Europe

Tribute to Francisco Largo Caballero to be Held in Berlin

Monolith to remember Francisco Largo Caballero unveiled at Sachsenhausen Memorial in Oranienburg

October 18th, 2024
Giorgia Piovesan, News from Berlin
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On October 14, 2024, a tribute was hold in Germany to honor Francisco Largo Caballero, a prominent figure in Spain's Second Republic and a leader in the fight for workers' rights. The event, organized by the Francisco Largo Caballero Foundation and the General Union of Workers of Spain (UGT), took  place at the Sachsenhausen Memorial in Oranienburg, where a monolith was inaugurated in his memory.

Largo Caballero, who was President of the Spanish Government and Minister of Labor during the Second Republic, played a significant role in shaping labor policies in Spain. During the German occupation of France, he was arrested and later imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp of Sachsenhausen from 1943 until its liberation in 1945. His imprisonment, a symbol of his struggle against fascism, is now being commemorated with this monolith, a solemn tribute to his legacy.

The inauguration of the monolith took place at 13:00 at the Sachsenhausen Memorial. The ceremony featured speeches by Astrid Ley, the Deputy Director of the Memorial, Pascual Navarro, the Spanish Ambassador to Germany, Fernando Martínez, Spain's Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, Yasmin Fahimi, the Federal President of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB), and Pepe Álvarez, the General Secretary of UGT.

Later in the day, the focus shifted to a broader discussion of how Spain and Germany approach their historical legacies, with a roundtable debate titled “Democratic Memory Policies: A Comparative Analysis of Spain and Germany.” This debate took place at the Spanish Embassy in Berlin, beginning with opening remarks by Pascual Navarro, Luise Rürup, the Spain Delegate of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and Pepe Álvarez.

The tribute to Francisco Largo Caballero serves not only as a recognition of his personal sacrifice and dedication to the Spanish labor movement but also as a broader reminder of the importance of preserving historical memory.

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News from Berlin