Besòs library renaming plans have ignited significant controversy in Barcelona’s Sant Martí district.
Local residents and the family of the library’s namesake are expressing outrage at a proposal to change the facility’s title from the Ramon d’Alòs-Moner Library to honour writer Ana María Matute.
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The move, reportedly initiated by the district’s Memory and Gender Commission, has been labelled a “disproportionate” act of historical erasure.
Community Backlash Over Besòs Library Renaming
Adela Alòs-Moner, a librarian and granddaughter of Ramon d’Alòs-Moner, voiced her profound disappointment. “I’m saddened that nobody contacted or informed me,” she stated. “I don’t understand why they want to change the name, as my grandfather did nothing wrong.” The neighbourhood association of Besòs and Maresme has issued a formal statement echoing this sentiment. They argue the change disregards local history and appears to be a unilateral decision by district authorities.
According to recent local governance discussions, community consultation remains a contentious issue in Barcelona. The association claims the name Ana María Matute emerged during a Neighbourhood Council meeting without prior resident input. José Manuel López, the association’s president, emphasised the historical significance of the original naming in 1970, during Franco’s dictatorship, as a difficult but important act of cultural resistance.
Historical Significance and Current Dispute
Ramon d’Alòs-Moner was a notable Catalan intellectual. He helped organise the First International Congress of the Catalan Language in 1906 and served as secretary general of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans. His family donated his 20,000-volume library to the Biblioteca de Catalunya and Pompeu Fabra University. The neighbourhood association highlights that his home, Torre Garcini, was a meeting point for Catalan intellectuals during Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship and later for anti-Franco activists.
“In these times of historical amnesia, it surprises us that they would erase from their directory the name of a person like Ramon d’Alòs-Moner,” the association’s statement reads. They defend keeping the name to preserve a hard-won part of the neighbourhood’s history. The library was originally established in 1970 and moved to its current civic centre location in 1994. The proposed Besòs library renaming, therefore, touches on deeper issues of memory and identity.
Official Responses and Unanswered Questions
When Adela Alòs-Moner contacted authorities, the Barcelona Provincial Council stated that naming libraries falls under municipal jurisdiction. They confirmed no general written rule exists regulating when a library’s name can be modified. The Barcelona Library Consortium, meanwhile, offered a brief comment. They stated the Sant Martí district is working on “a proposal that has the necessary consensus,” but emphasised that nothing has been decided yet.
This situation reflects broader tensions in the city regarding heritage and commemoration. The controversy over the Besòs library renaming shows how decisions about public space names can become flashpoints for community sentiment and historical debate. The final outcome will likely depend on whether district officials choose to proceed against clear local opposition or seek a compromise that acknowledges both historical figures and contemporary values.
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