When the Call used to be Jewish
The MUHBA El Call explores where Barcelona's Jewish community lived, what it was like, and who its members were – all until its violent disappearance in 1391.
Like many other Catalan cities, Barcelona also had its Call, and it was the most important in southern Europe. "Call" originally meant alleyway, but time changed the word's use – so, it ended up being applied to the area where the city's Jewish population lived. Although it was an enclosed area within the Roman wall, its inhabitants didn't live isolated from the rest of the people. Their presence dates back to the first centuries of the Christian era, and some of its members held significant public functions at the service of the local authorities and, among others, King James I of Aragon, until they were definitively banned in 1423.
The Hebrews held ancestral knowledge that they passed on from generation to generation and gave way to prominent lineages of physicians, mathematicians, translators, cartographers and philosophers. In addition, the community used to keep in touch with other Jewish communities thanks to their financial businesses, Talmudic law and family ties. Their links with the mercantile world substantially contributed to Barcelona's commercial expansion in the Mediterranean; however, it also generated animosities with other people and was used to stereotype the community and as a scapegoat when things went wrong. In 1391, the Call was raided and burned down by a mob, which caused the death of 300 people and led to the dispersion of the community. The people who didn't leave were forced to be baptised and adopt the Christian faith.
You can discover all this — and much more — by visiting the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) in the Call. It is located where the house of the veil weaver, Jucef Bonhiac, used to be. Divided into three spaces, the first area shows the urban layout of the Call, with its plots and landmark buildings, such as the hospital, the synagogues and the baths. The second one summarises the evolution of the local community with an audiovisual presentation, with a strong focus on its most splendorous period, around the year 1300. The last one reviews the cultural heritage that has survived to the present day, as well as the life and work of three fundamental scholars: Abraham bar Hiyya, Salomón ben Adret and Hasday Cresques.
Aside from the objects on display and the different interactive screens, the MUHBA El Call proposes a walking route through the Call Major and the Call Menor, to trace, at your own pace and with a leaflet, the city's Jewish footprint.
The exhibition is open for visitors on Wednesdays and Sundays, and tickets can be purchased directly at the ticket office. Prices are 2 euros for general admission and 1,50 for under 29s and over 65s. Children under 16 and holders of the targeta rosa gratuïta can enter free of charge.