An extraordinary testimony of civilian resistance, forcibly silenced for decades during Franco’s dictatorship, the network of 1,322 underground air-raid shelters still lives under the streets of Barcelona. The model of Catalan shelters, a new and revolutionary way of civil protection built by local communities, was at the centre of the debate on the defence from air raids in the UK. It is not only a building technique but also a mirror of society.
Ana Sánchez is a journalist and photographer specialising in cultural communication and historical memory. She is currently responsible for managing the Catalan Film Academy and the International Documentary Film Festival of Barcelona, among other film projects. Ana has published reports in different media about air-raid shelters and places of memory.
Xavier Domènech is a lecturer in Contemporary History at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He has worked mainly on the periods of the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s dictatorship and the Spanish Transition to democracy, focusing his research on social movements, processes of political change and the shaping of popular cultures and memories.
This event is run with the collaboration of Instituto Cervantes and Ajuntament de Barcelona.
The seminar will take place both in-person and on-line. Select your method of attendance by clicking Register now (left or below).
