The program includes debates, historical tours, a documentary screening, musical poetry, and heritage outreach activities to reflect on the recent past and its connection to current challenges. The aim is to delve into key episodes of the Civil War and the Franco regime in Lleida, recover experiences of repression victims, and analyze contemporary phenomena that challenge democratic values.
The Councilor for Civil Rights, Roberto Pino, highlighted that the Paeria works to recover, preserve, and disseminate democratic memory, offering tools to understand historical processes and promoting critical knowledge of the past. "It is a way to foster dialogue between generations based on the values of democracy, human rights, and a culture of peace," he stated.
The program kicks off today with the first Memory Debate, led by Doctor in Contemporary History, Arnau Fernández Pasalodos, titled 'Did your great-grandfather kill mine? How the trauma of rebel and Francoist violence remains present in 2026'. The session will analyze the persistence of wounds generated by the Civil War and its intergenerational consequences.
Throughout the semester, the Memory Debates will continue with three other sessions: on October 27th, Carme Colomina will discuss disinformation and hybrid threats; on November 18th, Ana Pardo de Vera will reflect on political and democratic challenges in 'Quo vadis, Espanya?'; and on December 11th, Alfredo González-Ruibal will present 'Del camp a la barraca: una arqueologia de l’Espanya franquista'. All sessions will be held in the Sala Alfred Perenya and are free to attend.
Another central focus is the discovery of the city's memory spaces. On October 4th, a tour will explore the sites related to the coup d'état of July 18, 1936, guided by historian Jaume Barrull Pelegrí. On October 19th, the focus will be on the Stolpersteine, memory elements for victims of Nazi concentration camps, with Josep Serra. On November 8th, historian Xavier Reñé will lead a route through areas affected by Civil War bombings. Finally, on December 1st, Josep Serra will guide the visit 'The Civil War in Lleida explained from the cemetery'.
The program also includes cultural offerings. On October 17th, the documentary 'Las mujeres de negro' will be screened at Cine Screenbox Lleida, addressing memory, resistance, and repression from a female perspective. On October 21st, the Cafè del Teatre will host an evening of Catalan post-war poetry, with poems set to music by Meritxell Gené and the participation of several reciters.
