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Monday, March 9, 2026

"Thinking is hoisting the sails": Art and communication in the digital age

Walter Benjamin Week 2026

The Nahmanides Institute for Jewish Studies is collaborating on the activities of Walter Benjamin Week, which will take place in Barcelona, ​​Girona, and Portbou from March 16 to 20. It is organized by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Barcelona, ​​the Walter Benjamin Chair of Memory and Exile at the University of Girona, the Goethe-Institut Barcelona (GI), and Abat Oliba University.

Starting with Walter Benjamin's personal journey, the program analyzes how digital media are transforming art, communication, and critical thinking.

Portbou and Girona program - March 17

Morning in Portbou

. 8.30 h: Bus depart from Girona. Reserve your seat at: cwb@udg.edu
. Visit to the places where Walter Benjamin spent his final days.
. Lecture at Portbou Town Hall by Ana Lanfranconi (in Catalan).

Afternoon in Girona

. 4:00 PM: Lecture at the Faculty of Arts by Ursula Marx from the WB Archive in Berlin (in English).
. 5:30-7:00 PM: Roundtable discussion at the Museum of Jewish History on the philosophical and personal relationship between Walter Benjamin and Hannah Arendt. Participants: Màriam Martínez Bascuñan (UAM) and Edgar Strähle (in Spanish and English).

In collaboration with: Walter Benjamin Chair, Memory and Exile, University of Girona, and the German Consulate in Barcelona.

See the full program for all the lectures and activities taking place in Barcelona, ​​Portbou, and Girona.