Boulogne Declaration

In the opening session of the first World Congress of Esperanto in Boulogne-sur-Mer on the 7th of August, 1905, Zamenhof read his declaration, the text of which was changed slightly by the committee. It was presented by Boirac to the congress participants in the fourth session in its definitive form and was accepted by the congress. The declaration became a kind of "Creed" for Esperantists. Here is the complete text:

Declaration of Esperantism

Accepted in the First Universal Congress of Esperanto, Boulogne-sur-Mer 1905.

Whereas many people have a false notion regarding the essence of 'Esperantism' [the Esperanto movement], we the undersigned, representatives of Esperantism in many countries of the world, assembled at the International Esperantist Congress in Boulogne-sur-Mer felt for that reason that it was necessary to make known the following clarification, according to the proposal of the author of the language Esperanto:

1. Esperantism is the endeavour to spread throughout the entire world the use of this neutral, human language which, "not intruding upon the personal life of peoples and in no way aiming to replace existing national languages", would give to people of different nations the ability to understand each other, and would be able to serve as a conciliatory language of public institutions in those lands where different peoples fight amongst each other over language issues, and in which could be published those works that have an equal interest for all peoples. All other ideals or hopes tied with Esperantism by any Esperantist is his or her purely private affair, for which Esperantism is not responsible.

2. Whereas in the present time there is no researcher in the whole world who already doubts that an International Language can only be artificial [designed], and whereas out of all the numerous efforts made in the last centuries all researchers presented only theoretical projects, and only one language appears effectively complete, thoroughly tested and perfectly viable and most suitable in all relations, Esperanto: for this reason the friends of the idea of the International Language, acknowledging that theoretical controversy leads to nothing and that the aim [of an international language] can be attained only by practical work, have for a long time rallied around the language Esperanto and continually work towards its dissemination and for the enriching of its literature.

3. Whereas the author of the language Esperanto at the very beginning has declined once and for all personal rights and privileges related to this language, for that reason Esperanto is "no one's property", neither in material matters nor in moral matters. The primary master of this language is the whole world, and everyone so desiring can publish in or about this language any work which he or she wishes and can use the language for any possible purposes; the spiritual masters of the language shall be those persons who in the world shall be acknowledged to the most talented writers in this language.

4. Esperanto has no lawgiving authority and is dependent on no particular person. All opinions and works of the creator of Esperanto have, similar to the opinions and works of every other esperantist, an absolutely private quality and one not obligatory [to others] in any way. The only single, perpetually obligatory foundation of the language Esperanto for all Esperantists is the work, "Fundamento de Esperanto"**, to which no one has the right to make changes. If someone deviates from the rules and models from the above-mentioned work, he or she cannot ever excuse himself/herself with the words: "so desires or advised the author of Esperanto". Every idea that cannot be conveniently expressed by the contents of the Fundamento de Esperanto, all Esperantists can express in a manner which they deem the most correct, as is done in any other language. But for reasons of unity all Esperantists are recommended to imitate, as much as possible, that style which is found in the works of the creator of Esperanto, who has worked more that any other for and in Esperanto and who knows its spirit better that any other.

5. An Esperantist is a person who knows and uses the language Esperanto with complete exactness, for whatever aim he uses it for. Membership in an active Esperantist social circle or organisation is recommended for all Esperantists, but is not obligatory.