In the Madrid training center Ateneo had forever, yesterday's forces of the dictator Franco high life. The Protocol of a derailment.

The education center Ateneo in Madrid: popular place for celebrations – also in the Right-hand photo: imago/cordon press

MADRID taz | "It was a shock," says Jaime Ruiz. The retired secondary school teacher and later a regional Deputy of the United Left in Madrid, remembers that day at the end of October 2019, when he came for the first Time on the Video in the networks. To see hundreds of members of the Falange, the Spanish fascist party, the right Arm were stretched to the greeting.

they celebrated on the 26. October 86. Anniversary of the founding of their party, railed against democracy, demanded the abolition of the since 1975, since the end of the Franco dictatorship in Spain, valid Constitution, let the dictator live and sang "Cara al Sol" is the Spanish equivalent of the Horst-Wessel-Lied of the German Nazis.

The place where everything happened, knows Ruiz only too well. It is the great hall of the venerable Ateneo Científico y Literario – cultural Association for scientific and cultural debate – in the centre of Madrid was. "The Ateneo is the place for free Thinking," says Ruiz, of the Department of education projecting in the Ateneo for 17 years. "So something has happened here, since the Falange took over after the end of the Spanish civil war, the Ateneo", complains.

The 1835 founded the Ateneo was invaded in 1939 by the fascists and in part plundered. On the street in front of the main entrance to the unwelcome books were burned from the library. The archives were used in the persecution of its members. Among them well-known artists, politicians, and democratic intellectuals. "The fact that the room was rented to this criminal gang, is a heavy blow for all of us," adds Ruiz.

At the request of the Board of management of the Ateneo responded only with a cryptic press release. "The rental was approved neither by the Board nor is it done in the name of the Institution. After reviewing the pictures of the event, a Review of the rental process, it was agreed to ensure better control over such events, which may contain elements with the spirit of the Madrid Ateneo incompatible.“

In a first Communiqué, the Board noted at that time that "the regulations of the Ateneo protects the right of all members of any political, religious or social ideas, no matter how radical they are". "The rules of the house defended Tulipbet this actually," says Ruiz. But the event of the Falange was not just assumed to be members, but had been an external event, for which rent was paid.

In times where the Ateneo thanks to the austerity policy grants have been abolished, was the money a reason why the Board has been generous over seen. "But one thing is clear. There can be no cultural neutrality,“ adds Ruiz and refers to the fact that a few years ago, the Falange the room wanted to rent and this was rejected.

the new Board of Directors, which is unique to within the left and liberal spectrum, which covers the Ateneo, rather to the right edge, has not granted not all Mietanträge positive. So he prevented an event to Venezuela and refused to rent the left alternative Podemos and the Catalan Republican Left a room, as they were met with a solidarity event with the detained, and is now the high imprisonment of the convicted Catalan independence politicians and activists to perform.

For Ruiz is fascism, not worthy of opinion. He is calling for the resignation of the Board of management and is, therefore, among the approximately 2,000 members of the cultural Association, embodies like no other the advanced educated classes of the Spanish capital, is not alone.

For Mirta Nuñez, a historian at the Madrid's Complutense University, is the ride of the Ateneo Board of managing Directors is missing a sign for the "growing normalisation of fascism. All of this is the result of the lack of Historical analysis, a forgetfulness that leads to social amnesia“, is Nuñez sure, the deals among other things with the commemoration of the civil war and dictatorship. It refers to countries such as France and Germany, in which fascism society, outlawed and legally delimited. "In Spain the right is open profranquistisch", complained they.

Under the Chairman of the Ateneo such illustrious names as that of the later President of the fascists overthrown the Republic, Manuel azaña, no, or of the writer Ramón María del Valle-Inclán and the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno to be found. "The political, intellectual and cultural history of Spain without the Ateneo unthinkable. 16 heads of state and government emerged from the ranks of the free thinkers Institution,“ writes Lidia Falcón, lawyer, philosopher and journalist. Falcón headed the Department of feminist debates in the Ateneo. Her late husband was the Chairman of the Ateneo, before the current Board took over the Institution.

"unfortunately, We are in times of regression"

For Falcón is what happened in the Ateneo, a Symbol of the entire country. "We are obviously in times of regression, if not even the legendary hall of the Ateneo of Madrid, is the glorification of Franco's collection, of his coup and the defense of the horrors of fascism, sure," she writes in the online newspaper publico.it.

"This Episode will not only remain in the history of the Institution an eyesore. I don't know how you can be redeemed, but I fear that it will be a symbol for the times that await us with the resurrection of the fascist beast. You have already started to occupy the main rooms: First, the seats of the Andalusian regional Parliament, then the house of representatives and now in the Ateneo of Madrid. What a pain!“, Falcón finished your Text.

Just two weeks after the publication of these lines, the radical right-wing party, Vox, which sits since April, the Spanish Parliament doubled in the elections from 10. November the number of deputies. The extreme Right-wing are now the third strongest force in the country.