PORTUGAL

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Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal entered the EC (now the EU) in 1985. Four decades of dictatorship sidelined the country from modern progress and Europe's power centres, but like its neighbour, Spain, it has spent much of the last 20 years trying to move in from the periphery, forging new ties with the rest of Europe, restructuring its economy, and struggling to maintain what is best in its national culture despite the sudden onslaught of international influences. The struggle between the traditional and the modern continues, and as Portugal flows towards the economic mainstream of the European Union, it still seems to gaze nostalgically over its shoulder and out to sea. Portugal is one of the most fascinating destinations in Europe. It has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and cities, and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields.

Portugal - Facts and Figures Full country name: Portugal Area: 92,389 sq km (35,672 sq mi) Population: 10 million Capital city: Lisbon (pop 535,740) People: 99% Portuguese, 1% African Language: Portuguese, Mirandese Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 1% other Government: Parliamentary democracy President: Aníbal Cavaco Silva Prime Minister: José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa GDP: US$144.8 billion GDP per head: US$14,600 Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents Annual growth: 4.2% Inflation: 2.4% Major industries: Textiles, footwear, wood products, metalworking, oil refining, chemicals, fish canning, wine, tourism and agriculture Major trading partners: EU (esp. Spain, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands & the UK), US Member of EU: Yes Euro zone participant: yes

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Portuguese Cities

The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History. Radiant skies brighten the monumental city, with its typical tile covered building façades and narrow Medieval streets, where one can hear the fado being played and sung at night. But Lisbon is also the stage for popular festivities, the place for exquisite shopping, exciting nightlife, and interesting museums, a place from where motorways branch off in different directions. Nearby, Sintra's lush wooded heights and verdant charms invite one to take a ride on a horse-pulled carriage, and gaze at the marvellous manor-houses, located within the grounds of century old farms, as one drives up to Pena Palace, a fabulous example of Romantic architecture, that keeps the atmosphere of a royal residence. Spreading out along the right bank of the Tagus, its downtown, the Baixa, is located in the 18th-century area around Rossio. East of the arcaded Praça do Comércio, are the medieval quarters of Alfama and Mouraria, crowned by the magnificent St. George's Castle. To the west lie Bairro Alto and Madragoa, with their typical streets, and on the western extreme is Belém, with its Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery and the Cultural Centre of Belém. Introduction to Lisbon Coast Boasting springtime temperatures during the winter and cool summers freshened by a breeze blowing in from the Atlantic, Costa de Lisboa, on the south-western coast, offers a rich and impressively integrated diversity. The Costa de Lisboa extends along the coastline, starting north of Lisbon at the beach town of Ericiera The area extends east inland to just above the town of Vila Franca de Xira, and afterwards cuts southwards including the town of Palmela. Continuing south it takes in Alcácer do Sal and Grândola before going west and joining up with the coast on the sandy beach of Porto Covo. More than 40% of the country’s population live within this area, and within Lisbon and the Rio Tagus valley the density is above double that of the national average. The core of this area can also be divided into four sub-regions. The city of Lisbon itself on the northern bank of Rio Tejo, the area directly to the south of the Rio Tejo, the west coast and the lower Tejo basin. Manufacturing is mainly concentrated on metallurgy, general engineering, foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, chemicals and paper. Nearly 50% of the national catch of fish is still made 4

from this part of the coast. Setúbal that is connected by two motorways to Lisbon, acts as a dormitory town and also supports an active fishing industry. Wine, fruit and horticultural products are also of importance. The region is rich in subsoil that has never been fully developed, the main products being marble, granite and schist. Topographically the countryside varies considerably, from the open rolling plains to the mountain ranges of the Serra da Arrabida and the Serra de Sintra, the first to the south, and the latter being just west of Lisbon. There are two ecologically protected areas near Lisbon, Reserva Natural do Estuário do Tejo and Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado. Below the coastal small town of Sines the long strip of coast is also considered as a protected non-development area.

The official name of this city is Porto. However, in recent times there has been popularity for people from other parts to refer to it as Oporto. This is due to its close and lengthy association with Port wine and the reference to the product, "o porto". The history of this now great city had humble beginnings. In the area where the river ran through, a village existed called Cale in the 5th century. Later it was referred as Portus Cale and Portucale, the origin of the county’s name. The Moors who later occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula, in the early 8th century destroyed whatever previously existed of this location. It was later taken in the name of the Christian army in 982 and came under the power of Count Henry de Burgundy who ordered a Cathedral to be built. He also introduced a law that stated no nobleman or powerful person could own property or remain within the walls for more than three days. This law was only repealed in 1505. In 1120 the then Queen, Dona Teresa, donated the place of little more than a collection of houses surrounded by a wall to the Bishop Dom Hugo. It was the efforts of the town’s Bishop in 1147 that convinced the English, Flemish and German crusaders to sail on to Lisbon to assist Dom Afonso Henriques liberate the town from the Moors. In 1237 the Dominicans established a Monastery for their Order. The place only expanded during the Period of the Discoveries when Portugal became the world’s nation in trade and needing good homeports for its ships and cargo. The populace of the town was many times shown independence to domination and taxation. In 1209 the Bishop upset the people to the extent that he remained besieged in his Palace for five months. The Inquisition enjoyed limited power lasting only four years. In 1628 the women staged a revolt against a new tax introduced on linen and woollen goods. In 1757 the inhabitants revolted with many casualties against the wine monopoly imposed by Marquês de Pombal. Radicals in favour of placing the autocrat Dom Miguel on the throne caused Porto to be besieged in 5

1832 for eighteen months before capitulating. There were more uprisings during the later half of the 19th century and in 1878 the first Republican representative in Portugal was elected. In the commercial and services point of view, Oporto has a lot of quantity and diversity. The economic development dragged the suburbs that register a big population growth. Oporto has 327.268 inhabitants in the city alone; 999.267 in the metropolitan area and 1,562.287 in the district area. The renovation of the center of Oporto began with the Republic, by the opening of the Avenida dos Aliados and the new Town House. Oporto tried to re-qualify for being a civic and financial centre. The democratic revolution brought the need of a more harmonious development and the approval of the First Urban Plan. The nomination of Oporto as World Heritage opened new perspectives for a renewal of the old part of town, the restructuring of regional circulation networks that ignore the north/northeastern part of the city. It is in the west side of town that the first Shopping Centers are built and where the central services of the Mail and Telecommunications are found. As a trading centre at the mouth of the Rio Douro Porto is the second largest city after Lisbon. The place has a number of distinctive atmospheres and this is very evident when comparing the various parts of the city. Porto lies on the north bank of the Rio Douro and is connected to the south bank by several bridges, one of which is the Dona Maria Pia Railway Bridge, built by Gustave Eiffel in 1886. It is recorded that the many pieces left over were used to both span the Rio Arade in the Algarve and build the lift Elevador da Santa Justa in Lisbon. Quarters: The quarter around the riverside known as the Ribeira is full of narrow twisting streets with houses once painted or tiled in colourful facades, and full of the bustling energy of working people during the day and the liveliness of busy "tascas" and restaurants at night. The district around the Cathedral is full of busy streets and monuments to past achievements, and streets lined with houses built like layers of a cake then crowded together with a maze of small alleys in-between. The Cordoaria quarter is for the students with steep streets and interesting shops. The civic centre of the city is in the Central e Baixa quarter with broad avenues lined with banks and outdoor cafés, and daily markets. 6

Last, the Boavista area is the arterial route in and out of the city past blocks of apartments and hotels.

Places to see: As would be expected of such an important city it is full of fascinating buildings. The imposing 12th century Cathedral contains many small-scale treasures from the past. Built in 1842 the inside of the Palácio da Bolsa is almost like being in an Arabian dream. The 14th century Igreja de São Francisco has an 18th century interior to amaze the traveller. Equally as amazing is the Igreja da Santa Clara whose opulent gilded interior has to be seen to be believed. The Feitoria Inglesa built in 1790, is a private club restricted to the traders in Port Wine and is only open to the public by invitation. Its interior is designed around a typical English townhouse with an impressive sweeping staircase. Among other points of interest is the Terreiro da Sé with an original Manueline pillory complete with hooks in the corners. The São Bento Railway Station containing tiled pictures by Jorge Colaço depicting early modes of transport and other interesting scenes. Museums also abound within and around Porto and these are the main ones. The Museu Soares dos Reis is named after Portugal’s a leading 19th century sculpturer. Besides his outstanding works, there is a collection of fine art and contemporary paintings together with historical items. The Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro is the former home of a very active Republican and contains his personal and variable collection. The Museu de Etnografia e História depicts the life and customs of the city and region from earliest days up to more recent times. The Museu Romântico was once the home of King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia and the upper floor has been turned into a romantic memory of its previous owner.

Faro is the administrative centre for the whole of the Algarve region with a population in excess of 40.000 thousand people. Much of the city is now composed of apartments and there are many attractive shops and a particularly artistic theatre. Faro is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17.000 hectares and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods. The beach is almost 7 km away from the city and is a long sandy spit reached by crossing a bridge not far from the International Airport.

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The city has both Arab and Roman ruins but most of the present attractive older buildings were constructed after the disastrous earthquake of 1755 and the earlier one of 1532. The Moors who occupied the town in the 8th century originally gave it the name of Ossónoba and developed it into a trading port until 1249, when they were defeated by the forces of Dom Afonso III. During the 500 years of Moorish occupation there were some Jewish inhabitants in Faro who were busily printing copies of the Old Testament. With the decline of the importance of the City of Silves this town took over the role of administration of the Algarve area. The Earl of Essex sacked the town in 1596 with his fellow crusaders on their journey to the Holy Land and the collection of books taken from the palace of the Bishop of Faro became part of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. Particularly attractive is the old part of the city surrounded still by the Roman walls. Inside a spacious open square that was once the site of the Roman Forum is a 13th century Cathedral that faces the 18th century Episcopal Palace. An interesting building is the neighbouring 16th century Convent that is now turned into the home of the city’s archaeological museum. The "golden" church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is claimed to be the best example of gold-leaf woodwork in southern Portugal. It also contains the macabre spectacle of a chapel lined with the bones from over 1.200 monks! Next to the small boat basin bordering the Praça de Dom Francisco Gomes is a small Naval Museum composed of scale model boats and galleons showing the maritime history of the coast.

Portuguese Government President Aníbal Cavaco Silva Cavaco Silva studied economics in the UK and the USA, and was a university teacher and research director in the Bank of Portugal. In 1978, with the return of constitutional government, he entered politics. He was Minister for financial affairs from 1980 to 1981, and prime minister and Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader from 1985 to 1995. Under his leadership Portugal joined the European Community in 1985 and the Western European Union in 1988. His first government fell in 1987, but an election later that year gave him Portugal's first absolute majority since the restoration of democracy. He was re-elected in 1991 but became an increasingly divisive figure. He stepped down as leader of the PSD before the 1995 elections, which the party lost to the Socialists. In 1996 he was defeated in the presidential election contest. In Portugal, the head of state holds no executive power, which lies with the government, but wields considerable influence. 8

Mr. Cavaco Silva's support can add vital momentum to the government's biting economic reform program. He faces three years of cohabitation with the centre-left Socialist government which was elected last year in a landslide.

Prime Minister José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa • • • • • • • • • • •

Born in Vilar de Maçada, Alijó, Vila Real district, in the 6th of September, 1957 Civil Engineer Post-Graduation Sanitary Engineering Member of Socialist Party since 1981 Member of the Socialist Party direction since 1991 Member of Parliament from 1987-1995 and since 2002 Member of Covilhã Municipal Council Minister of Environment and Territorial Planning in the XIV Government (1999-2002) Minister Assistant to the Prime Minister in the XIII Government (1997-1999) State Secretary Assistant to the Environment Minister in the XIII Government (19951997) Elected Socialist Party leader in September, 2004

José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (born in Vilar de Maçada, 6 September 1957) is a Portuguese politician, secretary-general of the Socialist Party and the current prime minister of Portugal, since March 12, 2005. José Sócrates is a civil engineer, with post-graduate studies in the area of sanitary engineering. He has been a member of the Socialist Party since 1981 and a member of parliament since 1987 In 1995, he entered government as secretary of state for Environment in the first government of António Guterres. Two years later, Sócrates became Minister for Youth and Sports and was one of the organizers of the EURO 2004 cup in Portugal. He became Minister for Environment in Guterres' second government in 1999. Following the elections of 2002 (won by Durão Barroso), Sócrates became a member of the opposition. After the resignation of Ferro Rodrigues as party leader in 2004, he won a bid for the post of secretary-general against Manuel Alegre and João Soares, winning the vote of nearly 80% of party members on 24 September 2004. The newspaper “O Independente” (founded by former PP leader Paulo Portas) implicated him in a scandal related to his time as Minister in the Guterres administration, claming that he allowed construction of a major shopping mall in a reserved natural area in exchange for funding for his party, which would constitute a crime under Portuguese law. The case is being investigated, but Portuguese police has denied the allegation that Sócrates is even considered a suspect. He is divorced, and has two children. After the landslide victory of his party in the 2005 Portuguese election, Sócrates was called on 24 February by president Jorge Sampaio to form a new government. Sócrates and his government took office in March 12, 2005.

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Portuguese Literature

Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) also used the pseudonyms Alberto Caeiro, Álvaro de Campos and Ricardo Reis. Most of his life Pessoa lived in a furnished room in Lisboa, where he died in obscurity. During his career as a writer Pessoa was virtually unknown and he published little of his vast body of work. He can easily be called the most celebrated Portuguese poet, who had a major role in the development of modernism in his country. Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa was born in Lisbon. His father, Joaquim de Seabra Pessoa, died of tuberculosis when Pessoa was young. Maria Madalena Nogueira Pessoa, his mother, married the Portuguese consul in Durban in South Africa, where the family lived from 1896. During these years Pessoa became fluent in English and developed an early love for such authors as William Shakespeare and John Milton. He also used English in his first collections of poems. Pessoa was educated in Cape Town. At the age of seventeen he returned to Lisbon to continue his studies at the university. When a student strike interrupted classes, he gave up his studies, and got an employment as a business correspondent. Pessoa earned a modest living as a commercial translator, and wrote to avant-garde reviews, especially to Orpheu, which was a forum for new aesthetic views. His praising articles of the saudosismo (nostalgia) movement provoked polemics because of their extravagant terms. Pessoa's first book, Antinous (1918) was followed by two other collection of poems, all written in English. It was not until 1933 when he published his first book, the slim, prize-winning Mensagem, in Portuguese. This did not attract attention. The bulk of Pessoa's work was published in literary magazines, especially in his own Athena. Under his own name, Pessoa wrote poems that are marked by their innovations of language, although he used traditional stanza and metrical patterns. The poetical technique for which Pessoa became especially noted is the use of heteronyms, or alternative literary personae, "characters" who actually "authored" some of his books. Much of his best work Pessoa attributed to his heteronyms, Campos, Reis, and Caeiro. • Álvaro Campos, an engineer, represents the ecstasy of experience in the spirit of Walt Whitman, and writes in free verse. • Ricardo Reis is an epicurean doctor with classical education; he writes in meters and stanzas that recall Horace. • Alberto Caeiro, a shepherd, is against all sentimentality, and writes in colloquial free verse. Each persona has a distinct philosophy of life. Pessoa even wrote literary discussions among them. Known above all as a poet, Pessoa also wrote short essays, several of which were briefly sketched or unfinished. His Livro do dessossogego (The Book of Disquiet), the "factless autobiography", written under the name Bernardo Soares, appeared for the first time in 10

1982, almost 50 years after the author's death. The Book of Disquiet is a collection of prose manuscripts, written in the style of an intimate diary. Pessoa died in 1935 in Lisbon. He had avoided social life and the literary world, but his poetry started gain wider audience from the 1940s in Portugal and later Brazil. Several of his collections were published posthumously and translated into Spanish, French, English, German, Swedish, Finnish, and other languages.

José SARAMAGO (geb. 1922) erhielt 1998 den Nobelpreis für Literatur für seine eigensinnig entwickelte, vielbödige Romankunst, die ihm einen hohen Rang verleiht. (Würdigung des Nobel-Komitees) SARAMAGO wurde 1922 in Azinhaga (Ribatejo) nördlich von Lissabon als Sohn einer Landarbeiterfamilie geboren. Als er drei Jahre alt war, übersiedelte die Familie nach Lissabon. Aus Geldmangel konnte SARAMAGO das Gymnasium nicht abschließen und wurde Maschinen-schlosser. In der Folge bildete er sich in autodidaktischen Studien weiter und arbeitete in Verlagen und für Zeitungen, bevor er 1976 freier Schriftsteller wurde. 1969 schloss er sich der damals verbotenen Kommunistischen Partei an und war in der Opposition gegen Salazar160 tätig. 1986 sprach sich SARAMAGO gegen den Beitritt Spaniens und Portugals zur EU aus. Seit 1990 ist er mit einer Spanierin verheiratet.

Als er 1991 das Buch Das Evangelium nach Jesus Christus veröffentlichte, wurde er von der Liste der Kandidaten für einen europäischen Literaturpreis gestrichen. Daraufhin zog er 1992 auf die zu Spanien gehörende Kanareninsel Lanzarote. Für SARAMAGO liegt die Tragödie nicht darin, dass die Menschen in Jesus Christus nicht den Erlöser erkannten, sondern dass dieser im Augenblick seines Todes erkennen musste, dass er hinters Licht geführt worden war. Dass die katholische Kirche mit dieser Haltung des Autors nicht einverstanden und darüber äußerst erzürnt war, ist nicht weiter verwunderlich.

José SARAMAGO

SARAMAGO verfasste Romane, Novellen, Dramen und Lyrik. Der Durchbruch gelang ihm mit den Romanen Levantado do chão (Hoffnung im Alentejo161, 1980) und Memorial do Convento (Das Memorial, 1982), deren großer Erfolg bei den Lesern ihm in der Folge auch die finanzielle Unabhängigkeit als Schriftsteller ermöglichte. In dem Roman Hoffnung im Alentejo zeichnet SARAMAGO die Geschichte der Landarbeiter; ihr entbehrungsreiches und eintöniges Leben ebenso wie ihr Aufbegehren gegen feudale Herrschaftsstrukturen, die sich über 500 Jahre hinweg kaum verändert haben. Die Besetzung der Latifundien durch Arbeiter nach der „Nelkenrevolution“162 von 1974 bildet den hoffnungsvollen Schlusspunkt, von nun an nicht mehr geknechtet, sondern tatsächlich „vom Boden erhoben“ (levantado do chão) zu sein. 160

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Der portugiesische Politiker António de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970) wurde 1932 Ministerpräsident und hatte dieses Amt bis 1968 inne. Mit der Verfassung von 1933 schuf er ein diktatorisches Regierungssystem. Er verweigerte zahlreichen portugiesischen Kolonien die Entlassung in die Unabhängigkeit. Der Alentejo ist eine weite Landschaft im Süden von Portugal.

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Die Geschichte des Alentejo wird veranschaulicht an der Chronik einer zufällig ausgewählten Familie, der Mau-Tempo. In den drei Generationen, von denen berichtet wird, tritt immer wieder das Merkmal blauer Augen auf. Diese verweisen auf die Vergewaltigung, die am Ursprung der Familiengeschichte steht: ein nordischer Großgrundbesitzer schwängert eine Magd, die am Brunnen Wasser holt. Um 1905 ziehen der trunksüchtige Schuster Domingos Mau-Tempo und dessen Frau Sara rastlos von Ort zu Ort. Während sich der Mann schließlich erhängt, kehrt Sara, die alle Schläge ihres Gatten erduldet und fünf Kinder zur Welt bringt, in das Heimatdorf Monte Lavre zurück, das den Hauptschauplatz der Romanhandlung bildet. Der Erstgeborene, João Mau-Tempo, muss bereits mit zehn Jahren hart arbeiten, um die Familie zu ernähren. Mit zwanzig flieht er mit Faustina, da deren Eltern gegen die Heirat sind. Verschiedene Regierungen können die Armut der Menschen kaum mildern. Sie bleiben den Landherren ausgeliefert, denen Kirche und Staat treu zur Seite stehen. Doch ab 1930 verschärft sich die Situation durch die Einführung von Landmaschinen, die Wirtschaftskrise und die KommunismusHetze. Die Landarbeiter organisieren erste Streiks, an denen sich auch João Mau-Tempo aktiv beteiligt. Er wird verhaftet, aber auf Intervention des Dorfpaters Agamedes wieder freigelassen. Sein Sohn António Mau-Tempo, der als Kind bei einem verrohten Landherren Schweine hütete, geht nach Frankreich, weil er dort Arbeit zu finden hofft. Eine seiner Schwestern, Gracinda, heiratet den Streikführer Manuel Espada und bringt eine blauäugige Tochter zur Welt. João Mau-Tempo kämpft für bessere Arbeitsbedingungen. Nach dem Verrat heimlicher Zusammenkünfte wird er als Kommunist deklariert, gefoltert und nach jahrelanger Haft wieder freigelassen. Die Opposition wird vom Salazar-Regime mit äußerster Härte bekämpft. João MauTempo stirbt früh gealtert wenige Jahre vor der „Nelkenrevolution“.

Die gesamte Familienchronik bildet nur ein Gerüst, um das sich vielfältige Episoden mit Querverweisen ranken. SARAMAGO hat seinen Roman zwei Opfern gewidmet, deren Sterben im Gefängnis und auf der Straße in die Handlung integriert ist.

Das Memorial ist ein Kloster, das der portugiesische König João V. zu bauen gelobt, wenn sich sein Wunsch nach einem Kind endlich erfüllt. Als ihm seine Frau, Maria Ana Josefa von Österreich, eine Tochter des Habsburgers Leopold I., endlich eine Tochter schenkt, erfüllt er dieses Gelübde. Die Bauzeit des Klosters in Mafra beträgt dreizehn Jahre. Viele Arbeiter, die den Bau unter schwierigsten Bedingungen errichten, sehnen sich nur danach, dieser Qual zu entfliehen. Unter ihnen ist auch der einhändige Soldat Baltasar, der mit der Seherin Blimunda zusammenlebt, und der mit dem ketzerischen Pater Lourenço eine phantastischen Flugapparat baut.

Der Titel des Romans O ano da morte de Ricardo Reis (Das Todesjahr des Ricardo Reis, 1984) verweist auf einen von Fernando PESSOA163 verwendeten Decknamen. Nach PESSOA studierte Ricardo Reis Medizin, emigrierte 1919 als Monarchist nach Brasilien und schrieb hauptsächlich kunstvolle, antikisierende Oden. SARAMAGO lässt nun diese Gestalt im Dezember 1935, also kurz nach dem Tod ihres Schöpfers, von Rio de Janeiro nach Lissabon zurückkehren. Damit schreibt O ano da morte de Ricardo Reis die Fiktion, mit der PESSOA sein Leben umgab, fort. Nach der Ankunft in seiner Heimatstadt bringt Ricardo Reis drei Monate in einem Hotelzimmer zu, flaniert müßig durch die Straßen und liest zerstreut die Zeitung, aus der er auch von dem Tod Fernando PESSOAs erfährt. Später mietet er sich eine Wohnung und vertritt zeitweise einen Arzt. Dieses monotone, weltabgeschiedene Leben wird kaum von zwei gleichzeitig geführten Frauenbeziehungen berührt: Ricardo lässt sich zögernd mit dem Zimmermädchen Lídia ein. Daneben verehrt er platonisch die Notarstochter Marcenda Sampaio, deren linker Arm gelähmt ist. Ricardo Reis ist überall dabei: auf einem Pilgerzug nach Fátima ebenso wie auf einer Massenveranstaltung für den neuen Diktator Salazar. Doch er beobachtet alles distanziert. Selbst der Beginn des Spanischen Bürgerkriegs und der Aufstieg Mussolinis und Hitlers können den Odendichter nicht aus der Ruhe bringen. Weit mehr beunruhigen ihn die Gespräche mit seinem verstorbenen Schöpfer PESSOA, der ihn nachts in seinem Zimmer erwartet. Er kritisiert die Dichtung, die eine absolute Ordnung poetisiert und ein (nationales) Schicksal verherrlicht. Stattdessen sollte man lieber Unordnung stiften. SARAMAGO stellt hier nicht nur das „Nationaldenkmal“ Fernando PESSOA in Frage, sondern auch Luís de CAMÕES164, mit dem Ricardo Reis ebenfalls debattiert.

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„Nelkenrevolution“: Am 25. April 1974 stürzte die seit längerer Zeit bestehende Oppositionsgruppe „Bewegung der Streitkräfte“ die Diktatur Portugals in einer weitgehend unblutigen Revolution. Der portugiesische Lyriker Fernando António Nogueira de Seabra PESSOA (1888-1935) gilt als bedeutendster Lyriker seiner Heimat im 20. Jh. Er schrieb auch unter den Pseudonymen Alberto Caeiro, Álvaro de Campos, Ricardo Reis und Bernardo Soares, die er als selbständige poetische Individuen verstand. Er bediente sich der lyrischen Ausdrucksmittel des Klassizismus, des Symbolismus und des Futurismus.

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Gegen Ende des Romans gewinnt der „blutleere“ Ricardo Reis unverhofft lebendigere Züge. Als Lídia ihm mitteilt, sie sei schwanger, beunruhigt ihn der Gedanke der Vaterschaft einerseits zutiefst, andererseits regt sich ein Gefühl menschlicher Anteilnahme, als er die Revolte der Marinesoldaten, an der sich Lídias Bruder Daniel beteiligt, zu seiner eigenen Sache macht. Über ihr Scheitern und den Tod des Bruders vergießt er Tränen, bevor er sich endgültig dazu entschließt, Fernando PESSOA ins Grab nachzufolgen. Seit seiner Ankunft im Hafen von Lissabon begleitet Ricardo Reis das Buch The God of the Labyrinth, das er auch mit sich nimmt, als er mit Fernando PESSOA endgültig das Grab aufsucht, um, der Welt ein Rätsel zu ersparen.

Dieses Buch verweist auf eine Erzählung von J. L. BORGES165, Examen de la obra de Herbert Quain (aus Ficciones), die ihrerseits den Roman SARAMAGOs spiegelt: Dort geht es um den Fall eines tot aufgefundenen Schachspielers, den der Detektiv falsch löst. Der Leser ist aufgefordert, nach der anderen Lösung zu suchen. Für O ano da morte de Ricardo Reis bedeutet dies, angesichts der Entscheidung von Ricardo Reis, in den Sarg hinabzusteigen, sich für eine aktive Haltung gegenüber dem geschichtlichen Augenblick zu entscheiden. Mit dieser Botschaft gelingt es SARAMAGO überzeugend, seine Leser aufzufordern, sich durch ein neues Geschichtsbewusstsein alternative Lebensperspektiven zu eröffnen. In dem Roman Das Steinerne Floß (1992) entwickelt SARAMAGO die Idee, dass sich die Iberische Halbinsel vom Kontinent löst und zwischen Afrika und Amerika auf dem Meer treibt. Er selbst empfindet seit seiner Übersiedlung nach Lanzarote diese Insel als sein „steinernes Floß“. Der Roman Die Stadt der Blinden (1996) berichtet von einem Autofahrer, der an einer Straßenkreuzung stehen bleiben muss, weil die Ampel auf Rot schaltet. Als er wieder weiterfahren will, ist er blind. Ein Mann führt ihn nach Hause, kehrt aber dann zu dem Auto, das inzwischen schon einen Stau ausgelöst hat, zurück und stiehlt es. Aber auch der Dieb erblindet bald. Der erste Blinde sucht einen Arzt auf und muss dort feststellen, dass er nicht der einzige ist, der das Augenlicht verloren hat. Auch der Arzt erblindet kurze Zeit später. Die Blinden werden schließlich von der Regierung in einem Irrenhaus interniert. Die Frau des Arztes, die ihn dorthin begleitet, erblindet nicht. Als sich die Regierung nicht mehr entsprechend um die Blinden kümmert, bleibt diesen nichts anderes übrig, als zur Selbsthilfe zu greifen. Sie gehen in die Stadt, plündern einen Supermarkt und kehren in ihre Wohnungen zurück. Am Ende siegt aber das Prinzip Hoffnung: Allen kehrt das Augenlicht zurück.

SARAMAGO zeigt hier, wie sich die Menschen durch den Verlust des Augenlichts an eine neue Lebenssituation gewöhnen müssen. Die Humanität verliert auf zwischenmenschlicher Ebene an Bedeutung. Solange die Menschen blind sind, herrscht das Recht des Stärkeren.

In dem Roman Alle Namen (1998) begab sich der Autor auf die Suche nach den Spuren seiner eigenen Familiengeschichte. Er hatte einen Bruder, Francisco, der mit vier Jahren an Diphtherie starb. Als er bei den Kirchen und Behörden Nachforschungen anstellte, erfuhr er, dass der Tod des Bruders nirgendwo verzeichnet war. Der Roman handelt von dem Schreibgehilfen José, der im Zentralarchiv seiner Stadt arbeitet. Lebende und Tote werden von ihm in Registern festgehalten. In seiner Freizeit sammelt er Zeitungsausschnitte über berühmte Persönlichkeiten, die er durch Angaben aus seinem Archiv ergänzt. Als er einmal versehentlich nach einer falschen Karte greift, findet er darauf die Daten einer 164

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Der portugiesische Dichter Luís de CAMÕES (1524/25-1580) war 1549-1551 Soldat in Afrika und ab 1558 Nachlassverwalter im indischen Macao. 1570 kehrte er nach Lissabon zurück. Sein bekanntestes Werk, Os Lusíadas (Die Lusiaden, 1572; nach Lusus, dem sagenhaften Stammvater der Portugiesen), gilt als portugiesisches Nationalepos. Es berichtet in 10 Gesängen von den Anfängen Portugals bis zu den Eroberungen des Seefahrers Vasco da Gama. CAMÕES hinterließ auch Theaterstücke, ca. 200 Sonette und über 100 „Redonillas“ (spansiche Strophenform in trochäischen Vierzeilern). Der argentinische Dichter Jorge Luis BORGES (1899-1986) begann als Lyriker (Lob des Schattens, 1969; Los Conjurados, 1985). Später schrieb er v.a. Essays (Das Eine und die Vielen, 1925) und Erzählungen (Fiktionen, 1944; Das Aleph, 1949; David Brodies Bericht, 1970; Das Sandbuch, 1975). Er entwickelte eine spezifische Form der phantastischen Kurzgeschichte.

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ganz gewöhnlichen Frau: 36 Jahre alt, geschieden. Sie ist weder berühmt noch bemerkenswert. Trotzdem möchte José mehr über sie erfahren. Der kleine Angestellte erwacht zum Leben und stürzt sich in immer gewagtere Abenteuer, die auch nach dem Tod der Frau weitergehen. Die Geschichte von der unbekannten Insel (1999) erzählt, getarnt als Märchen, von einem Trotzkopf, der frech genug ist, einem naseweisen König zu widersprechen und von ihm zu fordern, was seiner Meinung nach nur recht und billig ist: Glück für sich und nur für sich: Er möchte ein Boot haben, um sich auf die Suche nach der unbekannten Insel zu begeben. Obwohl der König der Meinung ist, dass es keine unbekannte Insel mehr gibt, bekommt der junge Mann das Boot – und die Reinigungsfrau nimmt er auch mit. Im Schein der untergehenden Sonne essen sie ihr karges Abendbrot. Dann legen sie sich schlafen. Der Roman Das Zentrum (2002) spielt in einem portugiesischen Dorf. Der alte Cipriano Algor betreibt dort mit seiner Tochter Marta eine kleine Töpferei. Seine Waren verkauft er an ein hypermodernes Einkaufszentrum in der Stadt. Eines Tages wird ihm mitgeteilt, dass Plastik besser sei als Ton und dass man künftig auf seine Dienste verzichten wird. Der Markt will es so. Doch der Markt hat seine Rechnung ohne Cipriano gemacht. Der weise Alte wehrt sich – unterstützt von der hübschen Witwe Isaura, seinem pfiffigen Schwiegersohn Marçal und einem ihm zugelaufenen Hund und lernt, dass es nie zu spät ist, zu Neuem aufzubrechen. Als unter dem Einkaufszentrum die Erde für eine neue Kühlanlage ausgehoben wird, entdeckt Cipriano eine Höhle und betritt eine wundersame Welt.

World Heritage Sites in Portugal

Inscribed: 1983 Brief description: Situated on one of the islands of the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steam ship, in the 19th century. Its 400 year old San Sebastian and San Juan Baptista fortifications are a unique example of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is being restored.

Inscribed: 1996 Brief description: The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides which overlook the mouth of the Douro river, forms an exceptional urban landscape with a thousand-year history. It continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be seen in its many and varied monuments -- from the Cathedral with its Roman choir, via the neo-Classical Stock Exchange to the typically Portuguese Manueline-style church of Santa Clara.

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Inscribed: 1983 Brief description: Standing at the entrance to Lisbon's harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites construction of which began in 1502 - exemplifies Portuguese art at its best, while the nearby Tower of Belem, built to commemorate Vasco de Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world. Commissioned by Manuel I, the tower of Belem was built as a fortress in the middle of the Tagus in 1515-21. Starting point for the navigators who set out to discover the trade routes, this Manueline gem became a symbol of Portugal's great era of expansion.

The real beauty of the tower lies in the decoration of the exterior. Adorned with rope carved in stone, it has openwork balconies, Moorish-style watchtowers and distinctive battlements in the shape of shields. The Gothic interior below the terrace, which served as a storeroom for arms and a prisons very austere, but the private quarters in the tower are worth visiting for the loggia and the panorama.

Hieronymus-Kloster Der Bau und seine nationale Bedeutung

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Das Hieronymuskloster ist außer einem Sakralen Bauwerk aus dem 16. Jh. auch ein sehr populärer nationaler Memorialbau. Mit Unterstützung der EU wurde das Kloster renoviert. Nun erstrahlt das einst dem Verfall preis gegebene Gebäude im vollen Glanz und erfreut sich größter Beliebtheit im Lande. Viele bedeutende Persönlichkeiten sind in der Kirche des Hieronymusklosters, der Santa Maria de Belem, bestattet. Angefangen mit König Manuel I. ist fast die gesamte Königsfamilie des Hauses Aviz des “Goldenen Zeitalters“ hier beigesetzt. Fünf Könige, sieben Königinnen und neunzehn Infanten haben in der Kirche ihre letzte Ruhestätte gefunden. Ihre Sarkophage gehören zu den Kostbarkeiten des Klosters. Neben diesen Regenten liegen auch ungekrönte Häupter wie Vasco da Gama, der Entdecker des Seeweges nach Indien, und Luis de Camoes (1524/5?/1580), der portugiesische Nationaldichter, hier begraben.

Portuguese Economy Crop yields and animal productivity are well below the EC average because of low agricultural investment, minimal mechanization, little use of fertilizers, and the fragmented land-tenure system. The main crops grown in Portugal are cereals (wheat, barley, corn [maize], and rice), potatoes, grapes (for wine), olives, and tomatoes. Portugal is the world's largest exporter of tomato paste and a leading exporter of wines. These exports help offset the cost of imported wheat and meat. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, engages 14 percent of the working population and accounts for 4% of the GDP. Chief crops and production figures for 2000 were vegetables such as tomatoes (2.3 million metric tons), fruit such as grapes and olives (1.4 million), root crops such as potatoes (1.3 million), and cereal grains such as maize and wheat (1.5 million). Portugal is one of the world’s leading producers of wine and olive oil. Livestock numbered 1.2 million cattle, 5.8 million sheep, 2.3 million pigs, and 35 million poultry. Portugal remains the least developed nation in Western Europe. Although the Portuguese economy grew by 5.3% annually from 1965 to 1980, the economic growth rate slowed to less than 1% during the 1980s; in the period 1990-1999 the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual average of 2.5%. The GDP in 1999 was $114 billion. Portugal is an upcoming capitalist economy. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but GDP per capita stands at just 75% of that of the leading EU economies. It has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998, joined with 10 other European countries in launching the euro on 1 January 1999, and began circulating its new currency, the euro, on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. The year 2000 was marked by moderation in growth, inflation, and unemployment. The government has failed to reign in a widening deficit and to advance structural reforms needed to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness. The government is working to reform the tax system, to modernize capital plant, and to increase the country's competitiveness in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth fell off slightly in 2001. Improvement in the education sector is critical to the long-run catch-up process, as a poor educational system has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. 16

Resources: • http://www.geographicguide.net/europe/portugal/map.htm • http://www.orf.at • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozone • http://whc.unesco.org • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/ • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An%C3%ADbal_Cavaco_Silva • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_S%C3%B3crates • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porto • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faro,_Portugal • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Pessoa • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Saramago Collected by: Caroline Hutter (AIIIa, 2002/03) Coaching, coordination and updating: Dr. Susanne Pratscher

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