Thalmann column

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hans Beimler , the organizer of Centuria-Thälmann in Barcelona

At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War up to the establishment of the International Brigades in Albacete , the Thälmann Group , the Centuria-Thälmann, the Thälmann Battalion and the German Battalion were grouped under the unifying term of the nonexistent Thälmann column . The Thälmann column became known through the song Spain's Heaven by Paul Dessau . The song became particularly popular in its version by Ernst Busch as a "left campfire hit".

Centuria Thalmann

After the military coup in Spain, Hans Beimler traveled from Moscow via Paris to Barcelona . After his arrival on August 4, 1936, he took the first steps towards setting up an international centuria in the Hotel Colón , the headquarters of the Catalan communist party PSUC ( Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya ) . Together with Willi Wille , Hermann Geisen , Albert Schreiner (pseudonym Albert Schindler) and the Englishman Sam Masters , a member of the Thälmann group around Max Friedemann , he formed the Centuria-Thälmann from the international volunteers who came from Paris via Perpignan to Barcelona . Basic training took place in the monastery of Pedralbes , which was set up as a training barracks for the PSUC under the name of Carlos Marx . In the third week of August, Centuria-Thälmann had 82 men.

On August 29 or 30, 1936, the first international Centuria of the PSUC, the 13th PSUC hundred, set out by train to the Aragon Front in Huesca . The commanding officer of Centuria-Thälmann was Albert Schreiner. In addition to the actual task force, a small staff remained in Barcelona to organize the supply of the unit with equipment and fresh personnel.

The PSUC Centuria with the Centuria-Thälmann tried to take Huesca. After these battles for Huesca, the Centuria-Thälmann took up positions near Tardienta on the railway line between Huesca and Saragossa . With the strengthening of a group of Austrians, former Schutzbündler and four paramedics, the strength of the Centuria-Thälmann grew to almost a hundred militiamen. Due to the fact that the Centuria-Thälmann was deployed on the same front section in the immediate vicinity of the Thälmann group at Tardienta, there were differences of opinion both about the name and about the integration of the Thälmann group into the Centuria-Thälmann.

In order to stop the advance of the nationalists, the Centuria-Thälmann blew up a canal and thereby flooded enemy positions. From October 5, 1936, the Centuria fought in the foremost trenches for 10 days and also received its own armored car. The Centuria-Thälmann was the 31 o Centuria of the Carlos Marx division of the PSUC. It was grouped in the Maxim Gorky Battalion . The division's commanding officer was Ferran Gancedo . Depending on the source, the strength of Centuria-Thälmann is given as 90 to 180 men, the number of volunteers from Paris being given as 40 to 56 men.

At the beginning of October, Hans Beimler and Ludwig Renn visited the Centuria Thälmann positions. According to Ludwig Renn, in addition to the Centuria Thälmann, an Italian Centuria was also part of the PSUC units. In addition, the nationalists attacked Republican positions in the Sierra Alcubierre in early October . During this fight the Centuria-Thälmann succeeded on October 19, 1936 in repelling a heavy attack by the nationalists. In this battle, the standard bearer of Centuria-Thälmann Willy Pukallas died.

After the further advance of the nationalists to the ridge near the Hermitage de Santa Quiteria , the Republicans tried to recapture the key position in the front section of Tardienta . During these battles the Centuria-Thälmann tried to take the Hermitage between October 23 and 24, 1936, whereby the Centuria-Thälmann managed to take the Hermitage de Santa Quiteria, which was held by Moroccan mercenaries. Due to the lack of ammunition, the Centuria-Thälmann withdrew from the conquered position. In the battle, 19 militiamen were killed and another 52 were wounded. The commander Hermann Geisen lost an eye in this battle. Jakob Kneit, Johann Schwarz, Sepp Hirsel, Willi Engelmann, the paramedic Sepp, Wilhelm Pfordt, Paul Lösch, Wilhelm de las Heras, Georg Mayer, Paul Baumgarten, Philipp Meier, Joseph Graf and Wilhelm died in the fight for the Hermitage de Santa Quiteria Engelmann, Robert Vigier, Philipp Vigier and Karl Katz. After this attack, the Centuria consisted of only 36 militiamen. In addition, there were 14 slightly wounded militiamen.

After these battles the Centuria-Thälmann was ordered to Barcelona , where she was greeted by Hans Beimler in the Carlos Marx barracks ( Pedralbes monastery ) . On November 6, 1936, the rest of the Centuria-Thälmann with 20 to 25 men left Barcelona for Albacete , the headquarters of the International Brigades .

Addendum

The author Ilja Ehrenburg wrote in his book No pasaràn in 1937 a large chapter about the Thälmann column, whereby the name of the founder and organizer of the Centuria Thaelmann, Hans Beimler, is not mentioned once. In Ludwig Renn's novel The Spanish War , the commander of the Thälmann battalion describes the history of the battalion, but hardly goes into the important role of Hans Beimler. "The role of Hans Beimler is reduced so much that the question can be asked that such an insignificant personality could organize the Columna and the Centuria Thaelmann."

literature

  • Magi Crusella: Las Brigadas Internacionales en la Pantalla , Universidad de Castilla y la Mancha, ISBN 84-8427-149-8 , pages 29-30
  • Sebastián Herreros Agüí: The International Brigade in the Spanish War 1936 (English)
  • Max Hewer: From the Saar to the Ebro. Saarland as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. 2nd, corrected edition, Blattlausverlag, Saarbrücken 2016, ISBN 978-3-945996-08-9 .
  • Patrik von zur Mühlen: Spain was your hope (Left in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939) , Research Institute of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bonn, Verlag Neue Gesellschaft GmbH, 1983, ISBN 3-87831-375-6 , from page 208

Web links

Movie

  • The film Hans Beimler, Comrade reports on the struggle of the communist Hans Beimler (GDR 1969, director: Rudi Kurz on youtube: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 Spanish Civil War ) accessed on August 27, 2012

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hugh Thomas : The Spanish Civil War , Ullstein Verlag, Berlin West 1962, page 112
  2. ↑ Patrik von zur Mühlen: Spain was their hope (Left in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939) , Research Institute of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bonn, Verlag Neue Gesellschaft GmbH, 1983, ISBN 3-87831-375-6 , from page 208.
  3. ^ Hugh Thomas , The Spanish Civil War, Ullstein Verlag, Berlin West 1962, page 192
  4. ^ Postcard: Spanish Civil War Guerra Civil Española Carlos Marx Battalion Centuria Thaelmann Battalion Carlos Marx with Centuria Thaelmann No. 31, Card registration B 65575, accessed May 13, 2012.
  5. ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our honorary name ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , pages 71 to 73.
  6. ^ Aragonfront: [1] , accessed on February 12, 2014
  7. ↑ Sebastián Herreros Agüí: The International Brigades in the Spanish war 1936-1939: Flags and Symbols, Wand and Schützenzeitung from October 15, 1936 (English; PDF; 6.4 MB), accessed on September 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ Patrik von zur Mühlen: Spain was their hope (Left in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939) , Research Institute of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Bonn, Verlag Neue Gesellschaft GmbH, 1983, ISBN 3-87831-375-6 , from page 209.
  9. ↑ Ludwig Renn: In the Spanish War , Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin and Weimar, 5th edition 1983, order number 610 912 4, pages 34 to 45.
  10. ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our honorary name ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , pages 61 to 66.
  11. ↑ Sociedad Benéfica de Historiadores Aficionados y Creadores: Section Septiembre y octubre de 1936 ( Memento of the original of March 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 27, 2012. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sbhac.net
  12. ↑ youtube: [2] , film frequency 1:24, accessed on August 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our honorary name ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , pages 80 to 84.
  14. ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our honorary name ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , pages 84 to 85.
  15. ↑ Ilya Ehrenburg: No pasaran , London, 1937, published in German in London, Malik Verlag.
  16. ↑ Version from 1954, the writer Ludwig Renn was from October 1936 commander of the Thälmann battalion and later chief of staff of the XI International Brigade.
  17. ^ Antonia Stern: Die forschmünzer, On the 20th anniversary of Hans Beimler's death , Paris 1957.
  18. ^ Hans Beimler, comrade at www.imdb.de