The exhibition League of Nations (1920-19476): promises and legacies, about the history and legacies of the League of Nations will be inaugurated on 21 January at the National Library of Portugal, with the scientific coordination of Pedro Aires Oliveira.

It seeks to provide an international and transnational view of the League, focusing also on the involvement of Portuguese personalities in its history – both official and civil society. The League was created in 1920 and gave rise, in 1945, to the United Nations (UN). It was a first attempt to provide society with a collective security mechanism that could avert a catastrophes such as that occurred between 1914 and 1918.

Pedro Aires Oliveira, explains that the main objectives of the exhibition are “to disseminate to a wider audience a truly innovative experience, the culmination of many reflections and utopias that aimed to make the relations between communities fairer and more peaceful”, “to create a cosmopolitan spirit and stimulate the search for non-nationalist solutions to problems that affect all humanity ”, and also “ to stimulate a greater interest in the Portuguese participation in the League, still poorly known”.

The exhibition’s collection includes documents and objects from the UN Archive in Geneva, the Historical-Diplomatic Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Library. It will be open from 21 January to 24 April, 2020, during the opening hours of the National Library, with free admission.