Catalan tribute to 70th anniversary of the liberation of Ravensbrück Nazi concentration camp
CNA
Barcelona (ACN).- L'Amical de Ravensbrück association and
the Catalan Government commemorated the 70th anniversary of the
liberation of the Ravensbrück concentration camp in north-eastern
Germany on Sunday. The association of Catalan survivors of this Nazi
camp and their relatives organised the event, in which some of the
survivors of the camp participated, including Neus Catalá, anti-fascist
fighter and member of the PSUC (Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia) in
her youth as well as the only living Spanish survivor of Ravensbrück.
The commemoration coincided the celebration of Neus Catalá, aged 99, who
this year was given the Gold Medal of the Government of Catalonia, the
highest award given by the institution to those people or institutions
who have excelled with their work in the political, social, economic,
cultural or scientific, and raised awareness of Catalan cultural
heritage. L'Amical de Ravensbrück also works with the constant objective
of recognising the life of Neus Catalá and by extension all those who
suffered from the consequences of the Second World War and the horrors
of the concentration camps.
During the Second World War, thousands of women were imprisoned for
political reasons or for refusing to comply with the Nazi judgments in
the Ravensbrück concentration camp, a facility for women only located in
north-eastern Germany. Some 92,000 were killed there, including Catalan
Carme Bartolí, who died in the arms of another colleague, Coloma Serós.
These women are the tragic protagonists in the song 'Morir a
Ravensbrück (Dying in Ravensbrück) by Catalan poet Montserrat Roig. The
song was performed with great emotion on Sunday by Marina Rossell, one
of the most recognised Catalan singer-songwriter who was also part of
the opposition against Franco's dictatorial regime, The performance took
place in front of the commemorative plaque at the concentration camp to
close the ceremony. Rossell also took the opportunity to perform the
song 'Paisatge de l'Ebre' (Landscape of the Ebro) by the recently
deceased Teresa Rebull, a Marxist and feminist singer who was exiled to
France during the Spanish Civil War and who passed away on the 15th of
this month.
The event was also attended by Joana Ortega, Vice President of the
Catalan Government; Anna Sallés, President of L'Amical de Ravensbrück;
and Jordi Palou-Loverdos, Director of the Memorial Democràtic de
Catalunya, an institution which stands for human rights and the
preservation of historical memory. The attendants made a wreath in front
of the plaque that recalls the Catalan prisoners of the camp. "We must
keep the memory alive," insisted Ortega. Neus Catalá attended with her
daughter Margarita Català. "Whenever I come to Ravensbrück it is a very
emotional experience, I think about all that my mother lived through and
all the other women here," stated Margarita noting that there are many
who can no longer go there.
During the ceremony a minute silence was held for the victims of the
Nazi concentration camps and Anna Sallés also insisted that it is
essential to "remember and honour all those who lived, and the many who
died" during this time. Anna highlighted the efforts of many
concentration camp survivors such as Neus Català, who have "continued
fighting for democracy" even after they left the horrors of camps.
Currently Neus Català continues to be a loyal member of the Partit dels
Comunistes de Catalunya (Communist Party of Catalonia), which is part of
the Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (EUiA, the United and Alternative Left
coalition that runs together with the Catalan Green Socialists ICV) and
the Fundació Pere Ardiaca, a centre which aims to contribute to the
discussion and elaboration of alternative proposals to a neoliberal
system. Today, it is "fundamental" continue "fighting for democracy
against inequality and racism" and to prevent the reoccurrence of acts
such as those that took place in 1930s Germany said Anna Sallés.
Joana Ortega, Vice President of the Catalonian Government agreed,
stating that it is "very important" not to forget what happened in
Ravensbrück over 70 years ago. "We must keep the memory alive," she
said. "We owe it to the women who lost their lives, we must do it as
well because today we live in peace and in democracy with ease, but
there was a price that was paid and many, many lives". According to Joan
Ortega, "now it is more important than ever" to keep the memory of
these events alive since "the last survivors will gradually no longer be
with us and will have to pass on their testimonies to younger
generations". The Ravensbrück camp "should be a must visit for all of us
once in our lives" said the Vice President because it helps to
"understand much more the value of peace and the value of democracy."
"It can never happen again, and the responsibility to keep alive the
spirit of 'never again' and the memory is ours, and it is a great
responsibility," she remarked.
political reasons or for refusing to comply with the Nazi judgments in
the Ravensbrück concentration camp, a facility for women only located in
north-eastern Germany. Some 92,000 were killed there, including Catalan
Carme Bartolí, who died in the arms of another colleague, Coloma Serós.
These women are the tragic protagonists in the song 'Morir a
Ravensbrück (Dying in Ravensbrück) by Catalan poet Montserrat Roig. The
song was performed with great emotion on Sunday by Marina Rossell, one
of the most recognised Catalan singer-songwriter who was also part of
the opposition against Franco's dictatorial regime, The performance took
place in front of the commemorative plaque at the concentration camp to
close the ceremony. Rossell also took the opportunity to perform the
song 'Paisatge de l'Ebre' (Landscape of the Ebro) by the recently
deceased Teresa Rebull, a Marxist and feminist singer who was exiled to
France during the Spanish Civil War and who passed away on the 15th of
this month.
The event was also attended by Joana Ortega, Vice President of the
Catalan Government; Anna Sallés, President of L'Amical de Ravensbrück;
and Jordi Palou-Loverdos, Director of the Memorial Democràtic de
Catalunya, an institution which stands for human rights and the
preservation of historical memory. The attendants made a wreath in front
of the plaque that recalls the Catalan prisoners of the camp. "We must
keep the memory alive," insisted Ortega. Neus Catalá attended with her
daughter Margarita Català. "Whenever I come to Ravensbrück it is a very
emotional experience, I think about all that my mother lived through and
all the other women here," stated Margarita noting that there are many
who can no longer go there.
During the ceremony a minute silence was held for the victims of the
Nazi concentration camps and Anna Sallés also insisted that it is
essential to "remember and honour all those who lived, and the many who
died" during this time. Anna highlighted the efforts of many
concentration camp survivors such as Neus Català, who have "continued
fighting for democracy" even after they left the horrors of camps.
Currently Neus Català continues to be a loyal member of the Partit dels
Comunistes de Catalunya (Communist Party of Catalonia), which is part of
the Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (EUiA, the United and Alternative Left
coalition that runs together with the Catalan Green Socialists ICV) and
the Fundació Pere Ardiaca, a centre which aims to contribute to the
discussion and elaboration of alternative proposals to a neoliberal
system. Today, it is "fundamental" continue "fighting for democracy
against inequality and racism" and to prevent the reoccurrence of acts
such as those that took place in 1930s Germany said Anna Sallés.
Joana Ortega, Vice President of the Catalonian Government agreed,
stating that it is "very important" not to forget what happened in
Ravensbrück over 70 years ago. "We must keep the memory alive," she
said. "We owe it to the women who lost their lives, we must do it as
well because today we live in peace and in democracy with ease, but
there was a price that was paid and many, many lives". According to Joan
Ortega, "now it is more important than ever" to keep the memory of
these events alive since "the last survivors will gradually no longer be
with us and will have to pass on their testimonies to younger
generations". The Ravensbrück camp "should be a must visit for all of us
once in our lives" said the Vice President because it helps to
"understand much more the value of peace and the value of democracy."
"It can never happen again, and the responsibility to keep alive the
spirit of 'never again' and the memory is ours, and it is a great
responsibility," she remarked.
More on
Catalan Government, Franco Dictatorship, Gold Medal, Historic Memory, History, Hommage, Human Rights, Joana Ortega, Marina Rossell, Montserrat Roig, Nazi Camps, Nazi Camps Survivors, Nazism, Neus Català, Ravensbrück, Spanish Civil War, Tribute
The Nazi concentration camp of Ravensbrück, on Sunday, when a tribute to the victims was held (by L. Pous)
