LA CASA DEL PUEBLO DE GUADALAJARA
Enrique Alejandre Torija
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the General Workers Union already had a significant number of members in Guadalajara, " In 1900 there were in the capital Alcarria a few companies, scattered in different places, free of force by the low number of attached or by its lack of cohesion. These companies were the Masons, carpenters and bakers "
associative
This increase became the need for these societies are organized in a local federation and had its own headquarters:
It took three years, during which period of time other new companies were organized, that better targeted, agreed to organize the local labor federation, made on that date by the Company of Bakers, Builders, Carpenters, Farmers, Blacksmiths, Pastors and Painters.
The opening ceremony, previously invited, attended by 15 workers of Madrid Societies. "
The incident took place after the May Day demonstration in 1904 at house number eight in the Piazza Santa Maria. A year later, the Workers Federation of Societies of Guadalajara, created its first local committee, chaired by Fernando Relaño and its own press organ, The Alcarria Workers, "Journal fortnightly. defending workers' interests "as the subtitle read, in April 1906 in November 1907 gave evening classes start. The frequent conferences with speakers was not always Socialists. Worker Center had a library, a choral society, a diverse society and an artistic Philharmonic theater. To promote the idea of \u200b\u200bcreation of the People's University in the city, the Federation of Workers Societies offered its premises for the same. Guadalajara workers were in need of a space, not only for political and trade union work, but to also carry out any activity that would help to increase awareness about the role and the place they deserved in the world to acquire a culture that lacked and to develop their creative potential as a counterweight to a company that will offer a little more entertainment than bulls, snuff and tavern.
In 1912, the UGT property acquired in an old building adjoining the square Marlasca by 5,500 pts. After its demolition, other 12000 pts, only be possible to lift the walls of a house with four walls and topping. The work was carried out by the workers themselves associated with difficulty by the persistent problem of flooding of the trenches for the foundation.
In April 1915 the Company Workers decided to resume work at least abide by what has been built. In August, had been completed, having previously spent a total of 38,000 pts.
The works have been conducted by the mason, Isidoro Fernandez and Luis Ranz, carpenter, born in Fuencemillan, based in Guadalajara, but whose early years were spent in Madrid, where he was part of the initial nucleus of the PSOE. The surface of the house was of 363 square meters. We have an idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding the socialism toward description of it in those days: "The finished part is distributed among a beautiful lobby with tile floor, left the cooperative with a large basement on the right school, coffee lounge, concierge rooms, a library, a secretariat, to modern toilets, etc (...) The House has also a beautiful terrace, and its robustness is guaranteed, since the entire building is made of iron and brick, being provided with hot water, which will make it extremely hygienic new Alcarrian local workers "then added new plants and offices to the building .
The September 5, 1915 the House of the People of Guadalajara was opened by Pablo Iglesias, who gave a lecture in the main theater in which exposed the socialist ideology. Was no stranger to city labor leader, since she had given him hospitality his then fellow socialist group in Guadalajara, Julián Fernández Alonso, Enrique Burgos and Alfonso Martin, among others, in the distant year of 1882, as the printers' strike and the Congress of the Federation constitution Typesetting his health had suffered and had to rest. In 1925, another socialist leader, Julián Besteiro, came to inaugurate the Central Library of labor, which had been established with contributions from individuals and grants from the City and County Council. But this time there was no conference, as the Board of Primo de Rivera consented socialist activity up to a limit.
And the House of the People gave to much. In an article published in the Madrid newspaper "La Libertad" (18-3-1928), from the pen of Juan José Morato, it said the following about the activity that was taking place in it:
"A magnificent Casa del Pueblo, all light, white, clean, amplitude, starting with the lobby and the majestic staircase. A People's House which is home to Builders, Carpenters, Farmers, Coach Builders, various trades, Metal, Dependent Theatre, waiters, bakers, Jeans, shop, Union Automobile, knitting, Printers, The Art of Dress (female body ), delivery of bread, Socialist Group, and copy-a-fact grupo llamado de Profesiones liberales, mas una Deportiva Obrera y un grupo artístico.
En total 1065 afiliados...(...) Hay en él (edificio) una buena biblioteca, un excelente gimnasio y un salón donde hay un piano para la enseñanza- a más del recreo-, mesas de escribir y maniquíes con trajecitos de papel para la enseñanza de corte y confección”
La Casa del Pueblo de Guadalajara cumplió la tarea para la que había sido creada, en una sociedad que negaba de hecho el acceso a la cultura, la educación física, la realización de actividades artísticas..., the workers. In 1939. settled the civil war with the defeat of the working class, the People's House was occupied by the English Trade Union Organisation (OSE), better known as the vertical union, the union model inspired by the Franco regime, which was not an obstacle to building outside stage of the efforts and struggles of those who, in this "union", advocated a democratic trade unionism and class. With the advent of democratic rule returned to settle in the UGT-and was even temporarily PSOE headquarters-and remained until today in which by virtue of the poor condition of the building, has decided to demolish it and erect a building new on the same site as a hundred years ago is the registered office of the working classes in Guadalajara. SOCIALIST ACTION
, 26/12/1914 The CHRONICLE, 05/09/1904 Delso Calero, JP "Elite Class", Page: 454 THE SOCIALIST, 09.04.1915 Red Serrano, Soledad Podesta, "The labor movement in Guadalajara: history comments and reflections. " Guadalajara. Edition of the author. 1990. Pp.: 51 and 52 Ibid Torija Alejandre, Enrique. "The labor movement in Guadalajara. 1868-1939. Pages: 168. Frederick Engels Foundation. Madrid. 2008. Ibid. Page: 179