Òmnium Cultural - English Version | History of Òmnium Cultural

Òmnium

History

Òmnium was officially born on 11 July 1961 in the form of a civil society with the mission of protecting and promoting Catalan culture. It was founded at a moment in history when Catalan culture was censured and oppressed by Franco’s dictatorship: there was thus a national need to ensure its recovery and continued survival. Given this, the organisation became a social tool and a key means of national resistance, taking the place of Catalan institutions, which were non-existent during the dictatorship.

Two years later, in 1963, Òmnium went through one of its worst moments with the raid on and closure of its offices and the banning of all its activities by Franco’s government. Despite this setback, Òmnium remained steadfast in its cultural commitment, whilst continuing underground until 1967, when it was once again legalised after a long and hard-fought legal battle. It was then that Òmnium was able to spread throughout Catalonia with a wide-ranging network of 21 local offices across the country’s districts.

So it was that, in 1967, Òmnium opened its first local office in the city of Terrassa, followed by those in Granollers, Igualada and Mataró. The opening of local offices and the revival, at the end of the 1960s, of the Catalan language allowed Òmnium to implement its services in support of Catalan language and culture in strength and on an ongoing basis.