“Universities, beacons of hope under the bombs”

The latest edition of Remembrance Day, held on 26 January at the Paranymph Hall of the Historic Building of the University of Barcelona, gave a voice to representatives from universities in Bosnia, Ukraine, and Palestine, which are currently under bombardment. The event, titled "The University Under the Bombs", began with the commemoration of a particularly harrowing episode: the fascist bombings of the University during the Spanish Civil War.

Emeritus Professor of the Faculty of Geography and History, Joan Villarroya, a specialist in the history of the bombings of Barcelona, gave a lecture in which he detailed data and personal stories from the fascist air raids. "Barcelona was bombed 190 times, making it the most heavily affected city in the Republican rear," he explained. He also described the bombings that the Historic Building suffered. The best-known occurred in March 1938, causing a devastating scene near the university headquarters, including Carrer de Balmes, as well as significant damage to the building itself. The last attack took place in December of the same year, striking the Arts Courtyard and the garden. To close his speech, Villarroya emphasized that it is essential to place the attacks on the University in the broader context of bombings across the city and the country, and he highlighted that, sadly, there are still universities today suffering from war and violence.

Teaching in Times of War

The session continued with a musical performance by the group Ovidi 4 and a roundtable discussion in which Jasna Bošnjović, from the University of Sarajevo, Maryna Martinenko, from the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine), and Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, shared their experiences and reflections. Elisenda Calvet, delegate of the rector for Faculty 18, served as moderator.

Jasna Bošnjović explained how the development of the university in Sarajevo was abruptly interrupted by the war and how the city, overwhelmed by terror, "was transformed into a ghetto." She emphasized how university activities continued under these conditions, with classes held in basements and the lives of professors and students constantly at risk. She concluded her talk by recalling that universities "are beacons of hope under the bombs."

Maryna Martinenko, from the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine), stated that bombings of universities are never "collateral" but "an act of aggression and barbarism." She emphasized that even today, damage and attacks continue, along with significant threats such as cyberattacks and power outages, making it nearly impossible to work. In this context, she explained that efforts are being made to address stress and burnout within the academic community and highlighted the importance of online learning.

Raji Sourani denounced the current situation in Palestine, where "the genocide continues." He reminded the audience that when a university is attacked, the very place where the values of the future are created is targeted. He explained that not only laboratories and buildings have been destroyed, but the attacks strike at the brightest minds. In short, he described it as a "massacre" of academia. "It is the denial of tomorrow," he summarized, though he concluded by noting that in Palestine, hope for the future is not lost.

The three speakers expressed their gratitude for the international cooperation and solidarity shown by the UB. During the roundtable, a video was also shown featuring images of the destruction endured by Gaza University, along with testimonies from Professor Mohammed H. Mushtaha and student Aya Mohamed Al Qudwa.

The event, hosted by journalist Neus Bonet, concluded with a speech by the Rector, Joan Guàrdia, who highlighted the importance of gatherings like this. "Memory is fragile; we tend to forget what troubles us," he stated. He continued with a reflection on the earlier discussions: "We live in very difficult times, but that is why our brothers and sisters from the universities of Sarajevo, Ukraine, and Palestine, and we at the UB, must remain steadfast in science and knowledge." "There is no tool more powerful than knowledge and our ability to share it," he stated.

On the occasion of the event, a photographic exhibition documenting the damage the Historic Building suffered during the Spanish Civil War can also be seen there. The exhibition creates a dialogue between past and present through historical images of the affected spaces alongside current photographs of the same locations, inviting reflection on the impact of war on university heritage and collective memory.

Remembrance Day, which each year focuses on a different theme, aims to highlight the historical memory of the UB as both an act of tribute and an opportunity for reflection and critical analysis of contemporary society.