Catalan History Museum

Cultural Activity

I loved the Catalan History Museum. It scored it’s first point when I didn’t have to pay an entrance fee because I’m a student. To me, it was already worth the bus trip. Secondly the building itself is a piece of history. It is located right in the port and had a great feeling to it. I know the building was previously used for something, but I can’t remember what! When they say “Catalan History” they really mean it. They had exhibits about the first man that walked on Catalan soil all the way to current day. I epically loved the ancient exhibits. It was incredible to see how smart people were with limited skills and tools. Some of the houses that early man lived in are better than some of the sketchy hostels I have stayed in! The museum discussed how Catalunya developed into the agricultural area it is now. There was a whole room showing how previous Catalans were able to harvest the land without any technology.

Another part of the museum that stuck out to me was the relatively modern part, beginning around 1900. This had a totally different vibe than the rest of the museum. There were “modern” inventions all over the place, with soothing blues music playing in the background. There was also an exhibit on the Spanish Civil War. Every time I hear about the Spanish Civil War I get emotional. One reason is that I never learned about it before in school. It was so crucial for Spain and what would happen to it in the future, and so many people died, but I never even heard of it. The Spanish Civil War was a war between the soon-t0-be dictator of Spain, Franco, and his troops with the Spanish who didn’t support him. It ended terribly with concentration camps and a 40 year reign with a fascist dictator that would forever define Spain. Yet I had no idea about it.

I went to this museum over Thanksgiving weekend. At that point it had been almost three months since I have lived in Spain. When I saw the pictures of the Spanish fighting against each other and the terrible things in the concentration camps, my heart went out to any and all Spaniards. It just felt like I was seeing my own families going to war to fight against something they didn’t believe in and loose. It didn’t sit well with me at all. But it did show me that I am very much connected with Spain and it’s inhabitants. This was my first of many true indications that I have been changed by my time in Spain.