Spanish society listening to major European languages: French and German in Spain between 1880 and 1930

The new Hispano-German cultural relations between 1880 and 1930 and the political situation that emerged led to Spain taking an interest in German culture and language, despite the fact that French continued to dominate practically all fields as a foreign language. This newfound interest took on various forms: a real Germanophilia took hold through a growing interest in German philosophy, philology, literature and music (the passion for Wagnerian operas); German schools were opened in Barcelona (1894), Madrid (1896) and Malaga (1898); German tutors were hired by bourgeois Madrid families, who until that time had been lovers of all things French. Here we focus on the particular case of the Institucion Libre de Ensenanza (Free Institute of Education), which was considerably influenced by the 'grand German culture'. However, none of this was to have any effect on the institutional school framework in which French was, practically speaking, still the only foreign language taught. And it was to remain so until the 1970s, when English was to take over.