THE ARÚS PUBLIC LIBRARY

The history of our library

BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA ARÚS

The Arús Public Library was founded by Rossend Arús i Arderiu as a general library in 1895, in order to instruct the people of Barcelona. Nowadays, it has become a research centre specialised in freemasonry, labour movement, federal republicanism, anarchism, and the Sherlock Holmes universe. Additionally, it holds a very important historical collection covering all subjects of human knowledge, with a predominance of works published in the 19th and first third of the 20th centuries.

Inauguration

1895

Founder

Rossend Arús i Arderiu

Will executors and promoters

Valentí Almirall i
Antoni Farnés

Architect

Bonaventura Bassegoda i Amigó

Master builder

Pere Bassegoda i Mateu

Decoration

Josep Lluís Pellicer

Artists and craftsmen

Manuel Fuxà (sculpture), Lluís Razzauti (bronze sculpture reproduction), Joan Sunyol (woodwork), Tomàs Torrents (painter and interior design), Lluís Nogués (marble), Coll i Escofet (glasswork), fill d’Ignasi Damians (metal melting) i Joaquim Cortada (metal engraving).

ROSSEND ARÚS

Barcelona, 1844 – 1891

Rossend Arús was born in Barcelona in 1844. His father, Pere Arús Cuixart, was a prominent trader of colonial goods, particularly textile industry dyes, who came from a wealthy family from l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, whereas his mother, Teresa Arderiu Pons, came from Das, a little village in the Catalan Pyrenees. Arús was good-natured and cheerful, yet had a sharp and sarcastic demeanour, which spurred his avid defence of democracy, federal republicanism, left-wing catalanism, freethinking and Freemasonry. He also was a philanthropist and generous benefactor who sought progress for those around him.