Francesc Ferrer i Guà rdia
Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia [ fɾənsɛsk fəre i ɣwaɾðjə ] ( Catalan form of the name, and occasionally Castilian Francisco Ferrer Guardia, born January 10, 1859 in Alella in Barcelona, † October 13, 1909 in Barcelona ) was a Spanish libertarian educator.
Life
Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia came from a strict Catholic family. He himself became the enemies of religion and joined the Masonic Lodge Veritat ( cat. ) or Verdad ( kast. ) in Barcelona in. As a supporter of the failed attempt Ruiz Zorrillas, proclaim a republic, he had to go into exile in Paris in 1885.
In 1901 he returned to Spain and opened a reform school, the Escuela Moderna. Due to its (especially for its time ) radical, based on anarchism progressive educational concepts he was subjected to violent hostility. In 1906 he was under suspicion in the assassination of King Alfonso XIII. to be implicated, arrested and detained for over a year. Certain circles of the Church had demanded the trial before a court martial, but the Spanish government decided for political reasons against it. The school was forced to close then.
1909 (the " Tragic Week " ) was proclaimed martial law after anarchist uprisings in Barcelona. Ferrer was accused of being involved in the riots. He was tried before a court martial. Without defense may, without the possibility of testimony in his defense, he was sentenced to death without any evidence. The death sentence provoked outrage around the world. Contrary to the general hope of King Alfonso XIII. would not sign the death sentence, he still signed it.
On the day of his conviction, he was taken to a cell that was set up as a chapel. The Catholic Church wanted to keep him spiritual assistance, but what he energetically refused.
Before he was standing shot, his last greeting went to his school:
After his death Ferrers ideas were, inter alia, taken up in the United States. Several oriented at the Escuela Moderna schools were built (Modern Schools, or Ferrer Schools called ), the first in 1911 in New York City.