The Thirteen Roses

The Thirteen Roses is the collective name was given to a group of thirteen young Spanish, half of them members of the Unified Socialist Youth (USY), shot by the Franco regime in Madrid (Spain), August 5 1939 shortly after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Their ages ranged between 18 and 29 years. The Thirteen Roses were:

- Carmen Barrero Aguado.

- Martina García Barroso.

- Blanca Brisac.

- Pilar Good.

- Julia Conesa.

- Adelina Garcia.

- Elena Gil.

- Virtues Gonzalez.

- Ana Lopez.

- Joaquina Lopez.

- Denise Manzanero.

- Luisa Rodriguez.

History.

After the occupation of Madrid by Franco's army and end the war, the Unified Socialist Youth tried clandestinely reorganized under the direction of Jose Pena, 21. After the coup of the dictator Franco, the leaders of the Communist Party of Spain (CPS) and the Unified Socialist Youth (USY) had abandoned Spain, leaving the organization in the hands of militants insignificant, which hoped to go unnoticed. Jose Pena, general secretary of the provincial committee of the USY, was arrested by a denunciation and required to give, under torture, all the names you know and sign a prepared statement.

Roberto Conesa, police infiltrated the organization, also contributed to the fall of it (it was later appointed commissioner of the Social and Political Brigade Franco and occupied an important position in the police during the early years of democracy). A capture of the militants helped by the fact that the files of Communist Party members and USY had not been destroyed, due to the coup inconvenient, and were seized by militants Franco. Among the detainees were the Thirteen Roses, who were arrested and taken first to police facilities (where they were tortured) and then to the Women's Prison (Madrid), construdia for 450 prisoners and in which more than 4,000 women crammed.

On July 29, Isaac Gabaldon (Chief of Police), his 18 year old daughter and his driver were killed in an attack by three activists of USY. In the Council of War held on August 3 were judged USY 57 members, of which 14 were women. Among the defendants were the three murderers of Gabaldon, while the rest had been arrested before the attack. At trial were issued 56 death sentences, escaping only one of the women. Most executions (including those of the Thirteen Roses) took place on the morning of August 5, 1939, next to the wall of the Almudena Cemetery (Madrid), 500 meters of the women's prison.

Nine of the girls were shot were, at the time of their death, as children come of age was set at 23 years.

The Thirteen roses.

Carmen Barrero: (20, dressmaker) worked for 12 years, after the death of her father, to help support her family, which had 8 brothers (4 younger than her). Militant Communist Party after the war, was responsible.'s Game in Madrid.

Martina Barroso: (24, dressmaker) after the war began participating in USY organization. She went to the left front of the City University of Madrid looking weapons and ammunition (something that was forbidden).

Blanca Brisac: (29 years, pianist) had one son. She had no political affiliation. He was Catholic and right-wing voters. She was arrested in interacting with a musician belonging to the Communist Party. On the morning of her murder she wrote a letter to her son, who was devoted to her family 16 years later.

Pilar Good: (27, dressmaker) to inicarse the war she joined the Communist Party and worked as a volunteer in nurseries (houses which collected orphans and children of militants who went to the front). After the war was in charge of reorganizing the Communist Party in 8 sectors of Madrid.

Julia Conesa: (19, dressmaker) lived in Madrid with her mother and two sisters. He joined the USY for its sporting and dealt with the management of these. Soon bill collector was used as trams, because her family needed money, and left contact with USY. She was arrested when she was sewing at home.

Adelina Garcia: (19 years, activist) militant of USY. The daughter of a policeman. Sent a letter home saying that they just wanted to give ordinary interrogation. Was submitted voluntarily, but did not return home.

Elena Gil: (20 years, activist) entered the USY in 1937.

Virtues Gonzalez (18, dressmaker) friend of Maria del Carmen Cuesta (15 years, belonging to the USY and survivor of the women's prison). In 1936 she joined the USYwhere she met Vicente Ollero, which ended up being her boyfriend. She was denounced by a colleague under torture.

Ana Lopez: (21, dressmaker) militant of USY. She was secretary of the USY during the War. Her boyfriend proposed to emigrate to France, but she decided to stay with her ​​three younger siblings in Madrid. She has not died in the first volley of shots and asked: "Why do not you kill me?".

Joaquina Lopez (23, secretary) was given the female secretary of the Provincial Committee of the USY underground. She was reported by a militant of USY. When she was arrested she was taken to a villa.

Denise Manzanero: (20, dressmaker) She joined the Communist Party in April 1938 after a missile killed her sister and some kids playing in a field. After the war was the link between communist leaders in Madrid. She was arrested on May 16, 1939.

Victoria Muñoz García (18 years, activist). He joined with 15 years at JSU. Belonged to the group of Chamartín. She was the sister of Gregorio Muñoz, military official sector group Chamartin de la Rosa. Sales came to the June 6, 1939.

Luisa Rodríguez de la Fuente (18, tailor). She entered the JSU in 1937 without taking any charge. Some individuals will set out to create a group, but there was still convinced anyone but her cousin when she was arrested. She recognized her activism during the war, but not today. In April she was transferred to the women's prison in Madrid, the first of the Thirteen Roses to enter the prison.

Julia Conesa. Do not forget my name.

In her letter, Julia Conesa, before being shot by her twelve companions wrote:

"Mother brothers, with love and enthusiasm I ask you not weep for me. I'm not mourn. They kill me being me innocent, but die as an innocent woman must die. Mother, my mother, I'm meeting with my sister and my father in the other world, but be aware that dying for honest person. Goodbye dear mother, goodbye forever. Your daughter and you may never kiss or hug. Let my name be not forgotten ".

Blanca Brisac. Letter to her son Henry.

"Dear, beloved son of my soul:

In recent times your mother thinks of you. Thinking of you my little boy in my heart that you are a man, a man, and you know be all worth it was your parents. Excuse me, my son, if I ever wronged you. Forget son, have fond memories of me and you know I'm right rueful.

I will die with my head high. Just being good: you better than anyone you know, Henry mine.

I only ask you to be very good, very good man. All you want and do not resent those who killed your parents, never. Good people do not hold grudges and you have to be a good man, hardworking. Follow the example of your father. Right, my son, that in my last hour you promise me? Stay with my beloved mother and provided for her, and my sisters as a child. Tomorrow take care of them when they are older. You must take care when you're a man. I do not say more. Your father and I are going to die proud. I do not know if your father have confessed and received communion, because I will not see even my presence before the firing squad. I sure have.

Henry, do not you ever erase the memory of your parents. To make you take Communion but well prepared, so well grounded religion as it was taught to me. I continue writing until the moment of my death, but I have to say goodbye to everyone. Son, son, until eternity. Receive, after countless kisses, eternal kiss your mother who loves you. "

Poem in honor of the Thirteen Roses.

Madrid mourns for thirteen roses,

Thirteen lives were cut

still young, almost children.

Cursed be the souls

fascist executioners 

of their hate with scythes,

 mowed their short lives.

Spain is your mother,

the sky is your smile

their fields have the blood 

of some roses, almost children.

The people of Madrid loves you,

those people who hates,

saviors of homelands,

of communists and fascists.

Madrid is home to everyone,

sully his name only hatred

of the chiefs, 

whose reason is envy.

The rose of the parks

of our beloved Spain,

reflect your faces,

your smiles of girls.

Blessed are ye thousand times,

Blessed your families,

cursed murderers

that our roses wither.

[Julián Fernández del Pozo]

Commemorative plaque on the wall where the thirteen roses were shot. The plaque reads: "The Young calls The Thirteen Roses gave their lives for freedom and democracy on August 5, 1939. Madrid's people remember their sacrifice; August 5, 1988".