Professor Eva-Maria von Kemnitz began her academic production with a master’s thesis in Oriental Philology on “Luso-Arab culture”, presented in 1976 at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Warsaw, in her homeland:
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“Tradycje kultury arabsko-muzulmanskiej w Portugalii” (Traditions of Arab-Muslim Culture in Portugal) (Master’s Thesis, University of Warsaw, 1976).
Before studying Oriental Philology, she attended, between 1967 and 1971, the Higher Course in Economic Sciences (Specialization in Foreign Trade), at the Higher School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw.
Whilst pursuing her master’s thesis she managed to obtain a scholarship for the two following years (1976–1978) from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, to pursue her research in Portugal. She turned her attention in particular to the Age of Discoveries, with the theme “Consequences of the Discoveries in Portuguese society in the 16th century”. Various circumstances intervened that only allowed her to publish her findings in 1986:
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“Contributo da marinharia islâmica para os Descobrimentos Portugueses” (Contribution of islamic seamanship to the Portuguese Discoveries), Al-Furqan, special issue (1986), 18–24. This work was presented at the colloquium organized by the Islamic Community of Lisbon.
1 Luso-Moroccan Relations
The most substantial part of Professor von Kemnitz’s academic research and production was on the topic of “Portuguese-Moroccan relations”.
Following her previous research on Arab culture and in particular a surge of interest in Arab Studies in Portugal at the end of the 18th century, Professor von Kemnitz began in 2002 her doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Her research was pursued with the Centre for African and Asian Studies where at that time one of the ongoing projects was on the general theme of “Colonial and Postcolonialism in the Lusophone World (16th–21st Centuries): Discourses and Strategies”, namely: “Orientalism and Relations between Portugal and North Africa (18th–20th Centuries)”.
She obtained a grant from the Foundation for Science and Technology. Her work was developed under the joint direction of Professor José Esteves Pereira (FCSH/UNL) and myself. The thesis was completed in 2006 and published a few years later by the Portuguese Diplomatic Institute:
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Portugal e o Magrebe (séculos XVIII/XIX): Pragmatismo, inovação e conhecimento nas relações diplomáticas (Portugal and the Magrheb (XVII–XIX centuries): Pragmatism, innovation and knowldge in diplomatic relations), Série D – Biblioteca Diplomática, nº 19 (Lisbon: Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros-Instituto Diplomático, 2010). (597 pp.)
This voluminous work was preceded and complemented by a set of articles published between 2002 and 2009, either within the scope of the Colloquiums of Military History organized in alternance by Portugal and Morocco – and consequently published in the respective Proceedings – and as conferences at the Academia de Marinha (Marine Academy), the Portuguese Navy’s cultural body.
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“As Instituições militares portuguesas nas relações com Marrocos nos séculos XVIII e XIX” (The Portuguese military institutions in the relations with Marroco in the XVIII and XIX centuries), in Actas do XII Colóquio de História Militar: Laços Histórico-Militares Luso-Magrebinos (Lisbon: Comissão Portuguesa de História Militar, 2002), 147–161.
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“Moroccan envoys in Portugal (17th–19th centuries)”, in Mağāz, Culture e Contacti nell’area del Mediterraneo: Il ruolo dell’Islam. Atti 21. Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants, Palermo, 2002, ed. Antonino Pellitteri (Palermo: Facoltà di lettere e filosofia dell’Università di Palermo, 2003), 179–190.
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A participação da Armada portuguesa nas relações com o Norte de África nos séculos XVIII e XIX (The participation of the Portuguese navy in the relations with North Africa in the XVIII and XIX centuries) (Lisbon: Academia de Marinha, 2004). (45 pp.)
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“L’Alliance luso-marocaine dans le contexte du conflit opposant l’Europe et Maghreb (XVIIIe–XIXe siècles),” in Aspects économiques de la défense à travers les grands conflits mondiaux (Actes du XXXe Congrès International d’Histoire Militaire – Rabat, 2004) (Rabat: Commission Marocaine d’Histoire Militaire, 2005), 473–484.
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“Duas missões portuguesas em Marrocos durante a Guerra Peninsular: Os relatórios do intérprete Fr. Manuel Rebelo da Silva (1770–1849)” (Two Portuguese missions to Morocco during the Peninsular War: The reports of interpreter Friar Manuel Rebelo da Silva (1170–1849)) versão francesa: “Deux missions portuguaises au Maroc pendant la Guerre Péninsulaire: Les rapports de l’interprète Frère Manuel Rebelo da Silva (1770–1849)”, in XIV Colóquio de História Militar: Comemorando 230 anos do Tratado luso-marroquino de 1774. Actas (Lisboa, Nov. 2004) / XIVème Colloque d’Histoire Militaire: Commémoration des 230 ans du Traité luso-marocain de 1774. Actes (Lisbonne, Nov. 2004) (Lisboa: Comissão Portuguesa de História Militar, 2005), vol. 1, 177–192 and 193–209.
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“Envoys, princesses, seamen and captives: The Muslim presence in Portugal in the 18th and 19th centuries,” in Lusotopie, 14/1 special edition, dossier Islam en Lusophonies, ed. N.C. Tiesler (2007), 105–113.
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“Marrocos e a diplomacia portuguesa no reinado de D. Carlos I: Entre a tradição e novos ventos” (Morocco and Portuguese diplomacy during the reign of King Charles I: Between tradition and new winds), in Actas do XVIII Colóquio de História Militar: Política diplomática, militar e social do Reinado de D. Carlos no Centenário da sua Morte (Lisboa: Comissão Portuguesa de História Militar, 2009), 803–811.
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“Le rôle des interprètes portugais dans la médiation diplomatique et culturelle entre le Portugal et le Maroc aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles,” in Le Maroc et les mutations internationales (Actes nº 22 – Actes du colloque organisé à Casablanca en hommage au professeur Othman Mansouri, 2008) (Casablanca: Université Hassan II Ain Chock, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, 2010), 85–95.
This series should have been concluded with an article destined for publication with The Journal of North African Studies, special issue Facets of exchange between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, 19/1 (2014), entitled “José Daniel Colaço (1831–1907): A synthesis of the Portuguese perception of Morocco”, which was not published.
2 Arab Studies in Portugal
The key figures who helped to develop Luso-Arab relations were the arabist Friars of the Third Order of Saint Francis at the service of the Ministry of the Navy, then responsible for a large part of Portugal’s diplomatic relations. They were led by Frei Manuel de Cenáculo, who launched the Portuguese Orientalist movement, with a special impact on arabsim, during the Pombaline Enlightenment period.
Stemming from Professor von Kemnitz’s research interest in Arab Studies, she published a series of articles, some which have already been previously mentioned, and others that follow in the list below. Some of these are a direct offshoot from research she carried out between 1976 and 1978.
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“XI Kongres Europejskiej Unii Arabistow i Islamologow – Évora, Faro i Silves 1982” (XI Congress of the European Union of Arabists and Islamologs – Évora, Faro and Silves 1982), Przeglad Orientalistyczny, 99 (1986), 79–95.
[A long essay about Islam and Arabism in the Iberian Peninsula: Actas do XI Congresso da Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants, ed. Adel Sidarus (Évora: Universidade de Évora, 1986).]
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“Estudos Árabes em Portugal: Um ensaio histórico-crítico” (Arab Studies in Portugal: A historical and critical essay), Boletim da Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa, Série 150 (Julho-Dez.) (1987), 19–37.
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“Les études arabes au Portugal”, Rocznik Orientalisyczny (Journal of Oriental Studies) 46 (1988), 79–95.
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“International contacts of the Portuguese Arabists (18th–19th cent.)”, in Authority, privacy and public order in Islam (Proceedings of the 22nd Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants, October 2006), ed. B. Michalak-Pikulska & A. Pikulski (Leuven: Peeters, 2006), 369–386.
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“Tavira, ponto de partida para o Mundo do Outro. Percurso de um tradutor arabista: Fr. José de Santo António Moura (1768–1840)” (Tavira, point of departure to the World of the Other. The path of an arabist translator: Friar José de Santo António Moura (1768–1849)) in Actas das V Jornadas de História de Tavira (Tavira, Câmara Municipal, 2006), 12–22.
“The Centenary of the Republic and the Republic of Letters: Arabic Studies in Portugal 1910–2010”, Rocznik Orientalisyczny (Journal of Oriental Studies) 64/1 (2011), 121–132 (Volume in Honour of Krystyna Sharżyńska-Bocheńska and Danuta Madeyska).
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“Arabic scholarship in Portugal in the second half of the 19th Century,” in Centre and Periphery within the borders of Islam (Proceedings of the 23rd Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants – Sassari, 2006), ed. G. Contu (Leuven: Peeters, 2012), 165–176.
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Editor, Volume Comemorativo do Primeiro Decénio do Instituto de Estudos Orientais 2001–2012 (Comemorative Volume of the First Decade of the Institute of Oriental Studies) (Lisboa: Universidade Católica Editora, 2012).
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“Em Portugal: O orientalismo em fragmentos”, in Portugal: Orientalism in Fragments, Revista de Estudios Internacionales Mediterráneos, 21, (2016), 13–25. (A file with the proceedings of the International Congress “Orientalismos Periféricos”, organised in that same year by Maria Cardeira da Silva, at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Nova University of Lisbon.)
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Editor, Estudos Orientais e Orientalismos em Portugal (Oriental Studies and Orientalisms in Portugal) (Lisboa: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 2018). (Volume of the proceedings of the homonymous colloquium “Oriental Studies and Orientalisms”, organised in 2014 by Eva Maria von Kemnitz in the Institute of Oriental Studies and the Centre for Communication and Culture Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, Catholic University of Portugal, 2014.)
In the same line of publications, she joined us to publish together all the documentation preserved on Portuguese soil relating to the topic of Arab Studies, which she presented at an international conference, before its publication:
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(with Adel Sidarus) “Christian Arabic manuscripts in Portugal and the contribution of Arab Christians to the beginning of Oriental Studies (turn of 18th to 19th centuries),” in Eastern Christianities: Scribes and Manuscripts (2nd International Congress of Eastern Christianity – Madrid, 2008), ed. J.P. Monferrer (Leuven: Peeters, 2011), 29–42.
She later expanded on the topic to include Brazil:
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“Quelques réflexions sur l’orientalisme au Portugal et au Brésil. Une vision comparative,” Al-Irfane, 1 (2015), 117–128.
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“Portugal and Brazil: Contrasting patterns in Arabic Scholarship,” in Arabic and Islamic Studies in Europe and beyond / Études arabes et islamiques en Europe et au-delà (Proceedings of the 26th Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants – Basel 2012), ed. M. Reinkowski & M. Winet (Leuven: Peeters, 2016), 37–59.
3 The Dictionary of Portuguese-Speaking Orientalists
In the pursuit of her research on Arab Studies in Portugal and Brazil, Professor von Kemnitz launched the bold project of a Dictionary of Portuguese-speaking Orientalists, within the framework of the Centre for Communication and Culture Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Portuguese Catholic University of Lisbon. Some articles are already available on the internet: <https://orientalistasdelinguaportuguesa.wordpress.com/>.
This project intends to rescue and preserve the memory of all those who contributed to the promotion of Oriental Studies in Portugal and to the dissemination of knowledge about the various Orients in the Lusophone space.
The Centre for Communication and Culture Studies set up a team of researchers that continue working on the Dictionary. Professors Artur Teodoro de Matos, Marília dos Santos Lopes, and João Teles e Cunha publicly presented the project and the team at the session in homage to Professor von Kemnitz, orientalist and former director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, that took place at the Catholic University of Portugal on 12 November 2018.
4 Other Dimensions of Luso-Arab Culture
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“Influência do árabe na língua portuguesa,” [The influence of arabic in the Portuguese language], Revista Internacional de Língua Portuguesa, 5–6 (1991), 34–44.
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“A presença árabe em Tavira: um caso de continuidade” [The arab presence in Tavira: a case of continuity] in Tavira do Neolítico ao século XX (II Jornadas de Tavira-Actas) (Tavira: Clube de Tavira, 1993), 109–118.
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“A construção de uma nova sociedade: O caso específico da minoria moura” (The building of a new society: The specific case of the Moorish minority) in 2º Congresso Histórico de Guimarães: Sociedade, Administração, Cultura e Igreja em Portugal do século XII. Guimarães, 1997. Actas (Guimarães: Câmara Municipal e Universidade do Minho, 1997), 80–91.
5 Islamic Art
In her first years in Portugal, Professor von Kemnitz was not able to immediately pursue the university career she sought in her field, encountering various difficulties, chief amongst them the recognition of her foreign university qualifications. Faced with these obstacles she pursued a postgraduate course for “Museum Curators”, 1989–1991 and an “Arts Management” course, 1991–1992 at the National Institute of Administration.
Within the scope of the first course, she prepared the following two studies:
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“Estudo monográfico referente ao Museu de Marinha” (Monographic study of the Marine Museum) (unpublished essay, 1990).
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“Os núcleos de património árabe-islâmico em Portugal considerados no contexto do desenvolvimento local, regional e nacional, no da reutilização do património museológico e no do turismo cultural” (The nuclei of arab-islamic heritage in Portugal considered in the context of local, regional and national developement, in the reutilisation of museulogical heritage and cultural tourism) (unpublished essay, 1990).
And her final course work:
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“Estudo-Proposta de exposição e divulgação da Colecção de Arte Islâmica da Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves” (Draft study to exhibit and publicise the Islamic Art Collection of the Casa Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves) (unpublished essay, 1991).
As part of the second course, she developed the following project:
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“Towards the enhancement of the knowledge of the Islamic heritage of Portugal” (unpublished essay, 1992).
Following numerous conferences and interventions in various forums on museology, heritage and Arab-Islamic museum collections in Portugal, the following works were published:
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“Portugal and the fashion of turqueries,” in Proceedings of the 14thInternational Congress of Turkish Art (Paris, Collège de France, 2011), ed. Fréderic Hitzel (Paris: Collège de France, 2013), 809–818.
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“The khamsa: A recurrent symbol in artistic tradition in the global Islamic context,” in Islam and Globalization: Historical and contemporary perspectives (Proceedings of the 25th Congress of l’Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants), ed. A. Cilardo (Leuven: Peeters, 2013), 581–607.
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“Dans le sillage des traditions ottomanes en Tunisie. La dernière Odalisque de Fayçal Bey”, in Mélanges en l’honneur du Professeur Alia Baccar Bournaz: Carthage au cœur de la Méditerranée. Littérature, civilisation, interculturalité, dirigée par M. Chagraoui (Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2015), 305–310.
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“Some remarks on the symbol of the hand in the Shiʿi context,” in Contacts and Interaction. Proceedings of the 27th Congress of the Union Européenne des Arabisants et Islamisants. Helsinki, 2014, ed. J. Hämeen-Anttila et al. (Lovaina, Peeters, 2017), 209–220.
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“Orientalismo estético de inspiração islâmica: O caso de « figuras de convite »” (Aesthetic orientalism of islamic inspiration: the case of the « figuras de convite ») in Estudos Orientais e Orientalismos em Portugal (Lisboa: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 2018), X–Y.
6 Other Works on Islam
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“Escrita árabe: A escrita da Mensagem divina” (Arabic script: The script of the Divine Message) in A escrita das escritas. Catálogo, ed. L.M. Araújo (Lisboa: Fundação Portuguesa das Telecomunicações & Estar Edições, 2000), 103–110 (volume referring to the exhibiton “A Escrita: Traços e Espaços”, Museu das Comunicações, Lisboa, outubro 2000 a março 2001).
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“Muslims as seen by the Portuguese press 1974–1999: Changes in the perception of Islam”, in Religious freedom and the neutrality of the State: The position of Islam in the European Union, ed. W.A.R. Shadid & P.S. Van Koningsveld (Leeuven: Peeters, 2002), 7–26.
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“Assia Djebar (1936–2015): Uma voz insubmissa da Argélia” (Assia Djebar (1936–2015): An unsubdued voice from Algeria) in Faces de Eva, 34 (2015), 19–33.
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“Muslims (un)like the others: The Ismaili in Portugal,” in Rocznik Orientalisyczny (Journal of Oriental Studies) 69/2 (2016), 105–120 (Volume in Honour of Ewa Machut-Mendecka).
7 The Polish in Portugal
Professor von Kemnitz also took an interest in the life and experiences of the Polish expatriate community in Portugal, having published the following works:
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“General José Carlos Conrado de Chelmicki 1814–1890,” Revista Militar, 2ª Época, Nº 2381/82 (Junho/Julho 2000), 525–543.
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“General Chelmicki: Engenheiro e estratega” (General Chelmicki: Engineer and strategist), in Actas do XVIII Colóquio “Portugal militar: Da Regeneração à Paz de Versalhes” (Lisboa: Comissão Portuguesa de História Militar, 2003), 87–97.
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“O Fado da minha vida: Maria Danielewicz Zielinska (1907–2003)” (The Fado (fate) of my life: Maria Danielewicz Zielinska), in Faces de Eva, 12 (2004), 171–178.
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“A Vision from the Other Bank: Maria Danielewicz Zielinska’s contribution to the history of the Polish-Portuguese cultural relations,” in Iberian and Slavonic Cultures: Contact and Comparison, ed. B.E. Cieszynska (Lisboa: CompaRes, 2007), 73–78.
She also wrote a dozen book reviews, plus two dozen articles published in Portuguese and foreign journals.
8 Final Note
We note that Professor von Kemnitz’s prolific and varied research had international reach. Her work is reflective of her roots in the Polish orientalist school, a flourishing school since its “nationalisation” in the wake of the country’s independence, of which she was a faithful heir. It was also shaped by the life she shared between her two countries, Portugal and Poland, between which she established cultural and scholarly ties. For these latter endeavours she was deservedly decorated by the President of the Polish Republic with the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland on the occasion to his visit to Portugal in 2012.
Adel Sidarus
Professor Emeritus, University of Évora
