Wilhelm von Humboldt «under the tree of Gernika». Constitutional discourse, literary anthropology and Enlightenment legacy in the time of the Consulate

The article presents a case study on Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) and his interpretation of the legacy of the Enlightenment. Drawing on key debates in constitutional theory, it focuses on reflections that Humboldt developed during a research journey to the Basque Country at the very beginning of the 19th century. There, Humboldt observed local institutions and traditions, from which he derived models of democratic representation markedly different from the constitutional framework promoted by Napoleon during the Consulate. Literary anthropology, fieldwork, and intellectual curiosity converge in a travelogue that serves as the primary source for this study. Through close reading and intertextual analysis, the article sets out to reassess Humboldt’s Basque experience in light of recent historiographical developments.