Francisco Griéguez Pina (25 October 1918 – 20 June 2018) was a Spanish soldier from Murcia who fought in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He was the last survivor of the Nazi concentration camps from Murcia. Francisco Griéguez was born 25 October 1918 in Murcia. As a young man, he worked in a toy factory before the Spanish Civil War began. At age 17, Griéguez enlisted as a Republican volunteer. In 1939, following the Catalonia Offensive by the Nationalists, Griéguez went into exile in France. There, he joined the 27th Company of Spanish Workers, which was bound to defend the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force the ...

from German forces. In June 1940, Griéguez was arrested by the Gestapo. He was sent to Stalag XII-D, a prisoner-of-war camp in Trier. On 3 April 1941, he was transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp. On 5 May 1945, over four years later, Mauthausen was liberated by

US forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

. Griéguez returned to France, where he settled in Gardanne. In 1975, following the death of

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...

, Griéguez was able to visit Spain, although he continued living in Gardanne. By 2017, Griéguez was the last living Murcian survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. Griéguez died 20 June 2018 in Gardanne at the age of 99. He was survived by his wife Juana.

References

1918 births 2018 deaths People from Murcia Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in France Mauthausen concentration camp survivors Spanish military personnel of World War II {{Spain-mil-bio-stub Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)