Testimony of Antonio González Merino, Interview with Marcella Navarro and Omar Pimienta; July 3, 2009
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Antonio González Merino nació en 1932 en Montilla. Antonio cuenta que cuando comenzó la Guerra Civil su padre se fue a organizar una resistencia de campesinos Republicanos y después estuvo en el frente. Recuerda que al terminar la guerra su padre se exilió en Francia, formó parte de un batallón de trabajadores al servicio de Francia, fue capturado por fuerzas alemanas, y fue llevado al campo de concentración Mauthausen donde murió en 1942. Antonio detalla el hambre, sufrimiento, y marginación que caracterizaron su infancia como hijo de un “rojo”. Narra que se fue a Barcelona cuando tenía veinticuatro años, entró a trabajar en Siemens Industrias Eléctricas, y se unió al Partido Comunista. Antonio señala que fue despedido en 1962 por participar en una huelga de tres mil obreros que duró siete días. Recuenta que después se hizo albañil y posteriormente trabajó en Armco por veinte años hasta su jubilación. Antonio relata que fue detenido al salir de una reunión clandestina de Comisiones Obreras en 1967 y fue condenado a tres meses de prisión. Nota que al salir en libertad resumió su empleo en Armco y fue dirigente sindical. Antonio describe el régimen de Franco como una cárcel total. Comenta sobre la Transición y la monarquía. Antonio habla de su experiencia al visitar Mauthausen con su esposa en el 2005. Antonio explica que su sentimiento de rebeldía y la unidad de su familia le han ayudado a sobrevivir.
Antonio González Merino was born in 1932 in Montilla. Antonio comments that when the Civil War began, his father left to organize a Republican peasant resistance and later joined the front. He remembers that when the war ended his father was exiled in France, formed part of a battalion of workers in service of France, was captured by German forces, and was taken to the Mauthausen concentration camp where he died in 1942. Antonio details the hunger, suffering, and marginalization that characterized his childhood as the son of a rojo (red). He recalls moving to Barcelona at age twenty-four, working for Siemens Industry, and joining the Communist Party. Antonio narrates being fired in 1962 for participating in a seven-day strike with three thousand workers. He recounts becoming a construction worker and later working for Armco for twenty years until his retirement. Antonio relates being detained after leaving a clandestine meeting of Comisiones Obreras (Labor Commissions) in 1967 and being sentenced to three months in prison. He tells of resuming his employment at Armco after his release and becoming a union leader. Antonio describes Franco's regime as a complete prison. He speaks about the Transition and the monarchy. Antonio discusses his experience visiting Mauthausen with his wife in 2005. Antonio explains that his sentiment of rebellion and the unity of his family have helped him survive
- Creation Date
- July 3, 2009
- Interviewee
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- Physical Description
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1 video file : digital, sound, color
- Note
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Antonio González Merino's testimony was recorded in Sant Joan Despí
Interviews in Spanish
Testimony of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship
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- Language
- Spanish; Castilian
- Identifier
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Mms: 991005742999706535
- Related Resource
Online exhibit
- Publication
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Sant Joan Despí, Spain :, Spanish Civil War Memory Project , 2009
- Rights Holder
- González Merino, Antonio
- Cite This Work
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González Merino, Antonio. Testimony of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist Dictatorship. University of California, San Diego, 2009
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Under copyright (ES)
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Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0175 (https://lib.ucsd.edu/sca)
- Last Modified
2023-10-26