Almansa’s mayor, Pilar Callado, announced in an emotional press conference that on Monday, April 28th, a tribute will be held in memory of the nine republican residents of the town who were deported to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The event will feature the presence of German artist Gunter Demnig, creator of the Stolpersteine project, who will install the golden cobblestones in various locations in the city.
Callado recalled that a year and a half ago, the first meeting took place between the City Council and the victims’ families, who proposed joining this historical memory project that has already spread to more than 20 countries in Europe. «It was a very emotional meeting, and from the very beginning, we committed to making this tribute a reality,» explained the mayor.
The Stolpersteine, small bronze cobblestones of 10×10 centimeters embedded in the ground in front of the homes where the victims lived, have become the largest decentralized monument in the world. In Almansa, nine will be placed, as the tenth deportee already has his plaque installed in Barcelona, where he resided and passed away.
The nine Almansa republicans who will be honored with these plaques are:
- Juan Olivares Miralles
- Vicente García López
- Pascual López Olaya
- Antonio Oliver Pérez
- Rafael Zoroa Villaescusa
- Francisco Gabaldón García, «el Moreno».
- José Enrique Cuenca Blanco
- Francisco López García, «el Sopas».
- Vicente Fernández García, «el Nabero».
The plaques for the first five, whose families have not been located, will be placed in front of the Casa de la Cultura on Aragón Street, a symbolic location due to its history and proximity to educational centers. Callado explained, «It was essential for these cobblestones to be in a thoroughfare where youth and visitors could see them, reflect, and learn about this part of our history.»
On her part, Ana Jesús Olaya, spokesperson for the families, deeply appreciated the commitment of the City Council. «It is crucial to recover historical memory because we are forgetting the wars, the names, and the reasons why our relatives were deported. They fought for freedom and democracy, and it is right that they are remembered,» she asserted. Olaya also emphasized the importance of teaching this history in schools and making it accessible to new generations.
She also expressed gratitude to Belén Garijo, a beloved daughter of Almansa, residing in Frankfurt and the promoter of the initiative after discovering that her grandfather was one of the victims. It was she who commissioned her cousin Enrique Pastor to start locating the affected Almansa families.
The event on Monday, April 28th, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Aragón Street, in front of the Agustinas, will be open to the public and will be attended by families, institutional representatives, and Gunter Demnig himself, who at almost 80 years old, continues to travel across Europe to personally install the Stolpersteine.
«It will be an emotional event, a historical justice, and a collective memory,» they concluded.