Cultural and Educational Shifts in 19th Century Spain

Cultural Transformations in 19th Century Spain

Cultural changes in 19th-century Spain made their way with difficulty due to strong resistance and the survival of the old official ecclesiastical culture.

Key Characteristics of 19th Century Spanish Culture

  • Limited influence of European trends.
  • Coexistence between tradition (mainly ecclesiastical) and progress.
  • High degree of illiteracy.
  • Limited interest in culture and science.

It is difficult to speak of a uniform mentality across all social groups. For example, popular thought ranged from Carlist to anarchist. Within the bourgeois mentality, a lack of awareness of social class unity prevented a unified mindset. The military mentality, emphasizing honor and victory, also stands out.

Influential European Thought: Krausism, Positivism, Darwinism

Key changes stemmed from European trends:

  • Krausism: Of German origin, it introduced a new model of thought based on reason, conscience, discipline, tolerance, Europeanization, and anticlericalism.
  • Positivism: From France, it applied the scientific method to social sciences.
  • Darwinism: Presented the theory of the evolution of species.

Evolution of the Spanish Education System

Early Reforms and the Liberal Triennium

The Spanish education system in the 19th century evolved through different stages. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, influenced by the Enlightenment, Jovellanos emphasized the need for primary schools in all villages. During the Liberal Triennium, the poet Quintana advocated for public, free, uniform, and universal education in Spain.

The Moyano Law and Educational Structure

However, during the Ominous Decade (Absolutist period), Quintana’s project was canceled, and Minister Calomarde even closed universities and schools. Under the reign of Isabella II, the moderate government proclaimed the General Law of Public Instruction or Moyano Law (1857). This law regulated the Spanish educational system, dividing it into public and private (often controlled by the Church) sectors, mandating education for women, and establishing three levels: elementary, secondary (high school), and university.

Primary education was compulsory but not always free, taught in villages, and often characterized by religious conflict, lack of space, and insufficient demand. Secondary education was offered in schools (one per province), with few having access, requiring a Baccalaureate Examination to proceed to university. Universities were state-organized into districts, with the Central District (Madrid) serving as the controlling reference point (centralization).

The Free Institution of Education

During the Democratic Sexenio (Six-Year Period), academic freedom was promoted, but the Restoration era limited this freedom, leading to the emergence of a parallel educational trend: the Free Institution of Education (Institución Libre de Enseñanza). Giner de los Ríos led these new, secular private schools, which, based on Krausist ideology, aimed to foster scientific curiosity and critical thinking in students.

The Rise of the Press and Media

By the late 19th century, illiteracy rates remained very high. The press of the early 19th century was characterized by statements reflecting views and disseminating cultural currents. In the 1830s, it gained national dimension and was used to spread liberalism, with newspapers like El Tiempo and La Iberia. From the 1860s, the briefing press emerged (with the invention of the telegraph and news agencies, leading to greater uniformity), alongside specialized magazines and a press striving for objectivity, exemplified by newspapers such as La Época and El Liberal.