Museu d’Història de Catalunya Barcelona

The Museum of the History of Catalonia opened its doors in February 1996, in the former General Stores of Commerce (MGC), the only building preserved from the old industrial port of Barcelona. After intense work to restore and adapt the space, which began in 1991 for the Olympic Games, the decision was made to install the MHC and a permanent exhibition on the history of Catalonia.

Since its inauguration, the museum has received thousands of visitors every year. In this way, on the first floor of the building, a 1,200 m² space is set up to house temporary exhibitions. The exhibition offer is also complemented by a series of educational, recreational and academic activities.

Over the years, the entity has developed its own collection as a result of donations of objects and documents. Although they are very heterogeneous in nature, most of the pieces are related to the political and institutional history of Catalonia. Since 1997, in addition, the Center for Contemporary History of Catalonia (CHCC) and its important library have been located in the same building.

The Museum of the History of Catalonia is part of the Network of Museums and Monuments of the History of Catalonia and depends on the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage (ACdPC).

Rental of spaces

The Museum makes available the facilities for carrying out acts and cultural events, both public and private. Its spaces allow various activities to be carried out, from work meetings, training courses or conferences to receptions or exhibitions. It is possible to complement these activities with private visits to the exhibition halls outside normal opening hours.

The privileged location in Barcelona's Port Vell and the modern technical equipment of the facilities make the museum a suitable environment for all kinds of cultural events.

Josep Benet Library

The library, managed by the Center for Contemporary History of Catalonia, is made up of a fund of 10,000 books, a newspaper library of 50 titles specialized in history and an old fund of donations of a thousand titles. It is included in the Collective Catalog of specialized libraries of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The Library of the Center for Contemporary History of Catalonia was created in 1984 as a library, newspaper archive and documentation center specializing in contemporary Catalan history. It has been formed from acquisitions by purchase and, above all, by donations from institutions, publishers and individuals, among which stands out the donation of the historian Josep Benet and the contributions that the Museu d'Història de Catalunya makes on a regular basis.

The most relevant collections are those that refer to political thought (especially Catalanism and anarchism), to the most recent stages in the history of Catalonia (photographs of the bombings of the 1936-1939 war, exile publications, Francoist repression and clandestinity ), in addition to studies and biographical dossiers. Part of these collections is in the cataloging process.

Restaurant 1881

On the fourth floor of the museum you will find the 1881 Restaurant that offers cafeteria and restaurant service. Run by the SAGARDI group, it is a restaurant with traditional Mediterranean cuisine modulated around the large outdoor terrace, with privileged and unique views of the Barcelona skyline.

Restaurant 1881 is certified with the Mediterranean Diet seal of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, has an exclusive direct sales agreement with the Fishermen's Association of Barcelona and has the Proximity Sale - Circuit Curt seal granted by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food and the Catalan Institute of Cooking Foundation.

Center for Contemporary History of Catalonia

The Center for Contemporary History of Catalonia (CHCC) aims to collect documentation on the contemporary history of Catalonia and encourage its research and dissemination. In this way, the CHCC promotes and in some cases directs studies and research work, as well as the writing of memories of people who evoke experiences of the civil war, the postwar period, the anti-Franco struggle and exile.

The support that the CHCC gives to the publication of books on the contemporary history of Catalonia is especially remarkable. However, the Center has as a rule not to directly publish any work, but to support the work of those editors who publish history books.

The CHCC library was merged with that of the Museum of the History of Catalonia when it was moved to the Palau de Mar. As a center specializing in contemporary history of Catalonia, the library is at the service of historians, researchers, teaching professionals, university students and the public. generally interested in history.

On the other hand, within the framework of the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the CHCC continues to offer historiographical and bibliographical advice to professionals and institutions to facilitate, beyond academic studies, research on aspects relating to the history of Catalonia in order to enable its dissemination.