DIPLOCAT and EUROM hold the 1936-1939 program. Spanish War Memory, with a Georges Mink colloquium
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War, the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (DIPLOCAT) and the European Observatory on Memories of the Solidarity Foundation of the University of Barcelona (EUROM) organize a colloquium to talk about some key questions of a conflict that was a breakpoint in 20th century Europe. This is the first activity in the event program that will be carried out for the 80th anniversary of the conflict beginnings and which has the support from the Ministry of Transparency and Foreign and Institutional Affairs at the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government). The colloquium, taking place on Monday July 18 at 10 h at the Aula Capella in the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona, will touch on topics such as anti-fascism resistance, women militias defending the Republic and the role of the International Brigades in the Spanish conflict. There will be a short film about the failure of military rising in Barcelona and Catalonia.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War, the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (DIPLOCAT) and the European Observatory on Memories of the Solidarity Foundation of the University of Barcelona (EUROM) organize a colloquium to talk about some key questions of a conflict that was a breakpoint in 20th century Europe. This is the first activity in the event program that will be carried out for the 80th anniversary of the conflict beginnings and which has the support from the Ministry of Transparency and Foreign and Institutional Affairs at the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government). The colloquium, taking place on Monday July 18 at 10 h at the Aula Capella in the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona, will touch on topics such as anti-fascism resistance, women militias defending the Republic and the role of the International Brigades in the Spanish conflict. There will be a short film about the failure of military rising in Barcelona and Catalonia.
The welcoming conference will be carried out by Dídac Ramírez, Rector of the University of Barcelona, together with Albert Royo, General Secretary of DIPLOCAT, and the Minister of Transparency and International Affairs and Institutional Relations, Raül Romeva. Afterwards, Georges Mink, Professor of the College of Europe in Natolin and Research Director in the National Scientific Research Centre in France (CNRS) will give the opening conference.
After Minkʼs presentation, there will be a roundtable with experts to talk about the Spanish Civil War from different perspectives. José Luis Marín, Professor of Contemporary History at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, will talk about the anti-fascism resistance in Barcelona and Catalonia; Mary Nash, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Barcelona, will talk about the role of women militias defending the Republic, and Robert S. Coale, Professor of Spanish Studies at Rouen University (Normandy) and representative of Abraham Lincoln Brigades Archive in Europe, will analyse the role of the International Brigades in the Spanish conflict. The event will be closed by Jordi Guixé, Director of EUROM.
Victory over fascism
On July 19, 1936, facing the military rising against the Republic government, the Catalan order forces and anti-fascism militants reacted to answer against the situation in Barcelona. The previous coordination between the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Workers Unions, as well as loyalty to the Republic by Assault Guard and the Civil Guard, were key elements to make the coup dʼétat fail. The failure of the military rising in Barcelona spread in Catalonia and happened so fast that we could say the Catalan capital was the first one in winning over fascism in Europe, taking into account that the Spanish War was the precursor to the Second World War.