Guadalajara's provincial archive launches 'autumn in the archive' programme highlighting anonymous figures

The Provincial Historical Archive of Guadalajara, part of the regional government, has launched the 'Autumn in the Archive' programme, designed to engage the public with archives from a fresh perspective and to highlight the roles of anonymous individuals who have left their mark on the documents preserved today.

Riansares Serrano, the director of the Provincial Historical Archive, noted that while archives often recount significant events, institutions, and notable figures, they also contain traces of ordinary men and women who worked, studied, emigrated, formed families, claimed their rights, or simply moved forward with their lives. She stated, "With 'Autumn in the Archive', we want to focus on these individuals to recover their imprint and remind us that the memory of a society is not solely made up of great protagonists, but also of all those who contributed to its construction every day."

The programme includes a series of events featuring anonymous figures, such as book presentations, conferences, round tables, an exhibition, and the screening of a documentary. The documentary 'La aldea olvidada' by Guillermo Chicharro is scheduled for 3 December.

Upcoming events include:

• 15 October at 19:00: Presentation of the book 'Las muñecas de trapo tienen dientes' by Albertina Oria.
• 22 October at 19:00: Presentation of 'Mientras aún había tiempo' by Alfonso López Beltrán.
• 12 November at 18:30: Notary Plácido Barrios Fernández will discuss 'Comparecen los olvidados. Mujeres abandonadas, homosexuales, gitanos, prostitutas, esclavos, expósitos y otros en los protocolos notariales.'
• 26 November at 18:30: Juan Gómez Bárcena will give a lecture on 'Lo demás es aire'.
• 5 November: Conference by contemporary history professor Juan Pablo Calero Delso titled 'Saltar sin red. Las mujeres de las clases populares en la Guadalajara finisecular.'
• 10 December: Amparo Donderis Guastavino from the municipal archive of Sigüenza will speak on 'La atención sanitaria en guerra. Las enfermeras de 1936-1939.'
• 19 November: A round table on 'Lo que cuentan los archivos. Historias y vidas olvidadas', moderated by Luis Martínez García, featuring participants from various universities and archives.
• 17 December: Another round table discussing 'Las colecciones privadas en los Archivos. Una oportunidad de conservación y difusión del Patrimonio Documental', moderated by Laura Fernández García from the Provincial Historical Archive.

Additionally, an exhibition titled 'La dulce historia de Guadalajara' will showcase a collection of vintage tins of 'bizcochos borrachos' (a traditional dessert) from 17 December to 31 January 2027.

Serrano has invited the public to participate in this comprehensive programme, which reveals a part of history built by individuals not typically featured in history books, but whose presence is reflected in documents. She emphasised that sometimes it is just a signature, a photograph, a request, a letter, or merely a number or note in a list—small traces that collectively allow us to understand the daily lives of ordinary people from past eras.