UB commemorates the Tercentenary with the edition of Ferran Soldevilaʼs book ʻBarcelona sense Universitat i la restauració de la Universitat de Barcelona (1714-1837)ʼ
During the Spanish Civil War, the historian Ferran Soldevila wrote Barcelona sense Universitat i la restauració de la Universitat de Barcelona (1714-1837),a work in which he analyses the elimination of the University of Barcelona after the War of the Spanish Succession and its re-establishment ¡more than one hundred years later. However, the arrival of Francoʼs troops to Barcelona did not allow publishing the book in normal conditions. Now, Publicacions i Edicions de la UB publishes a facsimile edition of the book. Its presentation started the events planned to commemorate the Tercentenary at the University of Barcelona. The presentation, chaired by the rector Dídac Ramírez, took place yesterday, 20 May, at the Aula Magna of the Historic Building. The event included a round table talk with historians Jordi Casassas and Enric Pujol (authors of the prologue and the introduction), Francisco Gracia, professor of Prehistory and co-author of the book La Universitat de Barcelona. Història dels ensenyaments (1450-2010), and Joaquim Prats, professor of Teacher Training in Social Sciences and author of La Universidad de Cervera en el siglo XVIII. The discussion was moderated by Toni Soler, curator of the events of Tricentenari BCN.
During the Spanish Civil War, the historian Ferran Soldevila wrote Barcelona sense Universitat i la restauració de la Universitat de Barcelona (1714-1837),a work in which he analyses the elimination of the University of Barcelona after the War of the Spanish Succession and its re-establishment ¡more than one hundred years later. However, the arrival of Francoʼs troops to Barcelona did not allow publishing the book in normal conditions. Now, Publicacions i Edicions de la UB publishes a facsimile edition of the book. Its presentation started the events planned to commemorate the Tercentenary at the University of Barcelona. The presentation, chaired by the rector Dídac Ramírez, took place yesterday, 20 May, at the Aula Magna of the Historic Building. The event included a round table talk with historians Jordi Casassas and Enric Pujol (authors of the prologue and the introduction), Francisco Gracia, professor of Prehistory and co-author of the book La Universitat de Barcelona. Història dels ensenyaments (1450-2010), and Joaquim Prats, professor of Teacher Training in Social Sciences and author of La Universidad de Cervera en el siglo XVIII. The discussion was moderated by Toni Soler, curator of the events of Tricentenari BCN.
The round table talk, entitled “Universitat, ciutat, país: 1714-1938-2014”, coincided with an exhibition at the Historic Building organised by the Learning and Research Resources Centre (CRAI). The exhibition showed some books and graphic documents about Soldevillaʼs work which are part of the bibliographic collection of the Pavelló de la República, the faculties of Philosophy, Geography and History, and the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Materials exhibited included some manuscripts and printed works with references to the War of Spanish Succession, the siege of Barcelona, the papal bull of the University erection and the first edition, nearly clandestine, of Ferran Soldevilaʼs book.
The presentation of Soldevillaʼs book was the first activity of a series planned by UB to commemorate the Tercentenary. The Office of the Vice-Rector for Students and Language Policy organises the exhibition “Obrint portes: la llengua catalana a la UB” and the Office of the Commissioner for Multilingualism organises a series of round table talks on issues such as the Catalan language and the University or language policy. Moreover, the Language Exchange Programme offers the activity Ruta 1714, and the Language Services and Publicacions i Edicions of UB are preparing a leaflet on 1714 period within the history of the University. Besides, CRAI organises a virtual exhibition. Furthermore, in the last term of the year, the Office of the Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations and Culture will place some panels at the Historic Building to give information about the University of Cervera, 1714 and the War of the Spanish Succession, and the reestablishment of the University in Barcelona. The information provided by panels will be collected and published. A concert of baroque music completes the programme of activities.
On the prologue of 1938ʼs Soldevila work, the rector of UB Pere Bosch i Gimpera makes a parallelism between the period of time analysed on the book (1714 and the repression that took place later) and the moment in which the book was written (the Spanish Civil War): “The University, banished from Barcelona [...], is born again in 1837. Our building, seriously damaged by bombs on 18 March, is nearly out of use, but the University remains intact on its spirit and paintings. One fortunate day, teachers and students will come back to fight as they did it in 1714 for the liberties of Catalonia and Spanish people; they will resume their task with enthusiasm”. In fact, in 1937, the book wanted to commemorate the centenary of the University restoration in Barcelona —dated at 1837—, after the period it was set up in Cervera. However, Soldevilaʼs work and the prologue by Bosch i Gimpera were nearly forgotten after the Civil War. Enric Pujol explains on the introduction of the present edition that in the 1950s the work was distributed “clandestinely” but the edition did not include the prologue by Bosch i Gimpera as it made many references to the Civil War. Despite these problems, it is a solid book from a historiographical point of view, so several historians used it on 18th and 19th centuries, for example Ernest Lluch or the educator Alexandre Galí.
On his work, Soldevila documents the role played by the University during the War of the Spanish Succession and the universityʼs commitment to the fight of Charles VI, Archduke of Austria, particularly during the final siege of the city, in which students and teachers joined citizen militias of La Coronela. Soldevila also makes a describes briefly the history of the University of Cervera, created by Felipe V after having abolished the rest of university centres in Catalonia. Pujol affirms that Soldevila does not give a simple vision of Cervera, on the contrary “he praises it”. Soldevila also wonders what had happened if the University had remained in Barcelona and affirms that “Cerveraʼs excellences had also happened and even be greater in Barcelona”. On his work, Soldevilla analyses the studies that remained in Barcelona in the 18th century (for instance, the Faculty of Medicine or the schools of the Junta de Comerç). Moreover, he analyses the attempts to restore the University of Barcelona which began at the end of the 18th century. Jordi Casassas affirms that, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the book was written, “its historiographical rigor and quality are surprising”. Casassas considers that the book illustrates “against alarmist views, how the University has had, and continues having, enough strength to survive the most terrible predicaments”.