The Government of Catalonia commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Josep Irla i Bosch (1876-1958).

Josep Irla was one of the main figures of Catalan republicanism in the Girona regions. He served as a councillor at the Sant Feliu de Guíxols City Council during the period of Catalan Solidarity, mayor during the Tragic Week, and provincial deputy under the Commonwealth of Catalonia. He was imprisoned during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, served as commissioner of the Generalitat in Girona, and held other positions during the Republic. He became President of the Parliament of Catalonia in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, and finally, after exile in France and the execution of President Lluís Companys, Irla assumed the presidency of the Generalitat of Catalonia in exile in 1940, becoming its 124th president.

In a context of great hardship, he upheld institutional legality and defended Catalonia's culture and self-government. In 1945, he promoted the first and only government of the Generalitat in exile, with figures such as Pompeu Fabra, Carles Pi i Sunyer, Antoni Rovira i Virgili and Josep Carner.

During fourteen years in exile, despite difficulties and lack of international recognition, he maintained a minimal administrative structure and upheld diplomatic contacts to defend the Catalan cause. In 1954, he announced his resignation for health reasons. Irla died in Saint Rafael in 1958, and in 1981 his remains were transferred to his hometown.

Speaker: Josep Maymí Rich, historian and anthropologist. Organization: Memorial Democràtic, Department of Justice and Democratic Quality of the Generalitat de Catalunya. With the collaboration of: Girona History Museum, Girona City Council. Free activity organized within the framework of the activities of the Josep Irla Year. It will take place in the cloister on the first floor, and in case of rain it will be held in an indoor space