Joan Ciuraneta Filella 1892 - 1941

Born 3.1.1892 in Palma d'Ebre (La)
Died 2.5.1941 in Gusen

Biography

Juan Ciuraneta Filella was born in la Palma d'Ebre (Tarragona, Spain) on 3 January 1892 in a family of farmers. He had two brothers and one sister. At a young age he went to Sabadell where he worked as a textile delivery man. At the same time, he began to play as an actor in an amateur theater company in the city. Later, he did military service in Melilla, in the cavalry regiment. Once completed, he returned to la Palma d'Ebre, where he married his wife Dolores Abella Ciuraneta. With her he had four children: Palmira, born in 1921, Josep, born in 1925 and the twins Martí and Matilde (my grandmother) born in 1930. On 14 April 1931, the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed, and Joan began to sympathize with the political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. In this context, he was one of the promoters of the Sociedad d'Esquerra Republicana and, especially, the Grup Teatral d'Esquerra, thus reviving his youthful fondness for theatre. He played roles such as Manelic in Terra Baixa written by the famous catalan writter Àngel Guimerà, and participated in other plays such as Lo ferrer del tall i La monja enterrada en vida. From the events of 6 October following the proclamation of the Catalan Republic by President Companys, Joan, some of his colleagues and the mayor of La Palma d'Ebre were arrested and imprisoned in Falset. In March 1938, due to the proximity of La Palma d'Ebre to the war front, Joan went to Sabadell with his whole family, where he would find work in a farmhouse in Rubí. In February 1939, they moved to a house of relatives in Sabadell and, due to the occupation of Barcelona by fascist troops, he decided to take the path of exile together with an uncle, leaving all the rest of the family in Sabadell. Exiled in France, after passing through the French refugee camps, he lived in a tent in the forest, working as a woodcutter. Months after the Second World War began, Joan was taken prisoner by the Gestapo. He was first imprisoned in Stalag XII-D in Trier. He was subsequently transferred to Stalag VIII-C, in Zagan, with the registration number 56790. On 25 January 1941, he was deported to Mauthausen, with the registration number 3630, and was finally moved to Gusen, with the registration number 9867, on 17 February 1941, where he would die on 2 May 1941.

 

Joan Mateo Franch, great grandson

Location In room