He took on the battle of ideas without renouncing the truth, which is why he broke with the suffocating dogmatism that belittled the complexity and concrete freedom of people. He was a European and European activist and man of letters who advocated collective memory as a moral and political compass in the face of the threat of radical evil, which always returns. Jorge Semprún, who we remember now on the occasion of the centenary of his birth, was exemplary in words and attitudes, exhibiting with lucidity and courage his own criteria that were proof against all types of enemies, also when he served as Minister of Culture of one of the governments of Felipe González. His literature – constructed as a distillate of life that cuts through horror with the beauty of the most difficult questions – is a microscope for anyone who wants to analyze the abysses of the 20th century.
The only time I had the privilege of seeing and listening to Semprún in person was on April 24, 1998, when the author gave a conference at the Blanquerna Communication faculty of the Ramon Llull University. More than four hundred people enjoyed his precise, reflective and seductive verb. At that time, in the first years, his book Writing or Life was mandatory reading. Even today I meet former students of mine influenced by the overwhelming testimony of a heterodox man who defined himself as “a survivor of Buchenwald.”
In Catalonia, Semprún is fondly evoked, not only for the quality and originality of his literary production, but also for his way of approaching the reality of the Catalan nation and culture. As Minister of Culture, between 1988 and 1991, he was always willing to listen and reach agreements. Despite some high-profile controversy, such as that related to the legacy of Salvador Dalí, everyone emphasizes his open and constructive nature.
The editor Xavier Folch summed it up perfectly in the speech he gave when, in 2003, the Generalitat honored Semprún with the Blanquerna prize: “In Catalonia, informed people, both in public institutions and in civil society, agree: Semprún He has been – from the Catalan point of view – the best Minister of Culture. Because? Essentially, because she looked at Catalonia without prejudice. We Catalans tend to lament that many Spanish politicians and intellectuals view us with prejudices, prejudices that sometimes have very ancient historical origins and that solidified and took root during the Franco regime. Semprún has a universal, non-nationalist perspective, not contaminated by Falangism or Spanish nationalism.” Folch added that Semprún – who was not afraid to confront the all-powerful Alfonso Guerra – “was fair and equitable in the allocation of investments; he listened to us and, of course, respects us.”
We Catalans have many reasons to remember Semprún with sympathy, admiration and gratitude. Also all the democrats of the Spanish State, of course. That is why I propose that Barcelona – capital of Catalonia, cultural metropolis with a European vocation and crossroads of the struggles against all forms of fascism and totalitarianism – dedicate one of its streets or squares to the memory of Semprún, who had among us numerous friends and It still has – fortunately – very loyal readers. I am addressing Mayor Collboni and the City Council groups to please consider this proposal, which arises at a historical moment in which – it seems to me – references are necessary to inspire us in the intelligent fight for justice, freedoms and human rights.
