Abstract

Some current political notions of a ‘two-speed’ Europe find their roots in a long-existing narrative that divides Europe along different polarities, one of them being between North and South. This polarity is further complicated by an association of the South with the Oriental Other, creating a divide within Europe itself in an exercise of Eurocentrism within Europe's own borders. Delving into the way nineteenth-century English and Dutch literary historiography dealt with the literary legacy of early modern Spain – when it was at the zenith of its political and cultural power – reveals how a new organization of the leading literatures and cultures from the eighteenth century onwards excluded or downplayed Spain's role in Europe. However, the reason for this exclusion or downplaying within the English and Dutch discourse seems unrelated to the Oriental vision of Spain, as envisioned by Madame de Staël and others at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Keywords: Eurocentrism, Oriental Spain, Spanish Golden Age, nineteenth century, Dutch literary historiography, English literary historiography

On the one hand, it is a statement of the fact that Europe is moving along at two different speeds: at the speed of the Eurozone and at the speed of the rest of Europe. However there is already a ‘two-speed’ model within the Eurozone itself: there are more developed countries like Germany and the Netherlands and there are countries which are experiencing certain economic hardships – France, Spain, Italy and others.