Aberystwyth at War: Experience, Impact, Legacy 1914-1919 / Aberystwyth a Rhyfel: Profiad, Effaith, Etifeddiaeth 1914-1919

In Spring 2018, the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University was awarded a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to complete a project that would enable students to work with community volunteers to explore, interpret and preserve the stories of the Aberystwyth community as it was during wartime one hundred years ago. The project 'Aberystwyth at War: Experience, Impact, Legacy, 1914-1919' ran from May 2018 to November 2019. It duly explored the impact of the conflict on the people and communities of the local area through the collaborative efforts of volunteers, local archives, the university, local history societies, schools, and performance and arts groups. Our participants engaged with wartime records, letters, newspapers, photographs, music, war memorials and personal histories held at our partner organisations the National Library of Wales, Ceredigion Archives and Ceredigion Museum, as well as at the Aberystwyth University Library and public places in the surrounding area. Over 70 students and local volunteers captured and interpreted these community histories through activities, displays, exhibitions, performance and accessible online resources. Photograph of officers of the Cheshire Regiment and Aberystwyth University students by permission of Robert Lee (Lee Family History Archive). / Gyda chanmlwyddiant diwedd y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf yn digwydd ym mis Tachwedd 2018, roedd yr Adran Hanes a Hanes Cymru wrth ei bodd yng ngwanwyn 2018 i gael grant gan Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol ar gyfer prosiect a fyddai’n galluogi myfyrwyr i weithio gyda gwirfoddolwyr cymunedol i archwilio, dehongli a chadw straeon cymuned Aberystwyth fel yr oedd yn ystod y rhyfel gan mlynedd yn ôl. Rhedodd y prosiect, Aberystwyth a Rhyfel: Profiad, Effaith, Etifeddiaeth, 1914-1919, rhwng Mai 2018 a Thachwedd 2019. Archwiliodd effaith y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf ar bobl a chymunedau Aberystwyth trwy ymdrechion cydweithredol gwirfoddolwyr, archifau lleol, y brifysgol, cymdeithasau hanes lleol, ysgolion, a grwpiau perfformio a chelf. Bu'r grwpiau hyn yn ymwneud â chofnodion amser rhyfel, llythyrau, papurau newydd, ffotograffau, cerddoriaeth, cofebion rhyfel a hanesion personol a gedwir yn sefydliadau ein partneriaid, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Archifdy Ceredigion ac Amgueddfa Ceredigion, yn ogystal ag yn Llyfrgell Prifysgol Aberystwyth a lleoedd cyhoeddus yn yr ardal. Cipiodd a dehonglodd dros 70 o fyfyrwyr a gwirfoddolwyr lleol yr hanesion cymunedol hyn mewn gweithgareddau, arddangosfeydd, perfformiad ac adnoddau ar-lein. Ffotograff o swyddogion Catrawd Swydd Gaer a myfyrwragedd Coleg Aberystwyth trwy ganiatad Robert Lee (Archif Hanes Teulu Lee).