Aljube Museum - Resistance and Freedom

The Aljube Museum – Resistance and Freedom (in portuguese, Museu do Aljube – Resistência e Liberdade) is the most recent museum center in Lisboa, having opened on the April 25^th, 2015. With the firm purpose of perpetrating in the memory of all its visitors, the fight against dictatorship and strengthen the free and democratic values, it was housed in the former Cadeia do Aljube¹.

The building from the 18^th century, has in reality older origins that date back to the Moorish occupation period, under the name "Al-Jubb." It was used for imprisonments of religious nature, as prison for women in the 19^th century and jail for political prisoners during the dictatorship period of the Estado Novo², in the 20^th century. Place of atrocities, privations and suffering through time, its six floors are now transformed in a testimony of resistance and freedom.

While passing the reception and going down to the floor -1, one can observe as part of the permanent exhibition, archaeological pieces made of ceramic and clay.

On the floor 1, there is documented the history of Portugal between 1890 and 1976, in which are emphasized concrete examples of the censorship exerted by the fascist regime leaded by Salazar. The traces of the regime itself and the bravery of the role of the illegal press as a spark of freedom in a country whose leaders decided to forget it, are also described.

Going up to the floor 2, one will see how the oppressing machine of the Estado Novo² worked and the ways how detainees were organized to fight it.

The floor 3 is a space dedicated to the colonial context and the Guerra do Ultramar².

The 4^th floor has an auditorium utilized for other events of the museum.

In the Aljube Museum there are temporary exhibitions that function like symbols of freedom of expression.

Translation references

1. Aljube Jail
2. New State
3. Overseas War