Quotes
About Esperanto
I found Volapük very complicated and Esperanto very intuitive. So much so, that when I got my hands on the grammar, dictionary and articles six years ago, it took me no longer than two hours to fluently read it.
Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer
I recognize the utility of Esperanto for preserving the unity of Catholics throughout the world. Esperanto has a great future ahead.
Pope Pius X
Something special was lost in the tower of Babylon, but that form of free communication between peoples can be achieved once more through the use of Esperanto.
Jules Verne, French Sci-Fi writer
Esperanto... although I never had the courage to learn it, which can be excused due to my old age, I will keep recommending it to children, because it is one of the easiest things they could ever learn.
Gustave Eiffel, French engineer
The goal of Esperanto is to save time, energy, work, money and to speed up and simplify international relationships. I dare say Esperanto remains mandatory for peace and culture.
Rudolf Diesel, German engineer
In my opinion, Esperanto is a great gift to humanity and expresses the desire to have the fastest and most complete success.
Edward VII, British king
It is foolish not to learn Zamenhof's artistic language. I might not adopt all of the beliefs of the Esperanto movement, but I will at least learn it and dedicate some time to its study.
Paul Doumer, French politician
I am convinced that Esperanto, if it were to become popular and widespread, would the most delightful consequences for international relationships and for the effectiveness of international peace.
Louis Lumière, French inventor of cinematography
I am for the same calendar for the whole world, just like I am for the same currency for all peoples, and one auxiliary language such as Esperanto for all peoples.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Indian philosopher and politician
I foresee Esperanto’s place in the future of civilization as something similar to the use of Latin in the Middle Ages. As a world language it will become a tool for peace and unity among people.
Pope Pius XII
Esperanto is the current universal language.
Pope John XXIII
The intellectuals, all those who have foreign contacts, but most importantly the workers. May they all learn Esperanto!
Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia
It is likely that a neutral language would be more useful as means of communication among the diverse nations of the world. Esperanto is already one of the main candidates for that function.
Robert Francis Kennedy, American politician
I consider myself a soldier of Esperanto. It matters not whether you are great in numbers, your idea will win. It will win because it is just. Every nation has its own language, and humanity is no different: Esperanto.
Fidel Castro, prime minister of Cuba
Esperanto will generally be very useful to sportspeople for bringing them closer together and making friendships and sporting relationships easier.
Pelé, Brazilian football player
About Zamenhof
Having knighted Doctor Zamenhof as a Commander of the Order of Isabela the Catholic, I only offered a small tribute to the great merit of the creator of Esperanto. You can consider me not only a friend of Esperanto but also an Esperantist.
Alfonso XIII, Spanish king.
I know who Zamenhof is. The finest pieces of literature, those which truly transcend the merits of any one culture, and which really belong to all humanity as part of a corpus of universal literature; Esperantists are translating them into their international language. May it continue.
Maurice Genevoix, French writer
People still consider Esperanto to be merely a proposed tool for communication, but there is another side to Esperanto - the history, the ideals. Unfortunately these are mostly unknown. I find the story of Zamenhof’s life to be enchanting, and rightly so. Esperanto brings to life an great ideas and an inspirational energy. These ideas must be better disseminated. This side of Esperanto should become more prominent.
Umberto Eco, Italian semiotician