Exposition of Ephemera reveals strategies of Portugal during 2nd War

It is an exhibition developed by the Archive Ephemera, with the curatorship of historian and commentator José Pacheco Pereira, from a collection that covers about 600 original specimens with German, English and American propaganda, all in Portuguese.

In statements to the agency Lusa, José Pacheco Pereira explained that the exhibition, patented by the end of the year in warehouse 150, in the industrial zone of Barreiro, in the district of Setúbal, gives the propaganda both civil and military, “giving an idea of what those 1940s were”.

“ And all this was addressed to the Portuguese. What this exhibition has in particular is the target and the target are the Portuguese, first because it was a neutral country, then because it was a country whose regime was supposed to have sympathies with Germany, but it did not have as many as is assumed”, he said.

Pacheco Pereira recalls that Salazar was very conservative and did not like German paganism, therefore being closer to Italian fascism.

“ One of the advantages of making an exhibition like this is that people realize that things are more complex than ‘Aixo versus Allies’,” he said, pointing out that the fact that all these materials now displayed are in Portuguese reveals that there was a huge propaganda effort in Portugal.

The Portuguese case is a typical case of all propaganda techniques used by belligerent parties, with the exception of the Soviet Union due to censorship, and the exhibition makes known through books, leaflets, posters and various materials, the strategies and arguments used.

Asked about the importance of an exhibition on propaganda these days, Pacheco Pereira replied: “Everything, because we are in a dark period of our history and very similar to the 1930s and 40s.”.

“ It's not the same, history never repeats itself, but it's similar. What's it look like? The devaluation of democracy, the idea that what can truly help people is strength and power, a great historical revenge”, he explained.

Pacheco Pereira said that, in this context, the opponent is always presented in a pejorative way, as today happens in social networks, a space where advocates there is a devaluation of knowledge, the favor of confrontation and the loss of social reference, with schools losing ground.

In addition to the exhibition “The Other War – Propaganda in Portuguese in World War II” is also inaugurated today a reactive installation to the visitor entitled “The sound is silence”, of the 18—25 Research Studio, with production of Space Collectors.

Designed specifically for the industrial space of Warehouse 150, the installation, by Filipe Alves and Luca Martinucci, will have the theme of “The Other War – Propaganda in Portuguese in World War II” and was inspired by literary, cinematic, historical and sound references, crossing light, sound, movement and language.

“ The optimism distorted by advertising was our starting point to start working on a memory file that can flow during the visit. Each person will have a different experience. The response of the three machines we built will be triggered by each visitor depending on their movement ", explained Luca Martinucci.

The pre-opening of Warehouse 150, in Barreiro's industrial park, and the simultaneous inauguration of the two exhibitions, takes place within the framework of the European Heritage Days of 2026, and involves all the archives and cultural partners that are part of the Arquivos City project, which join in this new space of the Southern River.

The exhibitions will be patented to the public by the end of the year, every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday and the entrance is free.