| ign="center"> | | | | exceedingly common ways for the anarchists to |
| Barcelona is a town with a history that like a good | | | | show their stances and beliefs. |
| Catalan red wine is both rich and dark. Its | | | | Towards the end of the First World War, and in |
| foundations stretch back to at least the 15th | | | | the years that immediately followed, Barcelona |
| century BC, if not earlier. Like so much of ancient | | | | was home to many strikes and protests against |
| Europe the Romans founded the first semblance | | | | the ever-increasing rate of joblessness and the |
| of the town we know today as Barcelona. In the | | | | continual slashes in many workers' wages by |
| centuries that followed Barcelona was invaded by | | | | factory owners. During this time the memory of |
| many powerful groups of people including the | | | | a tragic uprising in 1909 which saw 6 people killed, |
| Visigoths, the Moors and the Muslim ruler Al | | | | 1, 700 charged with crimes and five executed for |
| Mansur. Plundered, conquered, nearly destroyed | | | | their alleged involvement with the uprising |
| and under siege for much of its life, it comes as | | | | — including Francisco Ferrer, a well known |
| no surprise that Barcelona is also a city with a | | | | Spanish free-thinker — was still fresh in the |
| particular penchant for civil rights and freedom. | | | | minds of the people of Barcelona as this is where |
| Where the fight for liberty, and some evidence of | | | | the event had occurred. |
| both local and national political justice and peace, | | | | In 1934 the CNT had some 1.5 million members |
| would eventually lead to Barcelona becoming one | | | | and by the time the Spanish revolution began in |
| of Spain's largest strongholds for those who | | | | 1936 this number had grown even larger. While it |
| believed in the idea of anarchism. | | | | is nearly impossible to sum up the events of the |
| In the most basic of essences anarchism is a | | | | Spanish Civil War that followed in a few lines, it |
| system of political beliefs which dictates that a | | | | can be defined as a conflict between the left wing |
| society (or group of people) will be free from | | | | parties of Spain (including anarchists, socialists, |
| laws, police, governments and other forms of | | | | communists, and some republicans) and the right |
| imposing authority. Instead of this type of | | | | wing Nationalist party which was headed by the |
| governed society anarchists feel that a libertarian | | | | infamous Francisco Franco. By the end of 1939 |
| culture should be founded around mutual | | | | Franco was successful in overthrowing the |
| cooperation and help amongst the members of | | | | current Spanish Republican government and |
| the anarchist society. | | | | creating his own dictatorship. Thus the right-wing |
| When and what exactly planted the first seeds of | | | | side had succeeded in winning the three year long |
| anarchism in the people of Spain and the city of | | | | civil war. |
| Barcelona is hard to say. Perhaps it was a result | | | | The Spanish Civil war may have officially ended, |
| of the industrial revolution or a way of revolting | | | | but the Second World War was just beggining and |
| against the stark rules and ideologies of Victorian | | | | Franco's power in Spain was to remain strong for |
| Europe, not to mention the highly uneven | | | | decades to come. The reign of Franco's |
| distribution of wealth amongst the rich and the | | | | government would not be shaken until the 1970's, |
| poor of Spain at the time. By the middle of the | | | | however by this time a great deal of the |
| nineteenth century a visible anarchist movement | | | | country's left wing groups and anarchist parties |
| had sprung up in Spain. At the turn of the | | | | had either been destroyed during the second |
| twentieth century Spain had the largest anarchist | | | | world war, transformed into other groups or |
| community of any European nation, with the | | | | disbanded on the whole. |
| biggest following coming from Barcelona's industrial | | | | In the past thirty years Spain has seen continual |
| workers, who in 1911 formed an | | | | freedom and rebirth, albeit with some setbacks, |
| anarcho-syndicalist trade union called the National | | | | which may be a large part of why membership in |
| Confederation of Trabajo, or the "CNT". This | | | | groups such as the CNT has greatly declined. |
| union was the only one that was willing to take on | | | | However, at the same time the CNT continues to |
| members who were not qualified or able to join | | | | exist today, and Barcelona is still considered to be |
| other unions. | | | | Spain's "anarchist hotspot". While many thing both |
| On the whole, the ideals of the CNT focused | | | | tragic and positive have come from Spain's long |
| largely on overthrowing the ruling Capitalists of | | | | history of fighting, civil unrest and anarchism, one |
| Spain. Yet almost as soon as it was founded | | | | thing is for sure - the beautiful city of Barcelona |
| divisions sprung up amongst members of the | | | | will forever be a city with an unshakeable will of |
| CNT, some of whom took to radical acts and | | | | its own. |
| crimes that today would be classified as acts of | | | | Matt Goldman is a freelance writer who has been |
| terrorism. A large part of what the CNT and | | | | living in Barcelona with his wife and three |
| Spanish anarchism were about was demonstrating | | | | daughters for the past 8 years. For information |
| their opposition to the way that Spanish workers | | | | about Barcelona accommodation possibilities, you |
| — primarily those in the lower classes of | | | | might consider visiting the Holiday Apartments |
| society - were being treated. Strikes and | | | | Barcelona site to which Matt contributes from |
| demonstrations, meetings and rallies were | | | | time to time. |