Antonio Puigblanch facts for kids

Antoni Puig i Blanch (born in Mataró, Spain, 1775 – died in Somers Town, London, 1840) was an important Spanish thinker and politician. He was also a philologist, which means he studied languages and how they work. He lived in London for many years because of his political ideas.

A Life of Learning and Change

Early Life and Studies

Antoni Puig i Blanch was born on February 3, 1775, in Mataró, a town near Barcelona, Spain. His parents were Antoni Puig Bunyol and Cecília Blanch. As a child, he went to the School of Santa Ana in Mataró. Later, he spent a short time at a monastery.

In 1799, he moved to Madrid to continue his education. He studied philosophy and church rules at different colleges there.

Becoming a Professor

In 1807, Antoni Puig i Blanch became a professor of Hebrew language at the University of Alcalá de Henares. Around this time, he published a book called Elementos de lengua hebrea (Elements of Hebrew language). In this book, he shared the ideas of another scholar, Francesc Orchell.

Fighting for Freedom

During the Peninsular War (1808–1814), Spain was fighting against the French invasion. The Spanish government had to move to Seville and then to Cádiz. Antoni Puig i Blanch became a strong voice among the liberals. These were people who wanted political changes and more freedom.

He strongly believed that the Inquisition should be stopped. The Inquisition was a powerful religious court that had a lot of control in Spain. To share his arguments, he published a book called La Inquisición sin máscara (The Inquisition Unmasked) between 1811 and 1813.

Because of his strong views, he had to leave Spain in 1815 when King Fernando VII returned to power. He moved to London. There, he published an English version of his book, The Inquisition Unmasked, in 1816.

While in London, he also started writing a poem in the Catalan language. This poem was about fighting for freedom. It focused on the Castilian War of the Communities (1520–1522), which was a rebellion in Spain. Because of this Catalan poem, Puig i Blanch is seen as an important person who helped start the Renaixença. This was a cultural movement that brought back interest in Catalan language and culture.

Return to Spain and Final Years

From 1820 to 1823, Antoni Puig i Blanch was able to return to Spain. This was during a time called the Trienio Liberal, when there was more political freedom. He even became a member of the Spanish Parliament, representing Catalonia.

However, in 1823, he had to go back to London for good. There, he worked at a printing press and a pastry shop. He also taught Spanish and French lessons.

In 1828 and 1834, he published Opúsculos gramático-satíricos. In these writings, he talked about many topics, including the idea of creating a federal Spanish state. This means a country where different regions have some self-governance.

He also translated several books into Spanish. These included Lectures on the Philosophy of the Human Mind by Thomas Brown and a selection of sermons by Robert Hall. He started translating Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane but did not finish it.

Antoni Puig i Blanch passed away on September 25, 1840, in London.

Works

Antoni Puig i Blanch wrote and published several important books during his lifetime:

• Elementos de lengua hebrea. Madrid, 1808.
• La Inquisición sin máscara, o disertación en que se prueban hasta la evidencia los vicios de este tribunal y la necesidad de que se suprima. Cádiz: Imprenta de Josef Niel, 1811. (Published under the name Natanael JOMTOB)
• The Inquisition Unmasked. London, 1816. (This was the English translation of his book La Inquisición sin máscara.)
• Opúsculos gramático-satíricos. London: Guillermo Guthrie, 1828. A second edition came out in two volumes in 1832.
• Prospecto de la obra... intitulada Observaciones sobre el origen y genio de la lengua Castellana. London, 1828.
• Filosofía del espíritu humano en cien lecciones. London, 1828. (His translation of Thomas Brown's work)
• Sermones entresacados de los que escribió en idioma inglés el Rdo. Roberto Hall. London: J. Hill, 1832. (His translation of Robert Hall's sermons)

See Also

In Spanish: Antonio Puigblanch para niños