The son of a Majorcan murdered by the Francoists in 1937, through tears: "Thank you"

PalmaEmotion marked the tribute that Inca dedicated this Sunday to Andreu París Martorell and Bernat Mateu Ferrer, two residents of the city murdered by the Francoists in March 1937. The son of París and nephew of Mateu could not hold back his tears during the event and ended up thanking those in attendance. Almost 90 years after the murders, the two stumbling stones placed on Carrer de la Puresa, where both had lived with their families, return them to a space in the public memory of the city.

Andreu París Martorell, born in 1895, was a shoemaker and one of the leaders of the labor movement in Inca. He was a co-founder of the local branch of the PSOE and the UGT, and he participated actively in the La Justícia Workers' Society, for which he held various leadership positions until being named president in 1936. After the military coup, they arrested and imprisoned him first in Inca and later in Can Mir, in Palma. On March 12, 1937, they murdered him at the Porreres cemetery. His remains have not yet been identified.

Bernat Mateu Ferrer, also born in 1895, was a farmer and a militant of the Balearic Republican Left. Like París, he had been part of the 'La Justícia' Workers' Society. He was the brother of the former mayor of Inca, Antoni Mateu, and the brother-in-law of Andreu París. After the coup d'état, he was imprisoned in the cloister of Sant Domingo in Inca and later transferred to Can Mir. He was also murdered at the cemetery of Porreres and buried in a mass grave. For years he was listed as missing.

During the event, family members shared memories about the daily life, social and political commitment, and personal ties of the two honorees. The councilwoman who spoke remarked on the importance of recovering their stories: "Today we return two names to a street, two lives to the history of our town, and two people to the collective memory of Inca".

A tribute to democratic memory

The placement of the two stones is part of the initiatives for the recovery of democratic memory and the recognition of the victims of Francoist repression. The Inca City Council asserts the need to recover the trajectories of the repressed people and ensure that their stories reach the new generations.

The two stones installed on Puresa Street leave a record of Andreu París and Bernat Mateu's time in the city and the end they suffered. A public reminder that has also given their families the opportunity to see their history recognized.