'Living, Coexisting and Surviving. International Brigades and Multilingualism' Exhibition
5 June 2026 – 30 March 2027 · 10:00
Castell de Montjuïc, el Poble-sec, Sants-Montjuïc
This exhibition is the result of research by historians Ramon Naya Ortega and Lourdes Prades Artigas from the Universitat de Barcelona into language learning and the fight against illiteracy among international volunteers who took part in the Spanish Civil War. It is an innovative study, both in its content and in the historiographical interpretation contributed by the curators. The exhibition shows how such a heterogeneous multilingual community was able to live, coexist and survive within such a short and intense period. Despite the diversity of languages and cultures, the volunteers shared a common denominator: a commitment to fighting for an ideal. This desire for unity led them to overcome language barriers. As they themselves said: “We speak different languages but the same tongue.” The exhibition has been constructed from archive sources, memoirs and contemporary newspapers, mainly produced by the brigaders themselves, both at the front and behind the lines. These materials constitute a highly valuable primary source for the study of multilingualism and allow deeper exploration of the educational, cultural and human dimensions of the International Brigades. The exhibition…
Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona · checked on 8 September 2026