Historians and organizations call for the Democratic Memorial to be a foundation
They argue that this would avoid situations of inactivity or partisan exchange.
The Democratic Memorial was founded in 2007 with the aim of preserving the democratic memory of Catalonia through tributes, exhibitions, activities, and research. Over the years, it has had periods of greater or lesser activity, but also stages in which it has been cleared of content, budget, and personnel. "It is not attached to either the Government or Parliament, to avoid situations of inactivity or partisan exchange as has been experienced at some periods in its history," they assert. The signatories of the manifesto lament that some individuals, entities, institutions, and political parties believe that talking about memory "is a thing of the past." They argue that talking about the right to memory, truth, and normal justice in a democratic society."
A mixed foundation
The foundation the signatories are calling for would involve participation from public administrations and civil society. They propose a governing council and statutes that would create a governing board made up of specialists, and a person, chosen through a public competition, would lead the project. They mention some examples of memorials run by foundations, such as the Berlin Wall Foundation, the Topography of Terror Foundation in Berlin, the Sachsenhausen Camp Memorial Foundation, and the Memory and Human Rights Foundation of Chile. "We thought it was important to make our voice heard, because we are architects of the democratic memorial and have participated in its evolution," says Carles Vallejo, president of the Catalan Association of Former Political Prisoners of the Franco Regime.
The signatories include organizations such as Amical Mauthausen, Ateneo Memoria Popular, EUROM European Observatory on Memories, Cipriano Garcia Foundation - CCOO, and Irídia. Historians such as Xavier Domènech, Maria Campillo, Martí Marín Corbera, Andrés Mayayo, Conxita Mir and Ricard Vinyes also appear. By the end of 2023The Democratic Memorial announced it was abandoning its headquarters on Peu de la Creu Street in Barcelona and moving to new premises on Ciutat Street. There is currently no timetable for opening this new headquarters, and the staff is based in the offices of the Department of Justice.
