The Palau Robert makes visible the goal of exterminating the gypsy population in Spain in the 18th century

It is coneix with a Baró Estardipen the first attemptphysical and cultural extermination of the gypsy population through a Royal Ordre dictated by Ferran VI on June 28, 1749, which gave instructions to empower the gypsy families of all of Spain. Coincidint amb els 275 years of the history of this dramatic episode at the Palau Robert in Barcelona at the exhibition “Baró Estardipen. General arrest of gypsies and gypsies“. The exhibition can be visited at the showcase and various panels in the garden of the building until December 10.

The brutal persecution against this minority population would last forever, but badly the repercussions of these actions have not been recognized or valued either culturally or materially. Malgrat això, it is calculated that Baró Estardipen will affect around 12,000 gypsies. Some will die and others, men, children and infants, will be separated from their six families. Curated by Francisco Vargas, the exhibition at the Palau Robert is organized by the Department of Equality and Feminism with the collaboration of the General Directorate of Dissemination of the Generalitat of Catalonia.

Excluded from the gypsy village

Also related to the Gran Batuda, this operation had as its objective the arrest and subjugation of the gypsy population, based on an extermination project. I justified the repression with arguments based on social and economic prejudices. This historical event marks a critical moment of structural anti-gypsyism, which for centuries has promoted the exclusion of the gypsy community.

Sota the baton of figures with the Marquis of Ensenadaand with the vistiplau of the Church, the forces of the Lord will separate the infants from the six families and they will be forced to learn trades or to serve. The children will be sent to hospices and misericòrdia cases so that they have no age to work with children. The Baró Estardipen is going to apply without exception of age or sex, and without discriminating between settled and nomadic gypsy populations, with the former being the most affected population.

The deprivation of parental rights and family separation imposed on all Roma people will not be the only punishment for avoid the seva reproduction and extinguish the gypsy population. Furthermore, it is going to order the mass enterprise of homes and adult gifts, which will last any time, and they will be sent to forced laborers to arsenals, prisons or factories.

Repair of historical memory

The commemoration of the 275th anniversary of the Baró Estardipen te l’objectiu de donar a conèixer uns fets discoeguts for most people. Now, this exhibition at the Palau Robert aims to recover the historical memory of the Roma community, recognizing the racism and violence that they will have to endure from public administrations and the harms they face today. From a feminist and anti-racist perspective, the exhibition will raise awareness of the situation and repair the memory of the Gypsy people, who have not been recognized or valued.

This commemoration also included tea arreu of the territory through the representation of the play “I’m not your gypsy” by Silvia Agüero and a subsequent col·loqui dialogue during the month of November and December. The central and closing ceremony of the 275th anniversary of the Baró Estardipen will take place at the Palau Robert in Barcelona, ​​next December 9, at 6:00 p.m. More information and registration website of the Catalan Institute of Gifts.