Ramón Piñeiro López facts for kids

Ramón Piñeiro López (Láncara, 31 May 1915 – Santiago de Compostela, 27 August 1990) was an important Spanish writer and politician from Galicia. He was celebrated on Galician Literature Day in 2009 for his contributions.

Piñeiro studied literature and philosophy at universities in Santiago de Compostela and Madrid. However, he did not finish his degrees. He was active in a secret group working for Galicia's rights. In 1946, he went to Paris to meet with Galician leaders who were living outside Spain. After this, he was arrested and spent three years in prison.

Who Was Ramón Piñeiro López?

Ramón Piñeiro was a key figure in Galicia during the 20th century. He played a big part in keeping the Galicianism movement alive. This movement supports the culture and identity of Galicia. He was even put in prison between 1946 and 1949 because of his work for Galicia.

As a thinker, he helped start the Galaxia publishing house. He was also one of the first directors of the Grial magazine. Both of these were very important for Galician culture.

In politics, he helped create the Mocidades Galeguistas (Galicianist Youths). He was also a member of the Galicianist Party. Later, when Spain became a democracy, he was an independent member of the Parliament of Galicia. He was listed with the Socialist Party (PSdeG-PSOE).

His Focus on Galician Culture

Piñeiro's main goal was to shift the focus of Galicianism. He wanted it to be more about culture and less about politics. This idea became known as piñeirismo, named after him.

He believed that a special feeling called saudade was key to Galician identity. Saudade is a unique word that describes a deep feeling of longing or missing something. He studied this feeling a lot throughout his life. He also thought that Galicia's landscape and mood were important parts of its cultural heart.

What is 'Saudade'?

Piñeiro saw saudade as a feeling that isn't aimed at anything specific. It's not something you think about or choose to feel. Other Galician writers had described saudade in different ways.

Piñeiro's idea of saudade was connected to a type of philosophy called existentialism. He believed saudade was a feeling of deep loneliness. It comes from feeling unique as a person.

His Writings and Translations

Ramón Piñeiro's written work falls into two main areas. Some of his work was about philosophy. He paid special attention to the idea of saudade, looking at it from an existentialist point of view.

Other works focused on language and literature. He looked at how the Galician language was being standardized. He also helped bring works from other languages into Galician. For example, he translated Heidegger's "On the Essence of Truth" in 1956. This made him a pioneer in translating important books into Galician.

Early Life and Education

Ramón Piñeiro went to a top high school in Lugo. There, he joined the youth group of the Galicianist Party. Through this group, he helped with the committee that worked on the referendum. This vote decided the Galician Statute of Autonomy of 1936. This statute gave Galicia more self-rule.

After the Spanish Civil War, he studied Philosophy and Letters in Santiago de Compostela. He had to join the winning side in the war to avoid problems.

See also

In Spanish: Ramón Piñeiro López para niños