Barcelona will commemorate the 75th anniversary of President Lluís Companys' execution

Barcelona (CNA).- This 15^th of October will be the 75^th anniversary of Catalan President Lluís Companys’ death by firing squad. Catalonia’s Commission for Dignity, an NGO that aims to return the documents confiscated by Franco’s troops at the end of the Spanish Civil War to their rightful owners in Catalonia, “urged” the Spanish state and the army to condemn the court-martial that executed the President in 1940. The Commission also invited Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and commanding officer of the Spanish military forces stationed in Catalonia, General Boyero Delgado, to attend the commemoration events “as an action of normality”.As part of its programme to preserve historical memory, the Commission is preparing a concert on the 11^th of October, performed by the School of Music of Catalonia (ESMUC), to pay homage to the assassinated republican President. 

The Commission for Dignity sent a letter to both Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and commanding officer of the Spanish military forces stationed in Catalonia, General Boyero Delgado, inviting them to the 75^th anniversary commemoration of President Company’s execution. In the letters, the Commission highlighted that in 2008 both France and Germany “condemned and assumed responsibilities” in the court-martial execution and it therefore “requires” them to attend the homage events “as an act of normality”.  

The letter to Mariano Rajoy urged the Spanish government to “explicitly” condemn Companys’ execution and to take part in the commemoration events that will be held on the 15^th of October, the date on which Companys was murdered. The letter to General Boyero Delgado requires the army “to pay tribute” to the republican President by taking part in the flower offering that will be held at ‘Fossar de la Pedrera’s mausoleum. The Commission would regard this as “an evident defence of democracy and condemnation of fascist crimes” stated the letters.

Institutional commemoration events

As part of its programme to preserve historical memory, the Commission for Dignity is preparing a concert on the 11^th of October, performed by the School of Music of Catalonia (ESMUC) to pay homage to the assassinated republican President. ESMUC will perform pieces from Beethoven and Wagner, which were played by the Pau Casals Orchestra in 1936 as a homage to anti-fascist fighters. The concert will be accompanied with readings of poems and other texts.

On the 15^th of October, the exact date when Companys was murdered, an institutional commemoration will take place in ‘Palau de la Generalitat’, the Catalan Government headquarters and will also include ESMUC participation.