Following a surge of public complaints on social media, Spanish and local authorities have corrected the use of Castilianised place names on official road signs and government websites. This incident has ignited a broader conversation about language rights and cultural identity in Catalonia.
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These incidents highlight a growing trend of digital activism, demonstrating how online campaigns can force swift official retractions. This trend is particularly evident in matters concerning the Catalan language. As a cornerstone of Catalan identity, the language holds co-official status in the region. Toponymy, the study of place names, is often a sensitive issue; many consider using original Catalan names vital for cultural preservation.
Road Signs and Websites Corrected
One of the most prominent cases began with a user on X (formerly Twitter) posting images of road signs displaying Catalan place names in their Spanish-language forms. The complaint quickly went viral, prompting a widespread public outcry. In response, the Spanish government announced it would begin replacing the affected signs to display the correct Catalan toponyms. This follows earlier controversies over language on major routes, where Junts decried the removal of Catalan from highway signs.
Shortly after, another social media user discovered that several pages on the official website of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council) listed neighbourhoods and streets with their Castilian names. Examples included “Pueblo Seco” instead of Poble-sec, “San Andrés” for Sant Andreu, and “Plaza de los Astilleros” for Plaça de les Drassanes.
Within hours, Barcelona’s Commissioner for the Social Use of Catalan addressed the issue, announcing immediate steps to rectify the “error.” The Commissioner emphasised the city council’s obligation to normalise the use of Catalan within its competencies.
Digital Activism: A Recurring Pattern
These events fit into a pattern commentators recently analysed. As a column in the Catalan news outlet VilaWeb noted, a predictable cycle has emerged: social media highlights an act perceived as ‘Catalanophobia’, the reaction snowballs, news outlets report it, and the resulting pressure forces an official correction or apology.
A third incident followed this same trajectory. Language advocacy group Plataforma per la Llengua flagged text in an exhibition by the Catalan International Institute for Peace. They argued it equated learning Catalan with xenophobic attacks. Following an online backlash, the institute removed the text and issued an apology, affirming its “commitment to the right to live life in Catalan.”
The VilaWeb commentator suggests this demonstrates a shift in public attitude. “The patience has run out,” the author writes, arguing that Catalan speakers are increasingly using the internet as a tool for collective action. “Left exposed by the institutions, the instinct for survival forces us into an individual activism that suddenly becomes collective online.”
Proactive Policy, Not Just Reaction
While language activists welcome the rapid corrections, some critics argue they reveal a deeper problem: institutions adopt a reactive approach rather than a proactive strategy to protect and promote the language. Without systemic changes and consequences for such lapses, these incidents will likely continue.
Critics feel these grassroots victories, while significant, are akin to “emptying the sea with a teaspoon,” as the VilaWeb columnist put it. They suggest the underlying issue is that anti-Catalan discourse can still pass through official administrative filters and even receive public funding until a public outcry forces a reversal.
Recurring controversies over place names, whether on street signs or public buildings like the recent Besòs library renaming plan, underscore the ongoing tensions surrounding language politics in Barcelona and beyond. For now, social media proves a powerful, if unpredictable, watchdog for citizens invested in preserving the region’s linguistic heritage. This also reflects a decline in traditional Catalan names like Josep.
