The German 'prince of books' who revolutionized Alcudia

PalmNear the sea, the medieval walls of Alcudia guard a treasure that hasn't always been appreciated. The anecdote is told by Victoria Vives, one of the technicians at Can Torró: "A few years ago, a very scared woman came to us and said: 'But what is this? What kind of library is this, where everyone can come, entire families with their children?'" The iconoclastic project was launched 35 years ago at the initiative of Reinhard Mohn. He was a wealthy German tourist, but not just any tourist. Aside from money, he was a compulsive bibliophile, a passion he had inherited from his family, owners of a prominent publishing group. Born in 1921 in Gütersloh (in northern Germany), in 1962 Mohn launched the Círculo de Lectores in Spain, a club where subscribers could buy music and books directly from home (it would disappear in 2019 at the hands of Grupo Planeta). In 1977, he also created the Bertelsmann Stiftung cultural foundation, based in his hometown.

"In the late 1980s," Vives notes, "Mohn had a daughter with a respiratory illness. To help her recover, the doctors recommended a change of scenery. He was brought here by a friend who lived in the Bonaire residential area. Later, he bought a summer house. One day, he bought a 30-square-meter summer house located in the current Cultural Center. He was very disappointed. The role model for that 'prince of books' was the multipurpose cultural center he had established in his hometown of Gütersloh and later exported to Cairo (Egypt). "He took a delegation from the City Council to Gütersloh on his private plane so they could see the project in person. The mayor at the time was the Socialist Tomeu Alemany, and the councilor for culture was Antoni Bibiloni. Both enthusiastically agreed to make it happen in Alcudia as well."

For the occasion, a board of trustees was formed by municipal authorities and representatives of the German foundation. The site chosen for the new library was the imposing 16th-century Renaissance house, located in the historic center, with three floors and a basement. "It was inhabited," the technician states, "by Miquel Ques, Nougat nickname. He was the brother-in-law of the Artana politician Josep Melià. He had no problem selling it. They offered him just over 100 million pesetas, which the City Council paid in full. The money for the renovation, equipment, and staff training was provided by Mohn.

A book supermarket

On April 23, 1990, World Book Day, the long-awaited inauguration of the complex took place. Vives started working at the age of eight and would end up serving as manager from 1999 to 2005. "It was a library that broke new ground not only in Mallorca, but throughout Spain. At that time, traditional libraries practically had no windows because they used all the walls to house the many shelves. This made the user feel more comfortable."

Can Torró also offered a new way to access books. "We grouped them by subject," the former manager points out, "and people could consult them directly, without the intervention of the librarian. To improve the service, we followed standards from the commercial world. This way, we were able to detect which books were in greatest demand. This, however, didn't mean abandoning the classics." There were other incentives. "Users could borrow as many books as they wanted, unlimitedly. And they could borrow not only books, but also music on CD, DVD movies, and games." There was no reason to close on weekends. "Sunday morning is market day in Alcudia, and Mohn wanted the library to be open that day as well (it's still the only one in Mallorca that is). The idea was to conceive the space as a book supermarket, not just a place for studying, clothed in seriousness."

Another striking detail: at Can Torró, the sepulchral silence characteristic of so many libraries is broken by piped music, which often connects to Ràdio Alcúdia, created a year later, in 1991, as a tool for municipal cohesion. "In Mallorca," Vives notes, "we're all about chatting loudly. But here, users are clear that they can't do so over the piped music. When we stop hearing it, that's when we call their attention." For those who prefer to read more quietly and outdoors, the facility has an interior courtyard, which saw the birth of the first jazz and poetry festivals before the inauguration of the Auditorium in 2000.

A nationwide call was made to fill the position of the first manager. The winner was Catalan Eulàlia Espinàs. "Five years later, she left her post and was responsible for opening a branch of the Bertelsmann Foundation in Barcelona. From this institution, she would publicize the pioneering Can Torró project, which is now studied in library science faculties. We always have librarians from the Iberian Peninsula who come to visit us." Today, after 35 years, the Can Torró board of trustees is expected to dissolve so that the City Council can take over the direct management of the library. Vives celebrates the fact that Mohn's dream has remained alive despite changes in government. "A public library is the clearest manifestation of democracy. It allows people direct access to knowledge and quality information without any barriers, whether age, social, or economic."

Heritage Value

Can Torró is not only of great cultural value. In 1990, it became the cornerstone of a beautification plan that rescued an extraordinary architectural heritage from oblivion. This is confirmed by Carme Suárez, Culture Officer at the City Council: "Alcúdia is full of stately homes from the 16th century. They were built by the nobles of Palma who took refuge behind the city walls following the Germanic War (1521-1523). That's why it was called the 'Most Faithful City of the Tapas'. People thought they were too old-fashioned.

Alcudia was the first municipality to benefit from this facelift, which had the unconditional support of Mayor Alemán, although it didn't arouse much popular enthusiasm. "However," Suárez points out, "the conditions were very good. The owners only had to pay 30% of the renovation. Then, the City Council launched another comprehensive renovation plan with subsidies from the Ministry of Housing. Thus, as the buildings were renovated, through word of mouth, people discovered that they had sandstone facades, Gothic staircases, and semicircular arches."

There was also money to pave the streets and rebuild both the medieval and Renaissance walls. The changes were immediately noticeable. "At that time, Alcudia was very run down. People preferred to go live at the port. With government aid, many began to reoccupy the town's houses." Next to Can Torró, Can Fondo would also shine as an art gallery. No less important was the restoration of Can Domènech, the headquarters of the Bryant Foundation, the American organization responsible for the excavations of the Roman city of Pol lèntia since the 1950s. Since 2003, during the summer evenings, the show Way Out It is responsible for staging the history of the municipality on the street with all its rich heritage.

Tourist-filled town

Today, with its sandstone facades exposed, Alcúdia is seen as just another extension of Ciutadella, from which it lies 63 kilometers by sea. The municipality has completely changed its appearance. "From having 6,000 inhabitants four decades ago," says Suárez, "it now has around 20,700, including those from the port. Some Alcudia residents have been tempted to sell their renovated houses at a good price, which have become another tourist attraction. Now it's all restaurants, shops, or small hotels."

Amidst this depersonalization of the former refuge of the nobles of the Germanías, Can Torró stands as a true cultural oasis that emulates the Casa Encendida in Madrid. "Tourists," says Vives, "often go in to go to the bathroom and are amazed." The German soul of the innovative project, Reinhard Mohn, died in 2009 in his hometown, at the age of 88. In 2005, he enjoyed his appointment as an Illustrious Son of Alcudia. And in 1998, he had already been awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.