Auñamendi Eusko EntziklopediaFund Bernardo Estornés Lasa

The Religious Associations Bill that Canalejas intended to push through stirred up the traditional and Catholic forces that called on the people of Gipuzkoa to hold a demonstration followed by a rally in the Donostia bullring on 30 December 1906. The aim was also to protest against the recently promulgated Royal Order on civil marriage. A Junta chaired by the conservative Jorge de Satrústegui was set up in San Sebastián to organise the events. At the meeting, Víctor Pradera went so far as to justify the insurrection since, in his opinion, it was the most sacred of duties in the face of unjust laws such as the one he wanted to impose. The progressive liberal reaction was not long in coming: "La Voz de Guipúzcoa" of 6 January 1907 invited the population to demonstrate and to attend different meetings on the 13th of the same month. It published a manifesto signed by representatives of all the left-wing forces: Tomás Bermingham, Guillermo Brunet, Marino Tabuyo, Leopoldo Ducloux, Raimundo Torrijos and others. The central figure of the events was Melquíades Alvarez, a politician who straddled the line republicanism and monarchism. He described San Sebastián as "the Jerusalem of Spanish liberties". In the general elections of 21 April 1907, the conservative candidate José Gaytán de Ayala won in San Sebastián, supported by all the right-wing forces. The conservatives also triumphed in Spain as a whole, with Maura in charge of forming the government.

The first step of Basque nationalism in San Sebastián was taken through the newspaper El Fuerista. This newspaper was the mouthpiece of fundamentalism and preceded La Constancia. Its editor, Aniceto de Rezola and Ignacio de Lardizábal, in 1897 led a split in their party and moved increasingly closer to nationalist positions until Easter Sunday 1898, when El Fuerista appeared with the nationalist slogan JEL on its masthead. However, the beginnings of nationalism in San Sebastián were slow and disheartening, as its main propagandist, Engracio de Aranzadi, Kiskitza, records in his work Ereintza. Sowing Basque nationalism. Aranzadi, a native of San Sebastian himself, like his co-religionists, had a very negative view of the city, which he described as being drowned in frivolity and vice, as well as prostituted to its visitors. In fact, in 1904, the first Basque Centre opened on the Boulevard de San Sebastián. In the same year, Rafael Picavea's newspaper El Pueblo Vasco appeared in the city. Although he was independent, he did not hide his nationalist sympathies and offered the newspaper as a vehicle of expression to the small Jelista group. In the municipal elections of 1905, the first in which they stood in San Sebastián, they obtained one councillor out of eight. Twelve years later, in the 1917 municipal elections, their progress was evident, as they won three councillors out of eleven. From 1907 until the appearance of the newspaper "Euzkadi" in 1913, the weekly Gipuzkoarra was published in San Sebastian.

The first socialist grouping in San Sebastián had been set up in 1891, but its scant activity and low number of members caused it to disappear. In 1897 Pablo Iglesias gave a propaganda rally in the city as part of a campaign that took him to various Basque towns. The most direct consequence in San Sebastián was the creation, once again, of a socialist grouping which in its early days was made up of a few typographical workers. Among the fragmentary data available is the publication of a newspaper, La Voz del Trabajo, the organ of the socialist grouping, from 1901. 1910 and 1914 there were a series of strikes in Guipúzcoa, some of which were led by non-manufacturing workers (hairdressers, waiters, painters, etc.) in the capital. The rise in prices in the years of the First World War made the social climate in the city more tense.

The first dramatic experience of class conflict in San Sebastian was the 24-hour state-wide strike called by the UGT and CNT on 18 December 1916 against the high cost of living. With the city unprotected by the forces of law and order who had gone to Toulouse, serious incidents occurred when the strikers tried to stop trams and close down commerce. Thirty people were arrested and eleven injured, according to La Voz de Guipúzcoa. The general strike called from 13 August 1917, also due to unrest over price rises, although it was followed with considerable intensity in the province, was practically unnoticed in San Sebastián. The summer was in full swing, the season was at its peak: bullfights, horse races, concerts, promenades, fireworks... On the occasion of the provincial general strike called by the Local Federation of Workers' Societies of San Sebastián from 26 May 1920 and the intervention of the Civil Guard on horseback, two people were killed. It seemed that the situation would escalate, but as soon as the Civil Governor Miralles agreed to withdraw the force, the workers' representatives ended the strike. Union membership figures were rising.

The UGT had 699 members in July 1918, 1,322 in May 1920 and 4,053 in July 1921. The votes of the socialist candidates were also growing, although at very modest levels. In the 1898 general elections, the district candidate received 30 votes; in the following year, 81. The votes in the 1907 general elections were 676, in 1919 they obtained 592 and 837 in 1923. Furthermore, in 1913 San Sebastián elected two socialist councillors and in May 1914 a delegation from the city's socialist women's group attended the Socialist Women's Assembly in Madrid. The presence in the City Council was very limited: two councillors in 1909, José Aldaco and Cástor Torres, one councillor in 1917, one in 1920 and one in 1922.

After the proclamation of the Republic in Eibar, Barcelona and Madrid, large groups of people formed a demonstration that marched through the city singing "La Marseillaise" and the "Hymn of Riego", gathering in front of the town hall, while another group formed in front of the Ondarreta prison. The Civil Governor, García Novoa, was dismissed by telephone at 9 p.m. and replaced by the president of the Audiencia. At that time the order was received for the release of the republican prisoners - mainly Pepe Bago and Manuel Andrés - who were carried out on the shoulders of the crowd and received at the Círculo de la Unión Republicana and the premises of "La Tarde". Meanwhile, the new councillors, who had waited in the town hall until 10.30 am, left the proclamation for the following day. The PNV and ANV Municipal Councils issued an official note saluting the Republic. But it was not proclaimed until Sunday the 18th. On the 15th, the Republican, Basque and socialist flags were flown in the town hall. "The three flags are linked to consolidate the republican regime that we are all willing to defend" said Sasiain, the future mayor.

The strike movements that had most repercussions in the city were that of May 1931, when the workers of the Pasajes area were detained in Ategorrieta by the Guardia Civil, who killed eight of the demonstrators, which led to a general strike, and the strike of October 1934, which was called when CEDA ministers entered the government. In San Sebastian a united leadership (PSOE, UGT, CNT, PC and SOV) operated. There were serious incidents, fighting in the streets by groups of 10 armed militants, with assaults on shops and the slaughterhouse and suspension of traffic. Military forces were brought in from Pamplona and Vitoria to control the situation. During this period, Basque nationalism was at its peak in the country, which was also reflected in San Sebastián. In the municipal elections of 12 April 1931 that brought in the new regime, the PNV won six council seats in the capital of Guipúzcoa.

Councillors on the new San Sebastian City Council

Its organ of expression was the newspaper El Día, published in San Sebastián. On 10 April 1932, the San Sebastian section of Emakume Abertzale Batza was inaugurated with more than 100 members. Among the inaugural events was a rally in the Urumea pelota court attended by some 10,000 people, with José Antonio de Aguirre, Mercedes Careaga and Elbire Zipitria taking part. By 1936 there were already 1,500 "emakumes" in San Sebastián. Only the nationalist union SOV, which at the end of the Republic was the union with the largest membership in the province, had practically no bases in San Sebastian, where in 1929 there were only 62 "solidarios". Despite these spectacular nationalist advances, they did not win the mayor's office in San Sebastián, which was held by the Republican Fernando de Sasiain from 1931 to 1934 and again in 1936 until the entry of the requetés; the city remained until then in its progressive liberal republican and somewhat anti-clerical coordinates. A character that distinguishes an entire era that began at the beginning of the 19th century and ended precisely with the Republic.

In the spring of 1931, a few days after the establishment of the Republic, San Sebastián did not adhere to the Statute. In the plebiscite of 5 November 1933 to endorse the Basque Statute, the following result was obtained in this town:

The first news of the military uprising in Morocco reached the city on the evening of 17 July 1936. On the 18th, minor street disturbances were recorded, which intensified on the 19th with assaults on housewives coming to the market and shops. San Sebastián was a summer resort, as were Hondarribia and Zarautz. The military governor of the square, Colonel León Carrasco Amilibia, a royalist, was undecided, not knowing what was happening; finally, remaining in the barracks at Loiola, he opted for insurrection. On the 18th, the right-wing "El Diario Vasco" announced in bold letters "Tomorrow the weather will be fine", which was interpreted as a slogan for rebellion. The newspaper was closed and its workshops were used to publish "Frente Popular". News arrived that the situation was under control in Bilbao but not in Vitoria, where the streets were being fought in the streets. In San Sebastian it was decided to form a column of volunteers to go there. 500 and 600 socialist, anarchist and communist militiamen left, leaving the city practically unguarded. The military from Loyola then left the barracks to take San Sebastián. Members of the CNT defended the entrance through Amara in Larramendi and Urbieta streets.

The rebels made forts in some buildings such as the Hotel María Cristina, La Equitativa, the Military Government and the Gran Casino. When the situation became desperate, reinforcements arrived from Eibar and the prisoners surrendered, the last ones from the Hotel María Cristina, who were taken prisoners to the Diputación. The militiamen then headed for the barracks in Loiola, besieging them. Some of the troops were in favour of the besiegers and made it known to their superiors that they were not prepared to open cannon fire on San Sebastián. Some of them fled when they went out to fetch water. Without water, without food, without medicine, with dead and wounded from the bombs dropped on the barracks by an aeroplane on the 25th, the situation became untenable and on 27 July they surrendered.

Under the presidency of Miguel de Amilibia, PSOE deputy for Guipúzcoa, the Junta de Defensa was organised in the Diputación; Telesforo de Monzón for the PNV Larrañaga of the PC Inestal of the CNT Aguado of the IR, Torrijos and Echevarría of the PSOE and Imaz of the ANV made it up. Monzón soon resigned when the CNT shot 12 prisoners on the Paseo Nuevo. The capture of San Sebastián became a priority objective for the commanders of the Falangist and Requetés troops who entered Guipúzcoa from various points, coming from Navarre. The city was shelled from the sea by the battleships "Cervera" and "España". The militiamen stormed the Ondarreta prison and after seizing Colonel Carrasco, who was imprisoned in the Di putación, a small group of communists or cenetistas shot him. The rest of the soldiers imprisoned with Carrasco were transferred to Ondarreta prison where they were also shot after being tried.

After the fall of Irún, the San Sebastián Defence Board met to plan and organise the evacuation of the city. It was 6 September. The anarchists were in favour of resisting but the other forces considered the defence impossible. The evacuation order was given on the night of the 12th to the 13th. There were fears that the CNT would burn down buildings. But it was an orderly evacuation, with minimal disturbances, quickly controlled and suppressed. At half past nine in the morning of the 13th the red berets appeared on the Capuchinos hill, Rentería and Pasajes. At 12 noon the ikurriña was lowered from the balcony of the Provincial Council. The last gudaris from the San Bartolomé barracks went to the port to embark, while the 40 bayonets of those from Artajona crossed the Santa Catalina bridge. The requetés were under the command of Captain Ureta, as Beorlegui had been wounded. Many Donostiarras had marched in the direction of Bilbao; those who did not were either on the right-wing side or were victims of repression. It is estimated that around 1,600 men and women were imprisoned. They were also humiliated by having their hair cut and drinking castor oil. The use of the Basque language was banned with a fine of 100 pesetas and all Basque books found in homes and bookshops were burnt. The streets of the city saw parades of Falangists, requetés, margaritas, flechas and pelayos who went to mass in uniform and in formation on Sundays.

Both the disappearance of gambling, one of the main attractions and businesses of the summer holidays in San Sebastian, and the Civil War and the Second World War, with the consequent closure of the borders, brought the city's summer life to a standstill. However, it did not disappear; after the lethargy of those crucial years, it was reborn on new foundations. The golden age was definitively over, but until the 1960s, and thanks to the victorious Head of State's decision to maintain the tradition, San Sebastian continued to be the official summer resort. The San Sebastián people who were addicted to the new regime made an effort to bring the people of San Sebastián out onto the streets to welcome the Head of State on the day of his arrival; in "peaceful rotation" the municipal and provincial corporations organised an official dinner in his honour every year. Following tradition, Franco attended the Salve a Santa María on the eve of the Virgin of August. Non-addicted San Sebastián also prepared for Franco's arrival.

Nationalist elements presented themselves at the police station before being detained annually for the duration of the illustrious holidaymaker's stay in the city; others had only to leave. With these and other very strong security measures, the summers passed peacefully. The event that shook the rhythm of these passive summers was Joseba Elósegui's performance at the Anoeta fronton court on 18 September 1970. Franco was attending the final of the International Pelota Championship when Elósegui, a former gudari and PNV militant, threw himself into the court in flames. This gesture earned him a long prison sentence after he was on the verge of death. The city continued to grow. The population increased by 25,547 in the 1930s-40s, bringing it very close to 100,000.

The housing problem was becoming more acute and it was necessary to build. In the 40s and 50s, the Antiguo neighbourhood was urbanised and extended, building continued in Gros and Egia and Atocha also developed and became working class neighbourhoods. But the most important extension of these years was the Amara Extension, a work that first required the draining of the marshes. It was objectively the only flat space available to San Sebastián to allow it to grow in size. It gave rise to intense speculation, with the part Plaza del Centenario and Plaza de Pío XII being occupied until the 1950s, and then building was undertaken up to the Anoeta stadium. The years of industrial development attracted many immigrants to the region of San Sebastian and to the Basque Country in general, for whom new neighbourhoods were built on the outskirts of the city. Speculation fever and the lack of planning and enforcement of laws gave rise to entire unlit and undeveloped neighbourhoods where the new arrivals were piling up: Santa Bárbara, Roteta and La Paz were good examples of this. Industrial dumping kills the rivers of Gipuzkoa: the Urumea pollutes San Sebastian.

Para cubrir las 27 concejalías de este ayuntamiento se presentaron doce candidaturas: PTE ORT LKI, PNV, EKA, HB, EMK-OIC, PCE, PSOE, EE, UFV y Coordinadora Independiente, agrupando esta última a la UCD y la DCV. Los votos y concejales elegidos, sobre un censo electoral de 122.493, fueron: PNV con 22.804 votos: Jesús M. Alkain Marticorena, Ramón Labayen Sansinenea, Markel Izaguirre Lizaso, M.ª Pilar Larreina Lasa, Jesús Miguel Garmendia, M.ª Carmen Pérez Martínez de Morentín, José M. Aristegui Isasa, José Luis Iturburu e Iñaki Rezola San Sebastián; HB con 16.114 votos: Félix Soto, Jesús María Irazusta, Yon Alkorta, Santiago González, Juan José Mantxola y Tomás Alba; c. i. con 12.572: Carlos Zubeldia Fernández, Juan I. Irazusta Rezola, Federico Maestre Alcader, Ana Zulueta Casarrota y José P. López Sola; PSOE con 12.222: Ramón Jáuregui Atondo, Carlos García Cañibano, José Ramón Agote y Fernando Múgica Herzog (dimitido y sustituido por Ana Narzabal); es con 9.010: Pedro Ruiz Balerdi, Chema García Amiano e Iciar Mitxelena. Alcalde: Jesús M. Alkain Marticorena del PNV. proclamado por ser el cabeza de lista mayoritaria, ya que en la votación obtuvo sólo los 9 votos de su grupo frente a los 9 de HB (6 propios y 3 de EE), 4 del PSOE y 5 de la c. i.

Concejales: PNV: Ramón Labayen, Markel Izaguirre, M.ª Pilar Larraina, Martín Elizaso, José Enrique Arana, Javier Zuriarrain, M.ª Carmen Pérez, José Martín Larrañaga, Ana Mondragón y Esteban Goicoechea: PSOE Carlos García Cañibano, Odón Elorza, Angel Farinos, Manuel Huertas, Ricardo Enrique Navajas, Francisco Ramón Beloqui y Fernando Abad. HB Félix Soto, Jesús M.° Congil, Santiago González, Joseba Imanol Ibarburu y Andoni Arca. AP: Gregorio Ordóñez, M.ª José Usandizaga e Inmaculada Morón. EE: Pedro Ruiz Balerdi y Eduardo Cuesta. Resultó elegido alcalde el primero.

Resultaron elegidos los siguientes concejales: Ea.: Xabier Albistur Marín, Xabier Agirre Elorza, Andoni Areizaga Alkain, Enrique Arana Arregi, Iñaki Barriola Etxeberria, Joaquín Villa Martínez, Imanol Illarramendi Erviti. as: Félix Soto Azkarate, Joseba Ibarburu Uranga, Joseba Albarez Forkada, Begoña Garmendia Vázquez, Iñaki Mendizabal Egia, José María Pérez Bustero. PSOE: Odón Elorza González, Francisco Beloqui San Sebastián, Angel Farinos Saiz, Luis Felipe Hernández Rodríguez, Susana Corcuera Leunda. EE: Javier Olaberri Zazpe, Iñaki Gurrutxaga Armendariz, Rosa Bello Soto, Jon Lasa Laboa. AP: Gregorio Ordóñez Fenollar, Carmen Busca Ostolaza, Eugenio David Damboriena y Osa. PNV: Ramón Labayen Sansinenea, Antonio Marquet Artola.

Resultaron elegidos los siguientes concejales: EA Javier Albistur, Andoni Areizaga, José Enrique Arana, Ignacio M. Barriola, Joaquín Villa y José Manuel Illarramendi. HB José Agustín Arrieta, Begoña Garmendia, José Federico Alvarez, José Luis Giménez e Iñaki Valle. PSE Odón Elorza, Francisco Beloqui, Luis Felipe Hernández, Susana Corcuera y Alberto Rodríguez. EE: Francisco Javier Olaberri e Iñaki Gurrutxaga. PNV Antonio Market, Martín Elizasu, María Carmen Garmendi y Román Zulaica. PP: Gregorio Ordóñez, Elena Azpiroz, Eugenio Damboriena, Roberto Fernández y Mari Carmen Nagel. Fue elegido alcalde Odón Elorza.

Resultaron elegidos los siguientes concejales: PP: Jaime María Mayor, María José Usandizaga, Elena Azpíroz, María San Gil, Andrés Manuel Bernabé, María del Carmen de Nagel y Enrique José Villar. PSE Odón Elorza, Ramón Etxezarreta, Susana Corcuera, Francisco Beloqui, Luis Felipe Hernández, Alberto Rodríguez y María Arritokieta Marañón. EA. Enrique Erentxun, Enrique Arana, Iñaki Barriola, Beatriz Otaegui y Josu Ruiz. as: Joseba Jakobe Permach, José Federico Alvarez, María Eugenia Muñagorri y José Antonio Urquiola. PNV: Antton Market, Koro Garmendia y Martín Elizasu. IU: Antton Karrera. Fue elegido alcalde Odón Elorza González.

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