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Heroic socialist fighters who sang as ship went down - new memorial
Part of the memorial showing brigadistas singing on the ship (Click to enlarge)
Friends of Ciudad de Barcelona
'Solidarity Park' is a new community memorial project in Catalonia about the sinking of the ocean liner 'Ciudad de Barcelona' on 30 May 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.
The ship was carrying over 300 'International Brigade' combatants - socialists who had volunteered to fight General Franco's fascists.
Rob MacDonald, a member of the Socialist Party's sister party in the Spanish state, is the project's leading artist. "Hearing that these brigadistas sang the Internationale as they drowned, especially one with the same name as me, was stunning.
"I knew then we needed a memorial to tell their story. It's common to blame immigrants, refugees and foreigners for today's problems - that is so dangerous!
"The new generation must learn what happened with the brigadistas and what they stood for."
Karin Ingram is the niece of brigadista Robert Macdonald. "I am very proud of my uncle who died on the ship that day, and what he stood for. It's brilliant the way the artist is developing this memorial in a participatory way to bring people together again locally and internationally."
The memorial is a participatory community project, involving secondary school students and the local community in designing and creating it. It also aims to explain the history of the civil war, which continues to be contentious in Spain.
- Interview with sculptor Rob MacDonald giving more detail on the history and art
- See more and help fund the project
- More about the sinking of the Ciudad de Barcelona
- To support the project, contact: [email protected]
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