29 Brigadistas sanitarios en la guerra de España. De la solidaridad internacional a los campos nazis

El apoyo humanitario a la Republica Española durante la Guerra Civil fue muy importante tanto en personal como en medios. Se estima que al menos 200 médicos y 400 enfermeras extranjeros se enrolaron tanto en las unidades de combate de Brigadas Internacionales como en los hospitales y centros sanitarios creados por partidos o sindicatos. El objetivo de esta ponencia es dar a conocer que 44 miembros del personal sanitario internacional que apoyó a la República Española fueron deportados a los campos nazis. La mayoría fueron enviados a Auschwitz (16), Ravensbrück (12) y Dachau (8). Por profesiones había: 16 médicos, 24 enfermeras, 2 farmacéuticos, 1 dentista, y 1 fisioterapeuta. El mayor número de ellos procedía de Polonia (13), seguido de Austria (6) y Alemania (5). En función de su origen, el tratamiento dado por los nazis fue distinto. Así, los austriacos, holandeses, alemanes, húngaros y checoslovacos fueron tratados como prisioneros políticos y mayoritariamente enviados a Dachau y Mauthausen. Por el contrario, los polacos (generalmente judíos) fueron enviados a Auschwitz desde los campos de tránsito de Drancy (Francia) y Malinas (Bélgica) y a Ravensbrück (Alemania). El número de fallecidos en los campos nazis fue de 22, principalmente en Auschwitz (11) y Mauthausen (5). Abstract: During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) 32256 volunteers from 50 countries, the so-called International Brigades, went to Spain to support the Spanish Republic against the coup d’etat lead by a large group of right-wing army officers. The brigadists were recruited by the Komintern. Among them were doctors, nurses, and other care professionals. The International Brigades established care facilities according to nationalities including the American, British, Czech, Belgian and the Swedish-Norwegian hospitals. In October 1938 following the recommendations of the Non-Intervention Committee the withdrawal of the International Brigades started. Brigadists who could not return their countries crossed the French-Spanish border in February 1939 and were taken to internment camps in Southern France. After the French defeat in June 1940, a directive from the German Security Police ordered that all the “red fighters in the Spanish War”, were to taken to Nazi camps. By researching archives we have identified 44 health-care personnel enrolled in the International Brigades who after the Spanish Civil War were deported to Nazi camps. There were 24 nurses, 16 doctors, 2 chemists, 1 dentist and 1 physiotherapist. Auschwitz was the final destination for 16 health-care brigadists, 12 were taken to Ravensbrück and 8 to Dachau. Some of them (22) died in the camps, above all in Auschwitz (11) and Mauthausen (5). These nurses and doctors are an example of international solidarity. Their stories symbolize the capacity of human beings to care for each other willing to leave families, homes and jobs