Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau

The Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau (Montbau Residents' Association) is a neighbourhood association based in the Montbau district of Barcelona, Spain. It was founded in October 1963 under the name Asociación de Vecinos de Montbau, and was one of the first residents' associations established in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War. The association was created to counterbalance the existing active community around the housing cooperatives that had helped populate the neighbourhood, particularly La Puntual and La Graciense. Its first president was Félix Jiménez Lasanta, a municipal official. In 1964 the association obtained the cession of a social premises on Carrer Roig Soler (now Roig i Solé), which became its headquarters. The name was not Catalanised until 1980. Throughout its history, the association has been a persistent advocate for the neighbourhood's needs. In 1965 it already demanded the extension of the metro from Plaça Eivissa, a demand not fulfilled until 2010. In 1971 it led a neighbourhood mobilisation against a planned rubbish dump in the nearby Collserola hills, successfully halting the project, which was moved to Garraf. It also campaigned for a new public school, which became Escola Enric Borràs (now Escola Baloo). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, under presidents Ramon Batlle and Albert Bastardes, the association achieved numerous initiatives, including mass participation in the 1977 Catalan national day demonstration, the Montbau secretariat of the Congress of Catalan Culture, the founding of the Montbau Popular Library, the conversion of the Ribas Orphanage into a secondary school, and the construction of a sports centre on Carrer Arquitectura. In the 2000s and 2001, it campaigned for the renovation of pavements and street furniture. More recently, it has fought against the creation of a drug consumption room in the Ciutat Sanitària area, organising weekly closures of the Ronda de Dalt for two years, and continues to demand improved accessibility for the neighbourhood's ageing population and the covering of the Ronda de Dalt. The association publishes the magazine Ressò de Montbau, which it edited from 1976 to 2002 and which was revived in 2017 as an independent publication with the collaboration of the association and the Horta-Guinardó district. The association remains active, with a current board led by president Narcís Serrats, and continues to organise cultural, festive and community activities for the residents of Montbau.

The Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau was founded in October 1963 under the name Asociación de Vecinos de Montbau. It was one of the first residents' associations created in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War. The association was promoted from the Civil Government of the province, possibly to counterbalance the first associative nucleus of the neighbourhood, which had a markedly Catalan character and had been created around the housing cooperatives that had helped build the neighbourhood, especially La Puntual and La Graciense. The first president was Félix Jiménez Lasanta, a municipal official. In 1964 the association obtained the cession of the social premises on Carrer Roig Soler (now Roig i Solé), which was soon expanded because it was insufficient, and which became the association's headquarters. The name was not Catalanised until 1980. Among the many demands for the neighbourhood's deficiencies, in 1965 the association already requested the extension of the metro from Plaça Eivissa, which did not arrive until 2010, although in 1985 the extension from Plaça Lesseps arrived. The social premises allowed the association to start activities such as family dances, cinema, theatre, table tennis championships, drawing courses, chess and sardanes. It also housed a small library, which would be the embryo of the current Biblioteca Montbau-Albert Pérez Baró. In 1970, the military man Francisco González Manrique was appointed president, with a board that also included people from the cooperatives, who began to give it a more open character. In 1971 the association led a neighbourhood mobilisation against the project for a rubbish dump in the nearby ravines of Collserola, managing to halt the project, which was finally moved to Garraf. It also achieved the construction of a new public school to replace the 'Grupo Escolar Mixto' on Carrer d'Àngel Marquès, which was insufficient for the neighbourhood's needs. The school was built on land belonging to the Caixa d'Estalvis Provincial, at the top of Carrer Harmonia, and took the name Escola Enric Borràs (now Escola Baloo). In January 1976, a few days after the death of dictator Franco, a Candidatura de Renovació Democràtica was created to stand in the elections for president that same year, but it narrowly lost. Discrepancies between the president and the board caused the president's resignation shortly afterwards, as would also happen in 1989, when the City Council decided not to cover the ring road, and in 2006 shortly after starting the 'No a la narcosala' campaign by decree. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the presidencies of Ramon Batlle and Albert Bastardes, many initiatives were achieved, such as the massive participation of the neighbourhood in the demonstration of 11 September 1977, the Montbau secretariat of the Congress of Catalan Culture, the constitution of the Biblioteca Popular Montbau, the conversion of the Ribas Orphanage into a secondary school, the sports centre on Carrer Arquitectura, and the expansion of the Institut Narcís Monturiol. Later, the activity of the residents' association declined, as in all neighbourhoods, but with more or less intensity it has been maintained to the present day. Notable is the demand in 2000 and 2001 for a major renovation of the pavements and street furniture of the neighbourhood's streets and squares. The association edited the magazine Ressò de Montbau from 1976 until 2002, initially bimonthly. After 15 years without publication, in 2017 it reappeared, this time with an independent character, but with the collaboration of the Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau and the Horta-Guinardó District, with a half-yearly frequency and a print run of 2,500 copies, distributed to the letterboxes of the neighbourhood's houses.

• 2017

  Ressò de Montbau magazine revived as independent publication.

• 2010

  Metro extension from Plaça Eivissa finally arrived.

• 2002

  Ressò de Montbau magazine ceased publication.

• 1985

  Metro extension from Plaça Lesseps arrived.

• 1980

  Association name Catalanised to Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau.

• 1977

  Massive participation in the demonstration of 11 September.

• 1976

  Candidatura de Renovació Democràtica created; magazine Ressò de Montbau first published.

• 1971

  Led mobilisation against rubbish dump in Collserola; project halted.

• 1970

  Francisco González Manrique appointed president.

• 1965

  Demanded extension of metro from Plaça Eivissa.

• 1964

  Obtained cession of social premises on Carrer Roig Soler (now Roig i Solé).

• 1963

  Association founded in October as Asociación de Vecinos de Montbau.

A grassroots residents' association advocating for the Montbau neighbourhood and organising community life.

• Ressò de Montbau

  Magazine edited by the association from 1976 to 2002, revived in 2017.

• 2006No a la narcosala
• 1971Anti-dump mobilisation
• 1965Metro extension demand

1. 1ASSOCIACIÓ DE VEÏNS DE MONTBAUveinsmontbau.org
2. 2ASSOCIACIÓ DE VEÏNS DE MONTBAU - Aboutveinsmontbau.org
3. 3EL BARRI DE MONTBAUveinsmontbau.org
4. 4Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de Montbau - Viquipèdiaca.wikipedia.org