Elisa García Sáez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elisa García Sáez
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| Born | 22 September 1916 Sant Andreu de Palomar, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Died | 24 August 1936 (aged 19) Sarinyena, Huesca, Spain |
| Allegiance |  Republican faction |
| Service |  Confederal militias |
| Years of service | 1936 |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War |
Elisa García Sáez (1916-1936) was a brave young woman from Barcelona, Spain. She was a strong supporter of workers' rights and women's rights. She believed in fighting against unfair systems and joined the battle as a miliciana (a female militia member) during the Spanish Civil War. She is remembered as one of the first women fighters to die in that war.
Contents
Elisa's Early Life and Activism
Elisa García Sáez was born in 1916 in the Sant Andreu area of Barcelona. She worked at the Fabra i Coats factory in her neighborhood.
- Getting Involved: At the factory, Elisa became interested in helping women and workers.
- Joining Groups: She joined a cooperative for young women. She also became a member of the General Union of Workers (UGT). This was a big group that worked for better conditions for people who had jobs.
- Political Beliefs: Elisa also joined the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM). This group had strong ideas about making society fairer for everyone.
Fighting in the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War began in 1936. Elisa felt it was important to fight for her beliefs.
- Joining the Fight: She decided to take up arms and joined a group called the confederal militias. These were groups of ordinary people who fought against the Nationalist side.
- On the Front Line: Elisa went to the Aragon Front, which was a key battle area.
- Tragic End: She was badly hurt when the Nationalists bombed a town called Tardienta.
- Her Death: Elisa was taken to a hospital in Sarinyena, but she died from her injuries on August 24, 1936. She was one of the very first women fighters to die in the war.
Her death was reported in a newspaper called Solidaridad Obrera. They wrote about how Elisa believed women should fight just like men. She thought it was cowardly to refuse to join the armed struggle.
How Elisa Was Remembered
The deaths of the first women fighters deeply affected the Republican side. News of Elisa García's death was shared in the newspaper ABC. They published a letter Elisa had written to her mother, Teresa, which showed her brave spirit:
"[...] Don't feel sorry for me; I will see to it that nothing happens to me: but if something happened to me by chance, think that others like me would have fallen too. If I knew that by giving my life I could end the murders of the working class, I would gladly give it. If you were told that fighting is not for women, say that the performance of revolutionary duty belongs to every person who is not a coward. [...]"
- Street Renamed: A street in Sant Andreu, called Carrer de les Monges, was renamed in Elisa's honor.
- Name Changed Back: However, after the Republican side lost Catalonia in 1939, the street's name was changed back by the Nationalists.
- Current Memorial: Today, there is a special plaque on a corner of that street that mentions her.
During the time of Francisco Franco's rule, the words on Elisa García's gravestone were damaged. This was done on purpose by the mayor of Sarinyena. The words became unreadable.
- Restoring Her Memory: A group of people from the town wanted to fix it.
- Tribute: On April 14, 2012, a special event was held for Elisa García Sáez at the cemetery in Sarinyena. This date was important because it was the anniversary of the Second Spanish Republic. People remembered Elisa and asked others to help bring back the lost words on her gravestone.
In October 2018, a garden was opened in her honor in her old neighborhood of Sant Andreu de Palomar. It is named after her.
See also
In Spanish: Elisa García Sáez para niños
