EOE or Escòla Occitana d'Estiu is the Occitan summer school. It is one week long and takes place every year in August inVilanuèva d'Òlt.
UOE: the UOE or Universitat Occitana d'Estiu is the Occitan summer university. It is one week long and takes place every year inNîmes.
The IEO went through several crises throughout its history, the most serious of which in the late 1970s and early 1980s when two ideologies clashed: the populist view ofIves Roqueta, and a more academic one promoted byRobèrt Lafont. This confrontation led to the eviction of Lafont and his followers from the institute, which nearly sealed the fate of all scientific projects at the IEO, with many researchers finding jobs in universities and theAssociacion Internacionala d'Estudis Occitans ("International Occitan Studies Association"). Most linguists among them migrated also to theGidilòc and theConselh de la Lenga Occitana ("Occitan Language Council"). Nevertheless, the IEO has remained the leading organization in the field of cultural life and by far the most popular body among Occitan activists.
