Exhibition to remind us that freedom is never a guaranteed value

Last week, history celebrated one of the most significant dates for the whole of Europe: 6 June 1944, 'D-Day'. A fleet of Allied troops, led by US general Dwight Eisenhower, at the time, began the largest amphibious operation in human history. The landing on the beaches of the Normandy region in France, during World War II, made it possible to put an end to the Nazi regime. Until 7 July, at the Porto City Hall, the exhibition 'D-Day, Battle for Freedom' depicts the days of the fight for democracy in a simple but historically meaningful way.

'We mustn't forget the past. These things serve to remind us that freedom is never easy to achieve. It requires sacrifice, struggle, but also for people to make the right decisions at the right time', the Mayor said during the inauguration.

'At a time when Europe is at war, when freedom is threatened, it's appropriate to organise this kind of initiative at Porto City Hall', Rui Moreira added.

In parallel with the present day, the Mayor of Porto took the opportunity to invite anyone who goes to the City Hall next Sunday to vote in the European elections: 'There will be polling stations right next door. People will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition before or afterwards. They should do so in order to meditate on what the permanent struggle for freedom and peace is all about'.

The Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Gouveia e Melo, quoted an expression made famous by Winston Churchill, spoken in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament on 13 May 1940, to assure that 'freedom often has to be won with blood, sweat and tears'. 'I hope that this lesson will last in Europe and unite us in the will to maintain freedom', he added.

The exhibition is co-organised by the Normandia Collective and the Municipality of Porto. In the exhibition room located in the lobby of Porto City Hall, the public will be able to see photographs of the battle, historiographical information, Portuguese newspapers from the time and some memorabilia, such as an aviator's scarf and a military cap. Based on the recently published book of the same name by writer and journalist José Manuel Saraiva, the exhibition also succinctly portrays how the D-Day military operation (Operation Overlord) was prepared and what human and material resources were used.

'This is one of the most important battles for freedom in Europe, which was then occupied by totalitarian fascist and Nazi forces', said the former Minister of Culture and Mayor of Lisbon, João Soares.

For the head of the Normandy Collective, 'we must never forget what we owe to the thousands of young people who came to die on the beaches of Normandy and in the fields of France to make it a free country. They were welcomed as liberators and not just as winners'.

In addition to João Soares, the Normandy Collective is made up of writer and journalist José Manuel Saraiva, designer and illustrator Jorge Silva, historian Manuela Rêgo and entrepreneur Adélio Gomes. In 2021, this group began promoting events to publicise history, with a cycle dedicated to Jean Moulin, a hero of the French Resistance who passed through Lisbon in 1941. The collective is also responsible for the exhibition 'The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943', which is still travelling around the country.

The exhibition 'D-Day, Battle for Freedom' will be open until 7 July at the City Hall, with visits from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.