Germinal Esgleas
Germinal Esgleas | |
|---|---|
| General Secretary of the National Confederation of Labour | |
(in exile) [reunified] | |
| In office August 1969 – August 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Ferran Alemany |
| Succeeded by | Marciano Sigüenza |
| In office October 1963 – August 1967 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Roque Santamaría |
| Succeeded by | Ferran Alemany |
(in exile) [Orthodox faction] | |
| In office July 1952 – August 1958 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Martín Villarupia |
| Succeeded by | Roque Santamaría |
| In office May 1945 – October 1947 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Juanel Molina |
| Succeeded by | Josep Peirats |
(in exile) [pre-split] | |
| In office June 1939 – June 1943 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Mariano Vázquez |
| Succeeded by | José Germán |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Josep Esgleas i Jaume 5 October 1903 Malgrat de Mar, Catalonia, Spain |
| Died | 21 October 1981 (aged 78) Tolosa, Occitania, France |
| Nationality | Catalan |
| Domestic partner | Federica Montseny |
| Children | 3 |
| Organisations | |
| Movement | Anarchism in Spain |
| Part of a series on |
| Anarcho-syndicalism |
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Josep Esgleas i Jaume (1903–1981), commonly known by his pseudonym Germinal Esgleas, was a Catalan anarcho-syndicalist. He joined the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) at an early age, going on to teach at one of the organisation's rationalist schools in Mataró. After the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, he joined the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) and began writing for La Revista Blanca, in which he advocated for a hardline stance against moderate syndicalism. During the Spanish Civil War, he formed a commission to purchase weapons for the Republic and was briefly considered for the role of Minister of Economy in the Catalan government. Towards the end of the war, he participated in a plot to oust the government of Juan Negrín. With the Nationalist victory, he fled to France with his wife Federica Montseny and their children. After spending years incarcerated in concentration camps and prisons, he was released during the Liberation of France. He then became one of the foremost leaders of the orthodox faction of the CNT and was elected as the organisation's General Secretary, a post he served in for most of its time in exile.