Maria Garcia Sanchis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Garcia Sanchis
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Maria Garcia Sanchis (1920s)
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| Born | 1881 L'Olleria, Valencia, Spain |
| Died | 5 September 1936 (aged 54–55) Manacor, Mallorca, Spain |
| Allegiance |  Spanish Republic |
| Years of service | 1936 |
| Unit | Anti-Fascist Women's Militia |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War |
Maria Garcia Sanchis (born 1881, died 1936) was a brave woman from Valencia, Spain. She worked as a weaver and was also a fighter, known as a militiawoman. Maria was one of a famous group called Las Cinco de Mallorca (The Mallorca Five). She believed in anarchism, which means she wanted a society with no rulers. She also had strong spiritual beliefs.
Contents
Maria Garcia Sanchis: A Life of Courage
Her Early Life and Beliefs
Maria Garcia Sanchis was a weaver by trade. She taught herself many things and loved to read. She had strong spiritual beliefs and was very committed to anarchism. This was a political idea that aimed for a society without a government or rulers. Maria was also a great speaker.
In 1934, Maria took part in a women's rally. This event was held at the Teatro Principal in Sabadell, a city in Spain.
Fighting in the Spanish Civil War
When the Spanish Civil War began, Maria joined the Anti-Fascist Women's Militia. This group was led by Gavina Viana Viana, who was also a member of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC).
Maria Garcia Sanchis became quite well-known. Famous photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro took pictures of her. They photographed her at Camp de la Bota, where the women militia members were training. Her photos even appeared in Life magazine!
On August 16, 1936, Maria and her fellow women fighters traveled to Mallorca. They sailed from the port of Barcelona as part of the Republican army expedition. This expedition was led by Captain Alberto Bayo.
They fought for twenty days in what was known as the Battle of Majorca. Sadly, Maria and four of her friends were captured. They were then killed in Manacor on September 5, 1936. The Nationalist troops were led by an Italian fascist named Arconovaldo Bonaccorsi.
These five brave women are remembered in history as Las Cinco de Mallorca (The Mallorca Five). Mallorca was one of the first places where women fought against fascism during the Civil War.
Remembering Maria Garcia Sanchis
A documentary film called Milicianes helped to bring Maria's story back to light. This film was made by Tania Balló, Jaume Miró, and Gonzalo Berger. It also shared the names of her fellow fighters: Teresa Bellera, Daría, and Mercedes Buxadé. The name of the fifth woman, who kept a diary, is still unknown. These women appear together in a photograph taken just hours before they were killed.
On March 27, 2022, a special memorial was placed in Sabadell. It was a steel stolperstein, which is a small, brass-covered cobblestone. This stone bears Maria's name and was placed in the Can Rull neighborhood. It is located on Carrer de Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.
The memorial was placed at the entrance of what used to be Maria's family home from 1935 onwards. At this house, she had a handloom and a winding machine in the courtyard for her weaving work. Maria Garcia Sanchis became the first woman in Sabadell to have one of these special memorial stones. The cobblestone was shown a few days earlier at the Sabadell History Museum. It was part of an exhibition about the teacher Joaquina Torres i Oriol.
See also
In Spanish: María García Sanchís para niños
