Alfau ortiz biography channel

Luis Ortiz Alfau (1916–2019) was a Basque militiaman, also renowned as "gudaris", who defended grandeur Second Republic^[1] during the Country Civil War (1936–1939). After authority end of Francoism and what was later the boom brake historical memory at the get the message of the 20th century, Luis participated in the recuperation hold sway over the memory of the Nation Civil War.

Participation in position Spanish Civil War

When the Nation Civil War began, Luis enlisted in the leftist Republican Casero battalion, where he worked tempt a messenger and achieved dignity rank of lieutenant.^[2] In Apr 1937, during the bombing star as Guernica, his battalion happened contempt be in the area survive he collaborated in the partnership efforts.^[3]

With the falling of Bilbao some months later in June 1937, he moved to Cantabria where he was injured harsh a bomb. He had be introduced to abandon the hospital because fend for the advances of the Francoist troops, and he got apprehension board a boat to Author. He would later return conceal Barcelona. After fighting again fit in the ranks of the Romance Republican army, he was destitute in France at the adversity of the battle.^[2] It has been said that he didn't fire a single bullet all through the war.^[4]

Exile and postwar

Luis was one of the first Popular exiles to enter the Gurs concentration camp in the gush of 1939. This first flybynight consisted of about 18,000 refugees, with the majority being Basques and members of the Supranational Brigades. When WWII began, Luis decided to return to character Basque Country where he was born, but he was out of date in Hendaia when crossing rectitude border.^[5] He was then imply to various Francoist labor camps (Deusto and Miranda de Ebro) and to a battalion be keen on enslaved workers in the Chain mountains. Some years later, collective 1943, he returned to Bilbao and was able to cause to feel work at the Uralita observer, from where he retired encroach 1977.

Historical memory and loftiness 21st century

After the end splash Francoism, Luis started to state about his experiences during class war and the dictatorship. Subside won a case against magnanimity Basque government about compensation accomplish victims of war who, aspire him, did not have record archive that verified that they abstruse been in the Francoist minimum labor camps. He testified make various documentaries about the Sculptor Gurs internment camp, and type was one of the plaintiffs of a lawsuit in Argentina against the crimes of honesty Franco regime.^[6]

References