Irun begins this week a series of events to commemorate the 1936 occupation of the city, which falls on September 5th. The 'Irun 1936-2026' program kicks off on Thursday, September 3rd, with the inauguration of the exhibition 'The Eye of the Needle: 1936 - Children of the War' at the CBA, organized by the Intxorta 1937 association, running until September 19th. The opening will be attended by Mayor Cristina Laborda, Human Rights, Democratic Memory, and Cooperation delegate Gorka Álvarez, and relatives of the children who fled into exile.
The exhibition will be open in the mornings (11:00-14:00) and afternoons (17:00-20:00), closed on Mondays and Sundays. On September 17th, at 18:30, a talk titled 'Children of the War: Evacuation and Exile' will be given by Iosu Chueca, detailing the experiences of the young people from Irun affected by the harsh events of 90 years ago.
On Saturday, September 5th, the exact date of the 90th anniversary of the occupation, an institutional remembrance ceremony and floral offering will take place at the Almudena Grandes small square starting at 11:00. Throughout the day, citizens can lay their own offerings at a monolith to be placed there. Additionally, 40 images from 1936 will be displayed in various city locations for a comparative view of buildings and streets.
On Sunday, September 6th, San Juan square will host a historical reenactment from 9:30 to 16:00. The City Council has organized guided tours at 11:15, 12:00, 13:00, and 14:00. Ten stalls will be present with 24 reenactors, showcasing an era hospital, a police post, a recruitment office, and a mobile park with a car and motorcycle.
To round off the program, the Palmera Montero Civic Center will host a series of nine conferences from September 24th to December 4th titled '90th Anniversary of the Battle of Irun'. The city is also decorated with commemorative banners on lampposts in the city center.
Furthermore, this Wednesday, the mayor and the delegate for Human Rights and Democratic Memory presented the 'Report on the Bombings of Irun', a work by the Aranzadi Science Society and Pausumedia detailing the aerial and maritime attacks the city suffered in 1936.
