Bandera Negra Explained

Bandera Negra
Dates:1925–1926
Active:Spain
Motives:Independence of Catalonia
Ideology:Catalan independence movement
Catalan nationalism

Bandera Negra (Black Flag) or Santa Germandat Catalana (Holy Catalan Brotherhood) was the secret, armed sub-organization of the Estat Català political party, founded on May 3, 1925.

Its name referred to the black flag raised by the defenders of Barcelona in the Catalan Campaign (1713-1714) on August 1, 1714, signaling to the Bourbon troops that they would fight to the death and never surrender.[1] On September 12, however, they did surrender, ending the cause of the Archduke of Austria. Regardless, historian Enric Ucelay-Da Cal still calls it "the traditional symbol associated with the will to kill or die".[2]

History

Historian Enric Ucelay-Da Cal explains how Bandera Negra was born:The organization had approximately twelve leading members and some sympathizers. The most notable head of the organization was Marcel·lí Perelló, together with Jaume Compte (also a member of the Autonomous Center of Trade and Industry Dependents). Notable members include: Miquel Badia, Daniel Cardona (head abroad), Ramon Xammar, Emili Granier Barrera, Jaume Julià, Joan Bertran and Jaume Balius. It also had committees in Béziers (France) and in Buenos Aires.

Bandera Negra carried out the attack against King Alfonso XIII on the Garraf coast (Garraf plot)[3] and some other impactful armed actions, such as the bomb attack against the house of the Baron of Maldá.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. The French knight Jacques de Viguier witnessed how they raised a "drapeau noir avec un tête de mort blanche au milieu" - a black flag with a white skull in the middle - and explained it in the letter he addressed to his uncle the next day, 2 August 1714; "Lettre IV. A bord de "Furieux" à la rade de Barcelonne le 2 août 1714"; transcribed by Jean Audouard in Le Siège de Barcelone in 1714, raconté par un arlésien a un arlésien, p.94
  2. [Enric Ucelay-Da Cal|Ucelay-Da Cal, Enric]
  3. Book: Crexell, Joan . El complot de Garraf . 1988 . L'Abadia de Montserrat . 978-84-7202-982-8 . ca.