Witness History
Witness History
Lluis Companys - Martyr of Catalan Nationalism
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October 10, 2017
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In October 1940, the elected Catalan leader, Lluis Companys, was executed by a Spanish fascist firing squad in Barcelona. His death made Companys a hero to generations of Catalan nationalists, although his legacy is debated to this day. Simon Watts tells his story using accounts from the time.
PHOTO: A Catalan nationalist marking the 50th anniversary of Companys' death in 2010 (Getty Images)