JOSE BERGAMIN 1895 ESPAÑOL, ENSAYISTA Y DRAMATURGO (13451169105)

José Bergamín Gutiérrez (

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, 1895 –

Hondarribia es, fuenterribense , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque, Spanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , ti ...

, 28 August 1983) was a Spanish writer, essayist, poet, and playwright. His father served as president of the canton of Málaga; his mother was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Bergamín was influenced by both politics and religion and attempted to reconcile

Communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

and Catholicism throughout his life, remarking "I would die supporting the Communists, but no further than that."

Early life and career

He studied law at the Universidad Central and his first articles appeared in the periodical ''Índice'', edited by

Juan Ramón Jiménez Juan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón (; 23 December 1881 – 29 May 1958) was a Spanish poet, a prolific writer who received the 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which in the Spanish language constitutes an example of high ...

, in 1921 and 1922. Bergamín's friendship with Jiménez would be as strong as the one he maintained with

Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical essa ...

, who served as an inspiration for Bergamín. Bergamín's writings for ''Índice'' would make him part of the

Generation of '27 The Generation of '27 ( es, Generación del 27) was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. ...

(he preferred the term “Generation of the Republic”), although scholars also place him in the earlier Generation of 1914 or a member of the movement known as '' Novecentismo''. However, his activities were very much an integral part of the Generation of '27, and he collaborated in all of the publications of this group, and served as editor of its various books. He is also considered Unamuno's principal disciple and one of the best Spanish essayists of the 20th century, with his themes covering everything from literary myths to the Golden Age of Spain, from

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

to politics, from Spain itself to bullfighting. An opponent of the regime of

Miguel Primo de Rivera Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquess of Estella (8 January 1870 – 16 March 1930), was a dictator, aristocrat, and military officer who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during Spain's Restoration era. He deepl ...

, Bergamín participated in a political gathering in

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...

together with Unamuno in support of republican ideals. He also served briefly as General Director of Insurance in the Ministry of Labor during the administration of Prime Minister

Francisco Largo Caballero Francisco Largo Caballero (15 October 1869 – 23 March 1946) was a Spanish politician and trade unionist. He was one of the historic leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and of the Workers' General Union (UGT). In 1936 and 19 ...

. In 1933, he founded and served as editor of the periodical ''

Cruz y Raya Cruz is a surname of Iberian Peninsula, Iberian origin, first found in Castile (historical region), Castile, Spain, but later spread throughout the territories of the former Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empires. In Spanish and Portugu ...

'', to which numerous authors of the Generation of ’27 contributed. The last issue of ''Cruz y Raya'', number 39, appeared in June 1936, a few days before the military uprising that would lead to the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

Career during the Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, Bergamín presided over the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Intellectuals (''

Alianza de Intelectuales Antifascistas The Alliance of Antifascist Intellectuals for the Defense of Culture (''Alianza de Intelectuales Antifascistas para la Defensa de la Cultura'') was a civil organization created on July 30, 1936, after the Spanish Civil War began. It had its initia ...

'') and was named cultural attaché for the government-in-exile in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, where he looked for moral and financial support for the Spanish Republic. Bergamín contributed to the periodicals '' El Mono Azul'', '' Hora de España'' and ''Cuadernos de Madrid''. In 1937, he presided over, at

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

, the second International Congress of Writers in Defense of Culture (''Congreso Internacional de Escritores en Defensa de la Cultura''), which gathered together more than a hundred intellectuals from all over the world.

Exile

With the victory of Francisco Franco over the Republican forces, Bergamín went into exile, taking with him a copy of Federico García Lorca's '' Poeta en Nueva York''. Bergamín would serve as editor of this work by Lorca. Bergamín went first to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and then to

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

, and finally to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In Mexico, he founded the magazine ''España peregrina'', an organ for exiled Spanish writers, and the publishing house Editorial Séneca, which would first publish the complete works of Antonio Machado, as well as the work of

Rafael Alberti Rafael Alberti Merello (16 December 1902 – 28 October 1999) was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27. He is considered one of the greatest literary figures of the so-called ''Silver Age'' of Spanish Literature, and he won numerou ...

César Vallejo César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza (March 16, 1892 – April 15, 1938) was a Peruvian poet, writer, playwright, and journalist. Although he published only two books of poetry during his lifetime, he is considered one of the great poetic innovators ...

, Lorca, and

Luis Cernuda Luis Cernuda Bidón (September 21, 1902 – November 5, 1963) was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27. During the Spanish Civil War, in early 1938, he went to the UK to deliver some lectures and this became the start of an exile t ...

, among others.

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and ...

's ''

The Exterminating Angel ''The Exterminating Angel'' ( es, El ángel exterminador, links=no) is a 1962 Mexican surrealist film written and directed by Luis Buñuel, starring Silvia Pinal, and produced by Pinal's then-husband Gustavo Alatriste. It tells the story of a g ...

'' was based on an unfinished play Bergamín had written. From 1955 to 1957,

Aurora de Albornoz Aurora de Albornoz (January 22, 1926 – June 6, 1990) was born in Luarca, Asturias, Spain. As a youth, she lived in Luarca with her parents, sister, and extended family, throughout the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939— an event that ins ...

studied in Paris with Bergamín.

Return to Spain

He returned to Spain in 1958, but was arrested for his previous activities as an opponent of the Nationalists during the Civil War. He was forced to go into exile again in 1963 after his apartment was burned down by his enemies, and also because he had signed a manifesto with more than 100 other intellectuals addressed to

Manuel Fraga Iribarne Manuel Fraga Iribarne (; 23 November 1922 – 15 January 2012) was a Spanish professor and politician in Francoist Spain, who was also the founder of the People's Party. Fraga was Minister of Information and Tourism between 1962 and 1969, Ambas ...

that denounced the regime’s use of torture and repression against the miners of

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

. He returned for good in 1970, settling in

and becoming a political opponent of what he perceived were the shady deals behind the Spanish transition to democracy (''La Transición''), and was expelled as a writer from various newspapers. He was a republican in the first democratic elections after the transition and published the manifesto ''Error monarquía''. At the end of his life, he lived in the Basque Country, where he served as a collaborator in the newspaper '' Egin'' and the periodical '' Punto y Hora de Euskal Herria'', where he became a firm political supporter of the

Abertzale ''Abertzale'' (; English: "patriot", literally "fond of the fatherland") is a Basque term usually referring to people or political groups who are associated with Basque nationalism. Although the term is synonym of "patriot", its common use in Ba ...

Left. He was buried at Hondarribia due to the fact that “he did not want to give his bones to Spanish earth,” since Hondarribia is part of the Basque Country.

Works

*''El cohete y la estrella'' Madrid; Índice, 1923. *'': (I-XXX), 1926 *''El arte de birlibirloque; La estatua de Don Tancredo; El mundo por montera'' Santiago de Chile; Madrid: Cruz del Sur, 1961. *''Ilustración y defensa del toreo'' Torremolinos: Litoral, 1974. *''Mangas y capirotes: (España en su laberinto teatral del XVII)'' Madrid: Plutarco, 1933. Segunda edición Buenos Aires, Argos, 1950. *''El cohete y la estrella; La cabeza a pájaros'' Madrid: Cátedra, 1981. *''La más leve idea de Lope'' Madrid: Ediciones del Árbol, 1936. *''Presencia de espíritu'' Madrid: Ediciones del Árbol, 1936. *''El alma en un hilo'' éxico, D.F. Séneca, 1940. *''Detrás de la cruz: terrorismo y persecución religiosa en España'' México: Séneca, (1941) *''El pozo de la angustia'' Barcelona: Anthropos, 1985. *''La voz apagada: (Dante dantesco y otros ensayos)'' Mexico: Editora Central, 1945. *''La corteza de la letra: (palabras desnudas)'' Buenos Aires: Losada, 1957. *''Lázaro, Don Juan y Segismundo'' Madrid: Taurus, 1959. *''Fronteras infernales de la poesía'' Madrid : Taurus, 1959. *''La decadencia del analfabetismo; La importancia del demonio'' Santiago de Chile; Madrid: Cruz del Sur, 1961. *''Al volver'' Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1962. *''Beltenebros y otros ensayos sobre literatura española'' Barcelona [etc.? : Noguer, 1973. *''De una España peregrina'' Madrid: Al-Borak, 1972. *''El clavo ardiendo'' Barcelona: Aymá, 1974. *''La importancia del demonio y otras cosas sin importancia'' Madrid: Júcar, 1974. *''El pensamiento perdido: páginas de guerra y del destierro'' Madrid: Adra, 1976. *''Calderón y cierra España y otros ensayos disparatados'' Barcelona: Planeta, 1979. *''La música callada del toreo'' Madrid : Turner, 1989. *''Aforismos de la cabeza parlante''. Madrid : Turner, 1983. *''La claridad del toreo'' Madrid: Turner, 1987. *''Al fin y al cabo: (prosas)'' Madrid : Alianza, 1981. *''Cristal del tiempo'' Hondarribia: Hiru, 1995. *''El pensamiento de un esqueleto: antología periodística'' Torremolinos: Litoral, 1984. *''Prólogos epilogales'' Valencia: Pre-Textos, 1985. *''Escritos en Euskal Herria'' Tafalla: Txalaparta, 1995. *''Las ideas liebres: aforística y epigramática, 1935-1981'' Barcelona: Destino, 1998. *''Enemigo que huye: Polifemo y Coloquio espiritual (1925-1926)'' Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva, 1927. *''La risa en los huesos'' Madrid : Nostromo, 1973. Contiene: ''Tres escenas en ángulo recto'' y ''Enemigo que huye'' *''La hija de Dios; y La niña guerrillera'' México: Manuel Altoaguirre, 1945. *''Los filólogos''. Madrid : Turner, 1978. *''Don Lindo de Almería'' : (1926) Valencia : Pre-Textos, 1988. - *''Rimas y sonetos rezagados'' / *
Duendecitos y coplas
' Santiago de Chile; Madrid: Cruz del Sur, 1963. *''La claridad desierta'' Madrid: Turner, 1983. *''Del otoño y los mirlos: Madrid, El Retiro : otoño 1962'' Barcelona: RM, 1975. *''Apartada orilla : (1971-1972)'' Madrid : Turner, 1976. *''Velado desvelo : (1973-1977)'' Madrid : Turner, 1978. *''Esperando la mano de nieve : (1978-1981)'' Madrid: Turner, 1985. *''Canto rodado'' Madrid: Turner, 1984. *''Hora última'' Madrid: Turner, 1984. *''Por debajo del sueño: antología poética'' Málaga: Litoral, 1979. *''Poesías casi completas'' Madrid: Alianza, 1984. *''Antología poética'' Madrid: Castalia, 1997.

References

External links

Guía bibliográfica realizada con motivo del proyecto de Pedro G. Romero “El fantasma y el esqueleto: Un viaje, de Fuenteheridos a Hondarribia, por las figuras de la identidad”
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bergamin Gutierrez, Jose 1895 births 1983 deaths Writers from Madrid Spanish male dramatists and playwrights Generation of '27 Spanish people of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in France 20th-century Spanish dramatists and playwrights Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Mexico Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Uruguay Spanish diplomats Spanish editors 20th-century Spanish male writers