The exhibition ‘A canary in history, a president in Camprodon’
The president of the government of the Second Spanish Republic, Juan Negrín, visited Camprodon (Ripollès) in the winter of 1938 in 1939, at the end of the Civil War. His time in this town has been the subject of exhaustive research that has given rise to the exhibition ‘A canari in history, a president in Camprodon’. This exhibition, which can be visited starting this Saturday at the Cal Marquès cultural space, vindicates the strategic role that Camprodon played for the republican government at that historical moment.
Unpublished details about Negrín’s visit to Camprodon
The research carried out by Lluís Bassaganya, author of the exhibition and manager of Cal Marquès, reveals unpublished details about Negrín’s visit to Camprodon. Contrary to what was believed, Negrín did not come to Camprodon to hide his family, but to carry out his job as president of the government. It has been discovered that a Council of Ministers was held in Camprodon on November 2, 1938, which demonstrates the strategic importance of this town for the republican government.
The collaboration of the Juan Negrín Foundation
The investigation has had the collaboration of the Juan Negrín de las Canarias Foundation, which looks after the president’s legacy. The exhibition is based on discovered documentation that shows that Negrín settled in Camprodon due to the constant bombings in Barcelona. The hypothesis is that Camprodon offered a safer environment closer to the French border, which would make it easier to escape from it if necessary.
Anecdotes and found objects
The investigation has also revealed interesting anecdotes, such as the request for materials to renovate the house where Negrín lived in Camprodon. In addition, a shell of an anti-aircraft cannon used against Franco’s aviation has been found on the old lands of the town. These objects, along with one of Negrín’s Republican Guard pistols, are part of the exhibition.
