The exhibition is the result of the collaboration agreement signed between the University of Barcelona and the Sabadell City Council, with the aim of hosting in the university facilities the travelling exhibition produced by the Sabadell History Museum in 2020, on the occasion of the centenary of the assassination of Francesc Layret (1880–1920). The exhibition has been organised by the Sabadell City Council and the Sabadell History Museum, with the collaboration of the Sabadell Historical Archive and the support of the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Government of Catalonia, coordinated by the UB Vice-Rector’s Office for Culture, Memory and Heritage.
The travelling version of the exhibition will be on display in the lobby of the Historic Building of the University of Barcelona from 10 to 26 February 2026.
Curated by historian Jordi Serrano, the exhibition offers an overview of the life and thought of lawyer Francesc Layret, who devoted his career to defending workers’ rights and building a Catalanist political force rooted in the working class. The exhibition places particular emphasis on his ideology—based on republicanism, Catalanism and labour activism—his work as a member of parliament for the Sabadell district, and, notably, the final thirty-six hours of his life.
The exhibition’s opening event will take place on 10 February 2026 at 18:30, in the main lobby of the Historic Building of the University of Barcelona. The event will be attended by the Rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia; the Councillor for Culture of the Sabadell City Council, Carles de la Rosa; the Director of the Sabadell History Museum, Joan Comasòlivas; and the exhibition’s curator, Jordi Serrano, among other guests.

FRANCESC LAYRET AND THE UB
Francesc Layret began his studies at the University of Barcelona in 1898, coinciding with the Spanish colonial disaster. This historical context triggered a profound political crisis in Spain and, particularly, in Catalonia, during which Layret began to emerge as a prominent voice within the student movement. It was in this university environment that he forged his political thinking and his republican commitment.
An exceptionally talented student, Layret graduated in Law and in Arts and Humanities from the University of Barcelona with an overall grade of Excellent, receiving distinctions such as Honours and the Extraordinary Prize in Law.