Modernisme a La Garriga

                                  La càrrega, Ramon Casas, Barcelona 1903.

El post que segueix, sobre el Modernisme a La Garriga, és una còpia del comentari enviat al bloc Left side of the road, administrat per un escriptor viatger, el senyor Michael Harrison de Liverpool (UK).




If it is true that “…Modernism was definitely a style of and for the rich…”, it is not less true that Modernism, precisely because “…it was a child of its time…” expanded into other human activities in addition to architecture. For example, literature. That’s why when we talk about Modernism here, in Catalonia, we find it very convenient to refer to one of the most respected Modernist Catalan poets , Joan Maragall (Barcelona, 10-10-1860 – 20-12-1911) and his “teoria de la paraula viva” (theory of the living word).

Many people here, in Barcelona and further afield, remember nowadays the events of the “Setmana Tràgica” in 1909 (the Tragic Week). At that time only very few people dared to oppose the death penalty, during the bloody and merciless repression that followed those events. Joan Maragall was one of them and he took a clear stance, far from the ‘snobism’ of certain intellectuals of that time who were just flirting with anarchist ideas. He wrote a very courageous article in October 1909, “La ciutat del perdó” (The city of forgiveness), which was strictly censored by the Spanish Government. Maragall tried, by these means, to defend the life of Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia (Alella, Maresme, 10-01-1859 – Barcelona, 13-10-1909), who was about to be executed. In this same article he also exposed the serious responsibility of the Catalan bourgeoisie in those events… being himself a bourgeois.

Ferrer i Guàrdia was a very important Catalan educationalist, creator of the “Escola Moderna” (Modern School), a practical project of libertarian pedagogy. He was accused of having promoted rebellion during the 1909 events and was executed by firing squad, in October of the same year, in Montjuïc Castle.

“The Times” of London, after this execution wrote: “… By negligence or stupidity, the Government has confounded the freedom of education and conscience, the human right to reason and express ideas, with the right of opposition, assimilating it to a criminal unrest…”

For more information about Modernism in Catalonia, refer to a book, in Spanish, “El primer Modernismo literario catalán y sus fundamentos ideológicos”, Editorial Ariel, Barcelona 1973, by Eduard Valentí i Fiol (Pals, Baix Empordà, 1910 – 1971, Barcelona).

El Sindicat Andalús de Treballadors

El post que segueix, sobre el Sindicat andalús de Treballadors és una còpia del comentari enviat al bloc Left side of the road, administrat per un escriptor viatger, el senyor Michael Harrison de Liverpool (UK).

I’m afraid right now there is not enough freedom of speech in this Southern European country of ours, to dare to explain openly our sincere opinion about this direct action, carried out by the Andalusian jornaleros. Anyway, let’s receive your article as a precious sample of international solidarity. And to all of you: stay strong, go ahead. Forwards! Until we can establish real social justice…

L'aeroport de Rosanes

                                              Un polikarpov de l'època

El post que segueix, sobre el Memorial Democràtic de l’antic aeroport militar de Rosanes, a La Garriga (Vallès Oriental)  és una còpia del comentari enviat al bloc Left side of the road, administrat per un escriptor viatger, el senyor Michael Harrison de Liverpool (UK).

L'aeroport de Rosanes

Thank you for talking about interesting historical sites which have been forbidden to us during a very long post war period. Even the fact that you come from a distant European country, makes it more laudatory at our Catalan eyes…

Only a few remarks. The fact that Spain did not take part in the “big” war of 1939-45, can be explained in detail. Actually, the Nazi-fascist regime of General Franco took clear sides from the very beginning of the Second World War. They even sent an entire unit of about 45.000-47.000 infantrymen, who served inside the Wehrmacht , during 1941-43 period and treacherously attacked the Soviet Union. These were the “250. Einheit spanische Freiwilliger (Blaue Division)”, known in Spain as ”250 Unidad de Voluntarios Españoles (División Azul)”. Franco put in charge of this Division two prominent generals of the Spanish Fascist army: Agustín Muñoz Grandes and Emilio Esteban Infantes.

In addition to this very clear aggression against the Soviet Union, the Spanish Fascist police never ceased collaborating effectively with the German Gestapo (Geheime Staats Polizei), the secret police of Adolf Hitler, especially after the occupation of France by the Nazis. Both police forces murdered hundreds – if not thousands – of war refugees, because they were Jews (Walter Benjamin) or were prominent Spanish Republican officials (Lluís Companys) or simply because they had served in the Spanish Loyalist army from 1936-39.

Walter Benedix Schönflies Benjamin (Berlin 1892-Port Bou 1940), an eminent philosopher, professor and writer, a member of the Frankfurt School, was cornered on the French-Spanish border, while he was trying to flee to the United States and died there.

Lluís Companys i Jover (Lleida 1882-Barcelona 1940), President of the Autonomous Catalan Government, during the Spanish Second Republic, was arrested in Bretagne (France) by the Gestapo and delivered to the Spanish police, who tortured and murdered him. He was the only European President, democratically elected, who was shot by the Nazi-fascists during this “big” war.

Moreover, after the war, General Franco allowed Spain to serve as a safe haven for former German war criminals. For example, Otto Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an SS (Schutzstaffel)- Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he was chosen as the field commander to carry out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, from captivity.

But in spite of all that, at the end of the Second World War, the United States Government preferred to have a war criminal, like General Franco, as an unconditional ally than to fight against him to restore democracy in Spain.

Parc Güell

El post que segueix, sobre el Parc Güell,  és una còpia del comentari enviat al bloc Left side of the road, administrat per un escriptor viatger, el senyor Michael Harrison de Liverpool (UK).

Park Güell

It’s good you are talking about Antoni Gaudí and issues in common amongst complaining tourists and residents near the park.

I wish to make only a historical remark. The first time Socialists took over Barcelona City Hall was in 1979. The first democratic elections after the Civil War were on the 15th of June 1977, but those were for the Parliament in Madrid. The second were in April ‘79 and those were also for the Parliament. And the third were also in April 79 and those, yes, were local and the so called Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC-PSOE) won and governed the city until two years ago.

The reason the System prepared these political events following precisely this chronological order, is due to the fact that the post-Franco Regime – after General Franco’s death in 1975 – well remembered the grand father of King Juan Carlos, Alfonso XIII, who was thrown off his throne just because the Spanish people had voted massively and overwhelmingly for the Republican parties in local polls, on the 14th of April 1931 and then,the next day, the Second Spanish Republic was proclamed.

Santa Margarida

Malgrat l'onada de calor, quedem a les vuit del matí per pujar a Santa Margarida de Vinyoles, un dels llocs emblemàtics de la meva infantesa, que feia anys i panys que no havia visitat.

Sembla mentida que puguem pujar sense sol, sota la fageda que, tot i eixuta, conserva encara la frescor del verd transparent.

En arribar, la carena de la muntanya se'ns obre com una flor, al mig de la qual l'ermita se'ns apareix com el pistil de pedra de la flor oberta.

I no ens cansem de mirar el paisatge estès, onades de verdor de boscos i, al lluny, la sanefa blava de les muntanyes diluïda en la calitja.

No som ben bé els mateixos quan tornem. Més feliços, més amics, enmig de la natura que ens habita.

Camí de libèl.lules

Vas venir i ens vas portar de dret cap a l'aigua. En un dia de calor xardorosa, la riera encara era freda sota la volta verda dels arbres, i vam seure amb els peus a l'aigua, just on les arrels vermelles xuclaven la humitat.

I llavors va començar l'espectacle de les libèl.lules: una de petita amb un verd iridescent; l'altra negra, l'altra un esclat de blau lluminós. Volant arran de l'aigua o quieta a contrallum d'una fulla ampla, cadascuna va subratllar els petits moments de la trobada.

Tota la llum pretèrita de les estrelles feta perfecció i miracle.

Festa major al Figaró!

http://www.elfigaro.net/pl200/actualitat/noticies/id621/festa-major-figaro-festeig-d-estiu.htm

Tal com raja

El divendres 27 de juliol, a les 9 del vespre, als jardins de Cal Bach, es va presentar a Prats de Lluçanès el llibre Tal com raja, que explica com s'ha rentat la roba als pobles del Lluçanès al llarg dels anys.