DOCUMENTARY CENTER OF HISTORICAL MEMORY. MASONIC LODGE

The Documentary Center of Historical Memory (CDMH) is a state archive created in 2007. Its objective is to gather and organize all documentary collections related to the historical period between the Spanish Civil War and the 1978 Constitution.

The history of the archive dates back to 1936. When the Civil War broke out, Salamanca became the headquarters of Franco's General Headquarters. This building was used as a storehouse for documents seized by Francoist troops as the conflict progressed. After Franco's death, the archive became dependent on the Ministry of Culture. Initially, the collections constituted a section of the National Historical Archive. In 1999, the General Archive of the Spanish Civil War was created, currently integrated into the Documentary Center of Historical Memory.

The Documentary Center of Historical Memory (CDMH) has two buildings in the city of Salamanca, one located on Gibraltar Street and the other, more recent, in Los Bandos Square. The Gibraltar Street headquarters comprises two attached buildings connected by an underground passage. The first of these properties, the original headquarters of the General Archive of the Civil War, is a historic building constructed in the 18th century, while the second dates from 1999. The original building was constructed by the architect Joaquín de Churriguera as a home for abandoned children, dependent on the Cathedral Chapter of Salamanca. As a result of the disentailment, the building passed into private hands, and in 1903, the San Ambrosio Foundation bought it and installed its school there. Currently, the old Colegio de San Ambrosio houses the work and administration rooms, the researchers' room, and a permanent exhibition on the Civil War and Freemasonry.

The second property is located between the old archive building and the Casa de Lis. It is particularly striking as it is a modern building with a curved facade made entirely of glass and metal. It is intended for document storage, holding over 7 kilometers of collections from the Documentary Services of the Presidency of the Government and the Special Tribunal for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism from the Francoist era.

The Documentary Center of Historical Memory offers visitors a permanent exhibition on the Civil War and Spanish Freemasonry. The exhibition occupies several rooms on the ground floor of the old San José Hospital.

To make the most of the visit, it is suggested to start in the projection room, where two informative videos are shown. The first offers a detailed overview of the origin of the documents, as well as the different stages the archive has gone through to become the current Documentary Center of Historical Memory (CDMH). The second focuses on Spanish Freemasonry, explaining its history and how its collections ended up being integrated into this archive.

The tour covers various rooms where documents and objects are carefully arranged in display cases. The explanatory texts accompanying the documentation facilitate its understanding and historical context. The visit concludes in a room that recreates a Masonic lodge, where an audio explains the symbolism and relevance of the exhibited objects.

We can divide the visit to the General Archive of the Civil War into three distinct parts. 1.- Audiovisual Room 2.- The Civil War 3.- Freemasonry

1.- AUDIOVISUAL ROOM In one of the museum's rooms, two short videos, approximately 5 minutes each, are presented. These audiovisuals clearly and engagingly explain the content and history of the archive's creation. Additionally, it offers details about the building that houses the archive.

2.- THE CIVIL WAR It occupies the building's lobby and two small adjoining rooms. In this space, different documents related to the conflict are displayed. The documents are exhibited in display cases. Next to each document, there is a text explaining its content for proper understanding. Propaganda posters from both sides are shown; references to the international support received by both Nationalists and Republicans, illustrations of different military actions.

3.- FREEMASONRY During Franco's regime, the Masonic lodges that existed in Spain were closed, and their documents, confiscated, were integrated into this archive. The collections exhibited here are the most complete existing on Spanish Freemasonry. Jewels, sashes, aprons, documents, portraits, etc. The permanent exhibition on Freemasonry displays over a hundred pieces extracted from the documentary, bibliographic, and iconographic Masonic collection preserved in the center. The collections present in the Documentary Center of Historical Memory in Salamanca are the most complete existing on Freemasonry in Spain: documents, books and brochures, posters and prints, photographs, jewels and medals, swords and gavels, sashes, aprons and collars, stamps and imprints, posters and prints, portraits, maps... all objects related to Masons were seized during the war, from 1936 to 1939.

The preparatory room for the Masonic ritual It is a small space, with a wooden bench and a table on which there is a skull and an hourglass. With these elements, the aim has been to recreate the place where the aspiring Mason reflected before facing the tests to enter the lodge.

Masonic Lodge The setup of this room was carried out during Franco's dictatorship to ridicule and discredit Freemasonry. The original furniture was confiscated from a lodge in Gijón. The recreation has only been shown to visitors since the opening of the permanent exhibition in 1999.

The room is viewed through glass. An approximately 5-minute audio briefly explains the meaning of the main symbols displayed within it. The decoration is striking due to its mysterious atmosphere. At the back of the room is the altar, with the Master and his secretaries represented by figures with their faces covered by executioners' hoods. On the side walls, the chairs exhibit characteristic emblems such as the compass and the square. The deep blue ceiling recreates the firmament, while the floor resembles a chessboard. The walls are covered with inscriptions, along with banners and zodiacal symbols, creating an enigmatic and unsettling environment.