Federico Borrell García (January 3, 1912 – September 5, 1936) was a
Spanish Republican
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 A ...
and
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...
militiaman during 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 Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...
, commonly thought to be the subject in the famous
Robert Capa
Robert Capa (born Endre Ernő Friedmann; October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954) was a Hungarian-American war photography, war photographer and Photojournalism, photojournalist as well as the companion and professional partner of photographer Gerda T ...
photo ''
The Falling Soldier
''The Falling Soldier'' (full title: ''Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936'') is a black and white photograph by Robert Capa, claimed to have been taken on Saturday, September 5, 1936. It was said to depi ...
''.
Biography
He was born in
Benilloba,
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous comm ...
, and went by the nickname "Taino". He worked at a mill in
Alcoi
Alcoy ( ca-valencia, Alcoi) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 ...
and he founded the local branch of the anarchist
Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth (FIJL). He joined the local Loyalist militia, the Columna Alcoiana, set up to defend the
Spanish Republic against the Spanish Nationalist forces of
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 19 ...
.
According to some sources, on the morning of September 5, 1936, Borrell was one of about fifty men who arrived at Cerro Muriano in Córdoba to reinforce the militia against Francoist forces commanded by
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
José Enrique Varela
José Enrique Varela Iglesias, 1st Marquis of San Fernando de Varela (17 April 1891 – 24 March 1951) was a Spanish military officer noted for his role as a Nationalist commander in the Spanish Civil War.
Early career
Varela started his milita ...
. During that afternoon Borrell was defending the artillery battery to the rear of the Alcoi infantry when enemy troops infiltrated behind the Loyalists and fired at them from behind. Borrell was fatally shot around five o’clock on or near the hill known as La Loma de las Malagueñas. According to Spanish government records, he was the only member of the Columna Alcoiana to die in the fighting at Cerro Muriano that day. Everisto García, his brother, identified him from the photo.
[
Other versions claim that Borrell could have been shot and killed by rebels when posing for Robert Capa. The documentary '' La sombra del iceberg'' claims that the picture was staged and that Borrell is not the individual in the picture.
It is not known where Borrell, or the other, unidentified, militiaman killed shortly after, are buried, although the most likely place is the nearby cemetery at Villaharta.]["El soldado, el fotógrafo y la muerte"]
''El País
''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA.
It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El ...
''. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
References
External links
*
Pagni, Luca. "Robert Capa & la foto del miliziano"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borrell Garcia, Federico
1912 births
1936 deaths
People from Comtat
Spanish anarchists
Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)
Military personnel killed in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish casualties of the Spanish Civil War
People notable for being the subject of a specific photograph