Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial: Difference between revisions
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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During the [[Spanish Civil War]], 29 British people with connections to Oxfordshire joined the [[International Brigades]], with two others joining [[POUM]]. Most of the volunteers were communist activists, and many had links to Britain's Jewish communities. Alongside organisations raising funds for Spanish humanitarian causes, Oxford was a hub for anti-fascist activism, homes within the county housed hundreds of [[Evacuation of children in the Spanish Civil War|Basque refugee children]]. Various physical fights broke out between anti-fascist activists and the Oxford University Fascist Association, with [[Communist Party of Great Britain|Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)]] activist [[Abraham Lazarus|Abe Lazarus]] successfully organising Oxford students to break up fascist meetings at [[Oxford Town Hall]]. Many of the local anti-fascist volunteers who survived and returned became influential in various professions including professors, surgeons, human rights activists and trade union leaders. |
During the [[Spanish Civil War]], 29 British people with connections to Oxfordshire joined the [[International Brigades]], with two others joining [[POUM]]. Most of the volunteers were communist activists, and many had links to Britain's Jewish communities. Alongside organisations raising funds for Spanish humanitarian causes, Oxford was a hub for anti-fascist activism, homes within the county housed hundreds of [[Evacuation of children in the Spanish Civil War|Basque refugee children]]. Various physical fights broke out between anti-fascist activists and the Oxford University Fascist Association,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Farman|first=Chris|title=No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39|last2=Rose|first2=Valery|last3=Woolley|first3=Liz|publisher=Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee|year=2015|isbn=9781 910448 052|location=UK|pages=41–42}}</ref> with [[Communist Party of Great Britain|Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)]] activist [[Abraham Lazarus|Abe Lazarus]] successfully organising Oxford students to break up fascist meetings at [[Oxford Town Hall]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simon|first=Meddick|title=Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism|last2=Payne|first2=Liz|last3=Katz|first3=Phil|publisher=Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited|year=2020|isbn=978-1-907464-45-4|location=UK|pages=122}}</ref> Many of the local anti-fascist volunteers who survived and returned became influential in various professions including professors, surgeons, human rights activists and trade union leaders. |
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[[Oxfordshire]] was a hub for anti-fascist and Spanish Republican activism during the 1930s, with links to activists including; Olympic gold medalist, [[Lewis Clive]], Communist activist and Labour Party MP [[Thora Silverthorne]], biographer of Lenin and Genghis Khan [[Ralph Winston Fox]], photographer [[Alec Wainman]], the only CPGB member to sit in the House of Lords [[Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford|Baron Milford]], Communist organiser [[Carl Marzani]], Communist leader [[Claud Cockburn]], Marxist historian [[Tom Wintringham]], and journalist [[Giles Romilly]]. |
[[Oxfordshire]] was a hub for anti-fascist and Spanish Republican activism during the 1930s, with links to activists including; Olympic gold medalist, [[Lewis Clive]], Communist activist and Labour Party MP [[Thora Silverthorne]], biographer of Lenin and Genghis Khan [[Ralph Winston Fox]], photographer [[Alec Wainman]], the only CPGB member to sit in the House of Lords [[Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford|Baron Milford]], Communist organiser [[Carl Marzani]], Communist leader [[Claud Cockburn]], Marxist historian [[Tom Wintringham]], and journalist [[Giles Romilly]]. |
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In 2014 an appeal was launched to raise funds for a memorial to be built within Oxford to honour International Brigade volunteers with links to Oxfordshire.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=12 March 2014|title=Memorial appeal for Oxford Spanish Civil War volunteers|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-26546003|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 January 2021|website=BBC}}</ref> Much of the funding for the memorial was generated by the sale of the book ''No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39'', a compilation of research by several local historians with oversight from [[Oxford University]] professor Tom Buchanan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=14 October 2015|title=Oxfordshire's involvement in the Spanish Civil War discussed at upcoming talk|url=https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/48/oxfordshires_involvement_in_the_spanish_civil_war_discussed_at_upcoming_talk|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 January 2021|website=Oxford.gov.uk}}</ref> Other sources of funding included branches organisations including the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour party]], [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]], [[Communist Party of Britain]], [[National Union of Journalists]], [[Unison (trade union)|Unison]], [[Trades Union Congress]], and educational institutions including [[Ruskin College]] and [[The Queen's College, Oxford|The Queen's College]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Farman|first=Chris|title=No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39|last2=Rose|first2=Valery|last3=Woolley|first3=Liz|publisher=Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee|year=2015|isbn=|location=London|pages=II}}</ref> |
In 2014 an appeal was launched to raise funds for a memorial to be built within Oxford to honour International Brigade volunteers with links to Oxfordshire.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=12 March 2014|title=Memorial appeal for Oxford Spanish Civil War volunteers|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-26546003|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 January 2021|website=BBC}}</ref> Much of the funding for the memorial was generated by the sale of the book ''No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39'', a compilation of research by several local historians with oversight from [[Oxford University]] professor Tom Buchanan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=14 October 2015|title=Oxfordshire's involvement in the Spanish Civil War discussed at upcoming talk|url=https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/48/oxfordshires_involvement_in_the_spanish_civil_war_discussed_at_upcoming_talk|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 January 2021|website=Oxford.gov.uk}}</ref> Other sources of funding included branches organisations including the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour party]], [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]], [[Communist Party of Britain]], [[National Union of Journalists]], [[Unison (trade union)|Unison]], [[Trades Union Congress]], and educational institutions including [[Ruskin College]] and [[The Queen's College, Oxford|The Queen's College]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Farman|first=Chris|title=No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39|last2=Rose|first2=Valery|last3=Woolley|first3=Liz|publisher=Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee|year=2015|isbn=|location=London|pages=II}}</ref> |
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The current location was settled on after [[Oxford City Council]] rejected proposals for the monument to be erected within Oxford city centre, with [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] councillors opposing all the suggested locations. The creation of the monument was also opposed by heritage groups, including the [[Oxford Preservation Trust]] because it was felt to be out of character with the surrounding conservation area and the London Place Residents' Association.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Oliver|first=Matt|date=27 February 2017|title=Plans for Oxford memorial to Spanish Civil War volunteers clears key hurdle|work=Oxford Mail|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15120449.plans-oxford-memorial-spanish-civil-war-volunteers-clears-key-hurdle/|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> The current placement of the memorial was the third proposed location, with the previous two having their planning applications rejected by Oxford City Council.<ref>{{Cite news|last=French|first=Andy|date=20 April 2017|title=Date set to unveil Spanish Civil War memorial|work=Oxford Mail|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15235223.date-set-unveil-spanish-civil-war-memorial/|url-status=live|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> Some objected to the memorial because it did not honour "both sides ... in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness", and called the design "aggressive towards the memory of the victims of conflict".<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=22 February 2017|title=Spanish Civil War memorial stone approved|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-39056714|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> Liberal Democrat councillor Elizabeth Wade opposed each proposed location for a monument in Oxford, although she claimed she was never opposed in principle. She described the second proposal on St Giles' near Oxford's First and Second World War memorials as “aggressive and triumphalist”.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2016|title=IBMT Newsletter issue 41|url=http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/sites/default/files/IBMT1-16Web.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 December 2020|website=international brigades}}</ref> Describing herself as a historian and speaking to the ''[[Oxford Mail]]'', she then opposed the third and current location because she believed a monument with a red flag would glorify communism, despite no red flag ever being proposed to appear on the monument.<ref name=":0" /> A writer in the communist ''[[Morning Star (British newspaper)|Morning Star]]'' labelled opponents [[NIMBY]]s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=James|first=Luke|date=6 November 2016|title=Nimbys block nod to heroes of Spain civil war in Oxford: Memorial to anti-fascist fighters ‘too triumphalist’ for some|work=The Morning Star|url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-69a5-nimbys-block-nod-to-heroes-of-spain-civil-war-in-oxford-1|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> |
The current location was settled on after [[Oxford City Council]] rejected proposals for the monument to be erected within Oxford city centre, with [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] councillors opposing all the suggested locations. The creation of the monument was also opposed by heritage groups, including the [[Oxford Preservation Trust]] because it was felt to be out of character with the surrounding conservation area and the London Place Residents' Association.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Oliver|first=Matt|date=27 February 2017|title=Plans for Oxford memorial to Spanish Civil War volunteers clears key hurdle|work=Oxford Mail|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15120449.plans-oxford-memorial-spanish-civil-war-volunteers-clears-key-hurdle/|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> The current placement of the memorial was the third proposed location, with the previous two having their planning applications rejected by Oxford City Council.<ref>{{Cite news|last=French|first=Andy|date=20 April 2017|title=Date set to unveil Spanish Civil War memorial|work=Oxford Mail|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15235223.date-set-unveil-spanish-civil-war-memorial/|url-status=live|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> Some objected to the memorial because it did not honour "both sides ... in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness", and called the design "aggressive towards the memory of the victims of conflict".<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=22 February 2017|title=Spanish Civil War memorial stone approved|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-39056714|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> Liberal Democrat councillor Elizabeth Wade opposed each proposed location for a monument in Oxford, although she claimed she was never opposed in principle. She described the second proposal on St Giles' near Oxford's First and Second World War memorials as “aggressive and triumphalist”.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2016|title=IBMT Newsletter issue 41|url=http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/sites/default/files/IBMT1-16Web.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 December 2020|website=international brigades}}</ref> Describing herself as a historian and speaking to the ''[[Oxford Mail]]'', she then opposed the third and current location because she believed a monument with a red flag would glorify communism, despite no red flag ever being proposed to appear on the monument.<ref name=":0" /> A writer in the communist ''[[Morning Star (British newspaper)|Morning Star]]'' labelled opponents of the memorial as [[NIMBY]]s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=James|first=Luke|date=6 November 2016|title=Nimbys block nod to heroes of Spain civil war in Oxford: Memorial to anti-fascist fighters ‘too triumphalist’ for some|work=The Morning Star|url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-69a5-nimbys-block-nod-to-heroes-of-spain-civil-war-in-oxford-1|url-status=live|access-date=29 December 2020}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 14:12, 8 May 2021
| Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial | |
|---|---|
| Oxford, England | |
 | |
| For International Brigades | |
| Unveiled | 10 June 2017 |
| Location | East Oxford, Headington Hill |
| Designed by | Charlie Carter |
| Burials by war | |
"In memory of the 31 men and women of Oxfordshire who defended democracy and fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War 1936-39 and the people of the County who gave them support. Six were killed in action."
'We came because our open eyes could see no other way.' C Day Lewis | |
The Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial is a monument in Oxford dedicated to local residents who fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) against Nationalist forces. Erected and unveiled in 2017, the memorial is located close to South Park, near the base of Headington Hill by the junction of Headington Road and Morrell Avenue.[1]
The memorial is dedicated to all the volunteers with links to Oxfordshire who supported the Republicans and inscribed onto the front are the names of the six volunteers in the International Brigades who were killed during the war.
Commemorated dead
On the front of the memorial, the names of the six killed are inscribed:
- Anthony Carritt (1914-1937) - member of the Carritt family which had connections to leftist rebels and academics.
- Lewis Clive (1910-1938) - Olympic medalist in rowing and Christ Church, Oxford graduate.
- Edward Cooper (1912-1937) - Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) activist and worker for the Morning Star.
- Herbert Fisher (1910-1938) - relative of Virginia Woolf and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
- Ralph Winston Fox (1900-1936) - CPGB activist and biographer of Vladimir Lenin and Genghis Khan.
- John Rickman (1910-1937) - CPGB activist, anti-poverty campaigner, and expert on church architecture.
Background
During the Spanish Civil War, 29 British people with connections to Oxfordshire joined the International Brigades, with two others joining POUM. Most of the volunteers were communist activists, and many had links to Britain's Jewish communities. Alongside organisations raising funds for Spanish humanitarian causes, Oxford was a hub for anti-fascist activism, homes within the county housed hundreds of Basque refugee children. Various physical fights broke out between anti-fascist activists and the Oxford University Fascist Association,[2] with Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) activist Abe Lazarus successfully organising Oxford students to break up fascist meetings at Oxford Town Hall.[3] Many of the local anti-fascist volunteers who survived and returned became influential in various professions including professors, surgeons, human rights activists and trade union leaders.
Oxfordshire was a hub for anti-fascist and Spanish Republican activism during the 1930s, with links to activists including; Olympic gold medalist, Lewis Clive, Communist activist and Labour Party MP Thora Silverthorne, biographer of Lenin and Genghis Khan Ralph Winston Fox, photographer Alec Wainman, the only CPGB member to sit in the House of Lords Baron Milford, Communist organiser Carl Marzani, Communist leader Claud Cockburn, Marxist historian Tom Wintringham, and journalist Giles Romilly.
Planning and council conflict
In 2014 an appeal was launched to raise funds for a memorial to be built within Oxford to honour International Brigade volunteers with links to Oxfordshire.[4] Much of the funding for the memorial was generated by the sale of the book No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39, a compilation of research by several local historians with oversight from Oxford University professor Tom Buchanan.[5] Other sources of funding included branches organisations including the Labour party, Green Party, Communist Party of Britain, National Union of Journalists, Unison, Trades Union Congress, and educational institutions including Ruskin College and The Queen's College.[6]
The current location was settled on after Oxford City Council rejected proposals for the monument to be erected within Oxford city centre, with Liberal Democrat councillors opposing all the suggested locations. The creation of the monument was also opposed by heritage groups, including the Oxford Preservation Trust because it was felt to be out of character with the surrounding conservation area and the London Place Residents' Association.[7] The current placement of the memorial was the third proposed location, with the previous two having their planning applications rejected by Oxford City Council.[8] Some objected to the memorial because it did not honour "both sides ... in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness", and called the design "aggressive towards the memory of the victims of conflict".[9] Liberal Democrat councillor Elizabeth Wade opposed each proposed location for a monument in Oxford, although she claimed she was never opposed in principle. She described the second proposal on St Giles' near Oxford's First and Second World War memorials as “aggressive and triumphalist”.[10] Describing herself as a historian and speaking to the Oxford Mail, she then opposed the third and current location because she believed a monument with a red flag would glorify communism, despite no red flag ever being proposed to appear on the monument.[7] A writer in the communist Morning Star labelled opponents of the memorial as NIMBYs.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Jenkins, Stephanie (10 June 2017). "Oxford International Brigade". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Farman, Chris; Rose, Valery; Woolley, Liz (2015). No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39. UK: Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9781 910448 052.
- ^ Simon, Meddick; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020). Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ^ "Memorial appeal for Oxford Spanish Civil War volunteers". BBC. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Oxfordshire's involvement in the Spanish Civil War discussed at upcoming talk". Oxford.gov.uk. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Farman, Chris; Rose, Valery; Woolley, Liz (2015). No Other Way: Oxfordshire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39. London: Oxford International Brigade Memorial Committee. pp. II.
- ^ a b Oliver, Matt (27 February 2017). "Plans for Oxford memorial to Spanish Civil War volunteers clears key hurdle". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ French, Andy (20 April 2017). "Date set to unveil Spanish Civil War memorial". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Spanish Civil War memorial stone approved". BBC. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "IBMT Newsletter issue 41" (PDF). international brigades. 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ James, Luke (6 November 2016). "Nimbys block nod to heroes of Spain civil war in Oxford: Memorial to anti-fascist fighters 'too triumphalist' for some". The Morning Star. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)