PAUL SENN: THE RETIRADA AS SEEN BY A SWISS PHOTOGRAPHER" EXHIBITION AT THE CHÂTEAU ROYAL

– At the Château Royal in Collioure
– From Saturday 7 February to Monday 6 April 2026
– Every day from 10 am to 5 pm
– Opening: Friday 6 February at 6.30pm

PAUL SENN: LA RETIRADA AS SEEN BY A SWISS PHOTOGRAPHER” exhibition

In collaboration with the Rivesaltes camp memorial.
Presentation of photographs by the famous Swiss reporter Paul Senn.

In January 1939, thousands of Spaniards arrived at the border with France. They escaped the advance of Franco’s forces by sea and along mountain paths, crossing the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees. Nearly 450,000 people, including first civilians and then soldiers, entered France via various crossing points during the major exodus of the early 20th century: the Retirada.

Several photographers and film-makers witnessed this. Among them was Paul Senn, a Swiss journalist. He used his work as a rallying cry against the war and its consequences for civilians, particularly children. Since 1937, he has reported on the Spanish War, the disengagement of the International Brigades and, in early 1939, the emigration of Spanish republicans to France. By remaining close and empathetic at all times, he created some striking portraits.
This exhibition showcases some forty photographs of the Perthus crossing, a major point of passage for Retirada refugees.