Balbina Pi i Sanllehy (1896-1973) was a Catalan

anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...

. She was the mother of the singer

Teresa Rebull Teresa Rebull, née Teresa Soler i Pi (1919–2015), was a Catalan socialist activist, singer-songwriter and painter. The daughter of anarcho-syndicalists and Balbina Pi i Sanllehy, she joined the POUM and worked as a nurse during the Spanish Ci ...

and the partner of .

Biography

In 1917, while working as a spinner in

Sabadell Sabadell () is a city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona, a ...

, she became a delegate of a Local Federation of the

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo The (CNT; ) is a Spanish anarcho-syndicalist national trade union center, trade union confederation. Founded in 1910 in Barcelona from groups brought together by the trade union ''Solidaridad Obrera (historical union), Solidaridad Obrera'', ...

(CNT). He started holding rallies with her factory colleagues in Sabadell, alongside

Ángel Pestaña Ángel Pestaña Nuñez (1886–1937) was a Spanish Anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalist General Secretary of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, general secretary of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), founder of the Syndical ...

, and later held rallies and conferences in textile manufacturing towns throughout

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

. She regularly contributed to '' Solidaridad Obrera'' and ''Nuestra Voz'', often under the pseudonyms Margot and Libertad Caída. She also stood out doing theater in theater groups at the local libertarian athenaeum. Between 1920 and 1923, she carried out a number of actions in solidarity with the trade unionists that had been deported to

La Mola La Mola is a peninsula that forms the eastern end of the island of Formentera, in the Balearic Islands of Spain, in the western Mediterranean Sea. It contains the highest part of the island, with an elevation of about 200 m, as well as the ...

. In 1923, she participated in the Regional Plenum of the anarchist unions in

Lleida Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...

. Following the proclamation of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...

in 1931, she became active in the most radical faction of organized anarchism. According to

Joan Garcia i Oliver Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters ** Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), patron saint of France *Joan (surname) Art and media * ''Joan'' (Alexander McQueen ...

, she embroidered the first red-and-black flags that were ever used by the CNT-FAI. Due to disagreements with some anarchist sectors, in 1936, she formed her own anti-clerical women's group, with which she organized propaganda events. In 1939, when the

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

lost the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, she went underground and went into exile in Toulouse and Paris. She returned to theater in the groups of

Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista (), SIA, was a humanitarian organisation that existed in the Second Spanish Republic. It was politically aligned with the anarcho-syndicalist movement composed of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, CNT ...

(SIA). In 1970, in poor health, she left activism and went to live in Banyuls de la Marenda, where she spent the last days of her life near her daughter, the singer

. She is buried together with her partner in the Banyuls de la Marenda cemetery, with her name and dates of birth and death inscribed on a licorice stele.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pi i Sanllehy, Balbina 1896 births 1973 deaths Anarchists from Catalonia Confederación Nacional del Trabajo members Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in France People from Sant Boi de Llobregat People from Sabadell Spanish women trade unionists