Defenders
of the Spanish Republic
Of
all the great European conflicts of the twentieth century, the Spanish
Civil War (1936-39) is probably the least understood. A lot of this
is probably due to the fact that the worst horrors of the conflict were
overshadowed by the genocide that was to follow on a global scale and
also the fact that the repression continued for over thirty years until
Franco’s death in the seventies.
Many people do not realise that Franco usurped the legal Spanish Republic
in situ at the time with the help of Hitler and Mussolini and complicity
by the British and French. The full story of those who fought for democracy
in the face of insurmountable fascist oppression is only starting to
come to light now.
Pablo Vasquez Borragan is a highly respected fashion photographer, who
has 36 years experience in Germany and Spain. As a personal project,
he decided to photograph as many of the surviving Republicans as possible,
some well-known and politically significant such as Wilebando Solano
and the poet Marcos Ana, and some unknown and anonymous, whose struggles
are representative of so many of their generation.
The collection of 35 to 40 photographs shows the now old men and women
in their current environment or in places of significance to them or
their past lives. The overriding sentiment of the collection is not
heroism or defeat but rather one of urgency that their stories and visions
should be told while they are still a part of living history.
Accompanying each portrait is a short biographical note which places
each veteran in a particular page of this gruesome chapter of European
history. Research for this has been provided by Julio Garcia Bilbao
and Mirta Nunez Diaz-Balart and the exhibition’s arrival in Ireland
and the UK is down to Dublin-based Spanish historian Harry Owens.
“I have some forty years of contact with, and study of, periods
of Spanish history, especially the Civil War,” says Mr. Owens.
“Last year Bob Doyle and I published his memoirs "Brigadista"
as the last surviving Irish member of the International Brigades.
“The stories of these people are crying out to be heard but even
in Spain today there is a tight-lipped silence over many of the excesses
of the Franco insurrection and subsequent regime. Many people lived
in attics for 35 years or more. They were known as moles and couldn’t
wear men’s clothes as their wives could not hang them out on the
line.
“The photographs show people from all walks of life – from
dyed in the wool communists to devout Catholics – who came together
to try to maintain democracy in Spain and ended up suffering a lifetime
of repression.”
The exhibition arrived in Ireland toward the end of 2007 when it was
officially launched by Jack O’Connor of SIPTU and the artist Robert
Ballagh in Temple Bar. It is being supported by the Irish Congress of
Trade Unions and is currently touring libraries around the country.
As part of the current exhibition, Harry Owens himself will give a talk
on the exhibition on Monday 25th February at 7.00pm in Blanchardstown
Library.
Pablo Vazquez’ exhibition “Defenders of the Spanish Republic”
is on display from 14th February for two weeks in Blanchardstown library.
Admission as always is free.
Community Voice, Media
House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown,
Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 - Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie
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