The ICD commemorates Maria Assumpció Català i Poch, the first female astronomy professor in Spain

• The event, jointly organized by the UB and FGC, reviews her career in the 100 years since her birth

• President of the ICD: “It is important not to ignore the legacy left by the women of our country”

The Institut Català de les Dones has launched the Maria Assumpció Català i Poch year, which commemorates the first female astronomy professor in the State. The event served to remember her career in the 100th anniversary of her birth and was organized jointly with the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec, managed by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC).

Català i Poch (Barcelona, ​​July 14, 1925 – July 3, 2009) was the first woman to obtain a doctorate in Mathematics at the University of Barcelona (UB) in 1970 and was a professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at the UB. She carried out systematic observations of sunspots for more than thirty years and represented the State in the International Astronomical Union.

The event, held in the historic building of the UB, was hosted by science journalist Núria Jar. In the institutional welcome, the president of the ICD, Sònia Guerra López, valued the figure of Català i Poch as a pioneer who broke with the model of woman that existed at the time. “The genealogy of our country is not only made up of extraordinary men who did great things, but also of extraordinary women who left their mark”. Along these lines, she stressed that one of the lines of work of the ICD is the reconstruction of this feminist genealogy “to make known all the women who preceded us. For historical justice and to vindicate so many women who are a source of inspiration”. “It is important not to ignore the legacy that the women of our country have left and I would like to be able to see their story in school books throughout Catalonia”, she added.

In this sense, the Vice-Rector for Equality, Inclusion and Gender of the UB, Montserrat Puig Llobet, recalled that “only 33% of the world’s research staff are women and this lack of role models discourages vocations”. Puig mentioned some of the actions that will be promoted to commemorate the figure of Català, such as the publication of a biographical comic, the exhibition organized by the CRAI of the Physics and Chemistry Library of the UB or the restoration of the astronomical instruments used by Doctor Català.

The president of FGC, Carles Ruiz Novella, recalled that the largest telescope in the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec, located in Àger (La Noguera), has been named Assumpció Català since 2016. The christening ceremony took place on the 4th and, therefore, next week will be 9 years old. Ruiz highlighted about Doctor Català “two elements that are strategic for us. The first, science, at a time when society has many mechanisms of disinformation. Therefore, scientific dissemination is key”. In this sense, Ruiz recalled FGC’s commitment to scientific dissemination, among others, through the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec, a world reference in this field. “And second, that she was a pioneering woman who led innovative projects. We need this kind of leadership to open new paths”, he concluded.

Professor at the Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Barcelona and researcher at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the UB, Francesca Figueras Siñol, valued her professional dedication. For her part, Dr. Trinitat Cadefau Surroca, who was her student, remembered her as a teacher, and her nephew from Català i Poch, Ramon Català, spoke of her more family-oriented side.

Year of Assumpció Català

This initial event will be followed by other milestones during the year, such as the one prepared by the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec for July 14, coinciding with the date of her birth. In addition, the Park will also dedicate the Astronomy Festival, which this year reaches its 11th edition, to the astronomer. As part of the commemorations, a traveling exhibition will also be produced that will be incorporated into the ICD catalog.

The centenary of Assumpció Català is part of the Government’s commemorations for 2025, which annually agrees on the events and personalities that will be commemorated by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The objective is to highlight, recover and disseminate the memory of these events and personalities that have left their mark on the collective heritage of Catalans.

Feminist genealogy

The ICD commemorates the careers of various personalities annually as part of the recovery and dissemination of women’s historical memory. This year, together with Català i Poch, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maria Lluïsa Ponsa i Bassas, pianist and writer, is also commemorated.

This construction of feminist genealogy is one of the pillars of the institute’s work, which is complemented by the editing of publications and a catalogue with 49 travelling exhibitions that it lends to facilities, institutions and entities throughout Catalonia.