From the Born Cultural Center in 2013, inaugurated by Mayor Trias, the old central market of Barcelona became the Center for Culture and Memory with Mayor Colau. Now, with Jaume Collboni at the head of the municipal government, the orientation of this emblematic space changes again. The new name will not be known until September, but the Barcelona Councilor for Culture, Xavier Marcé, trusts that, with the new approach, the definitive use of this space will be drawn.
From the outset, the Born is integrated into the network of facilities of the Museum of History of Barcelona (Muhba), “to explain the modern and contemporary history of the city,” declares Marcé. Joan Roca i Albert, who has directed the museum’s teams, assures: “I don’t know what homeopathy in medicine is about, but in culture I do: all things have to be done with great respect, in a careful and participatory process.”
For Roca, this remodeling is based on an idea: “Explain the history of Barcelona, ??Catalonia and Europe, with the good moments and the catastrophic moments.” And that is why he makes some notes, such as liberal revolutions, colonialism, the labor movement, urban planning or industrialization: “Many cities tried to make their industrial revolution and did not succeed; Barcelona, ??yes.”
“El Born does not change the story, but rather zooms in and expands the references,” continues Roca. “We want to explain how Europe went from the Middle Ages to modernity with hair and marks.” And he adds: “El Born is European, it is Catalan, it is Barcelona, ??it is a project that can make us great.”
The new route will begin on the right and, from room to room, will address: 1. Europe cities, 1500-2000, the evolution of cities during the last five hundred years; 2. Barcelona 1700, the union city, when the Catalan capital experienced the commercial explosion; 3. The Ribera neighborhood in 1714, with the descent to the ruins of the siege of Barcelona in the War of Succession; 4. Ciutadella i Mercat del Born: un nou center urbà, 1871, returning to the street level, to discover the urbanization of this part of the city, and 5. Barcelona 1900, the manufacturing city, which is approaching industrialization, thanks especially to the textile sector. The space is completed with a school museum, which will have a playroom for children to play with elements from that historical period, and the Àgora Born assembly hall.
Marcé insists: “The memory programs will continue to exist, we have not reduced any budget. There is no municipal will to end memory policies, but rather to give them these new objectives. We hope to be able to hold an official opening for Santa Eulàlia next year.” The project has a budget of 1.7 million over three years. And he concludes: “There is good consensus around this transformation.”
Catalan version, here