Aljube Museum - Resistance and Freedom | Lisboa Cool
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Aljube Museum - Resistance and Freedom

A Tribute to Freedom and Democracy

Located in the former political prison, created to receive those who were against the dictatorial regime, the Aljube Museum - Resistance and Freedom has been open to the public since 2015, and aims to raise awareness of a part of Portugal's history, or not let it be forgotten. This may not be a visit to be made lightly, but certainly, both for Portuguese and foreigners, it is a good way to understand and even value what we have today, and how it was achieved.

The building was adapted by the architects Manuel Graça Dias and Egas José Vieira, and currently Aljube Museum occupies five floors that highlight the fight against dictatorship, the struggle for freedom and democracy, the liberation of colonial peoples and the colonial war. In addition to these issues, presented in the permanent exhibition, the museum also has space for temporary exhibitions that offer complementary information to the permanent collection of the museum.

On the two lower floors (floor -1 and floor 0), Aljube Museum presents a collection of archaeological traces that represent the patrimonial history of Aljube. The main door of the former Aljube Prison is now closed, but represents the former prison, and has been preserved year after year. It is also on this floor that the temporary exhibitions are held - all of them, in one way or another, related to the values of the Museum.

On the 1st floor, is discussed the rise and fall of fascism - here we are presented with a brief history of Portugal between 1890 and 1976. There are examples of what censorship was like (both in the media and in book and record production) and there is a clear reference to the importance of the underground press (the only press that really portrayed what was happening in the country and in the world). At the same time, the nature of the Political Police in Portugal during the Salazar Regime and the role of the political courts are also presented.

The anti-fascist resistance is the next topic to be discussed. On the 2nd floor, we are able to understand how men and women dedicated their lives to fighting against the Portuguese dictatorial regime, and how they were organized. In a brief way, are also presented the stages that followed an arrest: the identification processes, the interrogations, the sentencing, the prisons and concentration camps. On this floor, it is also possible to see the cells to which political prisoners were sent, with minimal dimensions that tortured those who were sent there.

On the next floor, we leave Portugal to follow the references to the Colonial War and colonialism. On the same floor, are presented the opponents who fell by the wayside and never got to live far from the dictatorship. The achievement of Freedom and Democracy was a true victory, and the Aljube Museum is determined to emphasize it.

The permanent exhibition ends, then, with an explanation of the Museum's work in the preservation and dissemination of the Historical Memory, but there are still other areas to get to know: on the 4th floor there is an auditorium (destined for the promotion of initiatives within the context of its mission), and a cafeteria with a panoramic view over the city and the Tagus River, perfect for a break before another through Lisbon.

Cool Tip: Aljube Museum promotes Colloquia and Conferences, national and international, which address specific themes of the Museum. Be aware, the visit can be more complete than many history classes!

Hours

Every day: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.