Cultural artefacts have long been targeted by armies as a demonstration of their superiority, dominance and power. The Spanish Civil War and WW2 were no different. Collectors and curators were therefore anxious to protect their cultural heritage.
Josep is a 74-minute animated film inspired by the life and work of Josep Bartolí, anti-Franco fighter and cartoonist, exiled in France during the Retirada.
If he had not left behind him a few drawings of his horrific stay in the French concentration camps, Civil War refugee Josep Bartoli (1910-1995) would have remained just another anonymous fighter amongst thousands who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom. Visit the exhibition at the Memorial de Rivesaltes
Follow in the footsteps of the Retirada on this day out through Las Illas, La Vajol and along the Chemin de l’Exil.
An update of local news in the Pyrenees-Orientales
There were many unsung heros and heroines during WW2, such as Mary Elmes, Irish aid worker believed to have saved the lives of at least 200 Jewish children at various times during the Holocaust, by hiding them in the boot of her car.
Elisabeth Eidenbenz was the remarkable Swiss woman who created La Maternité Suisse in Elne as a refuge for expectant mothers exiled from Spain during La Retirada and World War II.
Perpignan was elected ‘Capital de la Sardana 2019’ and takes this honour very seriously.
Did you know that Canigou used to be called “Dogs Tooth Peak” based on its Latin root?
Visit this wonderful museum which was a beacon of hope for expectant mothers exiled during the Retirada.