The exhibition “Refugees: The other side of the Civil War in Manresa” is part of the Memòria en Xarxa proposal promoted by the Xarxa de Museus Locals of the Barcelona Provincial Council and which presents 19 exhibitions in different places from March to December 2024 and a virtual exhibition that brings them all together.
This exhibition spread across the territory is another contribution to the recovery of historical memory that aims to highlight the importance of museums as depositories of a historical legacy that is common to us. This year, under the motto “And you? What have you done for victory?” each museum disseminates information about the efforts of the rear guard during the 1936-39 conflict based on pieces from their collections and the municipal archives.
The outbreak of war marked the beginning of an increasing migratory flow towards Catalonia from the territories occupied by the revolted army, this situation involved an enormous logistical and solidarity effort that contributed to avoid the collapse of the Republican rearguard. In this context, Manresa welcomed 3,000 people fleeing the fascist troops and provided them with humanitarian assistance. They were mostly women, children and the elderly who were fleeing from terror. The exhibition presents a poster from the Civil War that the artist from Manresa Anselm Corrons made for the Llar de l’Infant in 1936 and highlights not only the situation of refugees in our country during the Civil War but also offers a current view of the conflict based on different artistic pieces that invite reflection.
The exhibition is complemented by showcases displaying documentation from the Bages Regional Archive, related to the refugees hosted in Manresa. Like ration cards, refugee reception cards, news, among others. It is worth noting that as part of the exhibition, the files of the refugees who received medical attention at the Hospital de Sant Andreu de Manresa are displayed for the first time, a sample of the care provided by the assistance services to the population refugee. The exhibition has been prepared with the collaboration of the Associació Memòria i Història de Manresa.
