Marina Ginestà i Coloma
Marina Ginestà i Coloma (29 January 1919 – 6 January 2014) was a Catalan communist notable for her involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Born in Toulouse, France, she was a member of the Unified Socialist Youth and became an iconic figure due to a famous photograph taken by Juan Guzmán on the rooftop of the Hotel Colón, overlooking the Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona, during the military uprising in July 1936.
Early Life and Background
Ginestà was born into a working-class, leftist family which had emigrated from Spain to France. Her parents, Empar Coloma Chalmeta from Valencia and Bruno Ginestà Manubens from Manresa, were both tailors. When she was 11 years old, her family returned to Barcelona, where she became involved in political activism.
Spanish Civil War
During the Spanish Civil War, Ginestà became part of the militia that fought against the Nationalists. The photograph that immortalized her was taken at a time when she was on the frontline in Madrid in July 1937. This image became a symbol of the role of women in warfare and in supporting the Republican cause.
Exile and Later Life
In 1946, Ginestà was forced to leave Spain due to the persecution by the dictator Rafael Trujillo, leading her to relocate to Venezuela. She would later divorce her husband in 1949 and move to France. In 1952, she remarried a Belgian diplomat and returned briefly to Barcelona. By 1978, she had moved to Paris, where she lived until her death in January 2014.
Legacy
Marina Ginestà remains a poignant symbol of the resistance against fascism and the role of women in the 20th-century conflicts. Her story is a testament to the political and social upheavals of her time and continues to inspire many in the struggle for justice and equality.