L'inici del enderroc / The begining of the end
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Foto presa amb una Leica M3, fabricada el 1963; objectiu Leitz Elmar f2.8 / 50mm; Ilford HP5, revelat amb HC110.
Els enderrocs per reformar la Model de presó a equipaments urbans ja han començat. Esperem que aquest iconic patrimoni de la historia de Catalunya del s. XX es preservi el màxim possible. Però coneixent els precedents, em temo el pitjor.
La presó model s’inaugurà el 1904 i va tancar el 2017. Prácticament d’inici ja va perdre aquesta caracteristica de model amb el que fou disenyada (primer motí ja al 1906), i la sobrepoblació de presoners fou constant, així com unes condicions generalment deplorables. Disenyada per a 1000 presos, al 1940 arribà als 13.000! No només és un punt historic per la historia criminal de Catalunya, sino també com a element esencial en la represió política, molt en especialment per part del regim feixista. Nombroses persones foren executades o partiren cap a la seva execució des de la Model (unes 1600). El més famós executat de tots, el darrer, Salvador Puig Antich.
Ara s’ha obert al public i es pot visitar lliurement. Cal aprofitar-ho ja que es preveu que aviat es començaran a tirar a terra el mur perimetral i bona part dels edificis secundaris. La part central, el panoptic i la majoria de galeries es conservaran, però perdran la pàtina original (ronya, de fet), i fotogràficament no serà el mateix.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pres%C3%B3_Model_de_Barcelona
===========================================
Picture taken with a Leica M3, made in 1963; Elmar f2.8 / 50mm; Ilford HP5 developed in HC110.
The works to transform this former prison into an urban park & equipment has begun. Let's hope that this very important part of Catalonia's XX Century history is preserved the best they could. Although I have little confidence in their hability to do so.
La Model entered service in 1904 and was closed in 2017, after decades of public demands of closure due to the deplorable condition of the inmates and the bad image for the surroundings. As the name suggests, it was intented to be a modelic prison, but although it was a modern design in early XX Century, soon the conditions deteriorated, and the first mutiny was just in 1906. Designed for 1000 inmates, in 1940 it reached a peak of 13.000 inmates, mostly political prisoners of the fascist Franco regime. Hundres left this place in their way to their execution. The last political victim was Salvador Puig Antich, executed in La Model in 1974. In fact La Model is a very important place to understand the history of the political represion in Catalonia, specially by the fascist regime between 1939 and 1978 (and beyond). Also it reflected the criminal and social problems of Barcelona in the XX Century.
Now the former prison is open to the public, but soon will be partly demolished (the surrounding wall and secondary buildings) to made parks, and the main building redeveloped for civic activities and also a history museum. So the time to take pictures is now or never.
L'inici del enderroc / The begining of the end
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Foto presa amb una Leica M3, fabricada el 1963; objectiu Leitz Elmar f2.8 / 50mm; Ilford HP5, revelat amb HC110.
Els enderrocs per reformar la Model de presó a equipaments urbans ja han començat. Esperem que aquest iconic patrimoni de la historia de Catalunya del s. XX es preservi el màxim possible. Però coneixent els precedents, em temo el pitjor.
La presó model s’inaugurà el 1904 i va tancar el 2017. Prácticament d’inici ja va perdre aquesta caracteristica de model amb el que fou disenyada (primer motí ja al 1906), i la sobrepoblació de presoners fou constant, així com unes condicions generalment deplorables. Disenyada per a 1000 presos, al 1940 arribà als 13.000! No només és un punt historic per la historia criminal de Catalunya, sino també com a element esencial en la represió política, molt en especialment per part del regim feixista. Nombroses persones foren executades o partiren cap a la seva execució des de la Model (unes 1600). El més famós executat de tots, el darrer, Salvador Puig Antich.
Ara s’ha obert al public i es pot visitar lliurement. Cal aprofitar-ho ja que es preveu que aviat es començaran a tirar a terra el mur perimetral i bona part dels edificis secundaris. La part central, el panoptic i la majoria de galeries es conservaran, però perdran la pàtina original (ronya, de fet), i fotogràficament no serà el mateix.
ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pres%C3%B3_Model_de_Barcelona
===========================================
Picture taken with a Leica M3, made in 1963; Elmar f2.8 / 50mm; Ilford HP5 developed in HC110.
The works to transform this former prison into an urban park & equipment has begun. Let's hope that this very important part of Catalonia's XX Century history is preserved the best they could. Although I have little confidence in their hability to do so.
La Model entered service in 1904 and was closed in 2017, after decades of public demands of closure due to the deplorable condition of the inmates and the bad image for the surroundings. As the name suggests, it was intented to be a modelic prison, but although it was a modern design in early XX Century, soon the conditions deteriorated, and the first mutiny was just in 1906. Designed for 1000 inmates, in 1940 it reached a peak of 13.000 inmates, mostly political prisoners of the fascist Franco regime. Hundres left this place in their way to their execution. The last political victim was Salvador Puig Antich, executed in La Model in 1974. In fact La Model is a very important place to understand the history of the political represion in Catalonia, specially by the fascist regime between 1939 and 1978 (and beyond). Also it reflected the criminal and social problems of Barcelona in the XX Century.
Now the former prison is open to the public, but soon will be partly demolished (the surrounding wall and secondary buildings) to made parks, and the main building redeveloped for civic activities and also a history museum. So the time to take pictures is now or never.