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The Berlin Euskal Etxea has worked tirelessly over the last months preparing the “Agirre in Berlin,” conference that will take place at the beginning of June. The program is broad and beginning with the days that Lehendakari Agirre was hiding in Berlin, it will also analyze both the historical and political context that marked the life of so many Basques and Germans.  EuskalKultura.com spoke to Ainhoa Añorga and Unai Lauzarika at the Basque club about it. 

Begoña Miñaur.  From May 31-June 3, Berlin will celebrate a conference dedicated to Lehendakari Agirre, remembering the time that he spent in the city, while fleeing Europe.  It was in 1941 when Agirre fleeing the Nazis, he found himself in the wolf’s mouth in Berlin where he stayed for several months waiting for his passport, under an assumed identity, that would allow him to go to Switzerland, and eventually the US.  Agirre talked about this experience in his book From Guernica to New York Passing through Berlin.

The scape of Agirre from Europe and his stay in Berlin is movie material.  When did you learn about this story?

-Ainhoa Añorga: In 2010, we invited writer, Edorta Jimenez, to an event in Berlin and he told Lourdes Izagirre, Basque club member and lecturer in Frankfurt about it, since he wanted to visit the places where Agirre had stayed.  In 2011, when we were organizing the 75th anniversary of the Bombing, Lourdes read the book and suggested the idea of creating a map.  In 2012, we presented the German translation of Edorta’s book Baleen Berbaroa to the Brecht Haus and talked about the project over dinner afterwards.

-Unai Lauzirika: I knew about the book but I didn’t read it until 2011, when we were organizing the events for the 75th anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika.  And as Ainhoa said, the subject came up at dinner after the event with Edorta.  Lourdes and I got involved in the project and we got it going.  But, to tell you the truth, we only did an outline, because we were very busy that year.

It was a challenge for the Berlin Euskal etxea.  Why did you decide to take it on?

-Unai: Because it totally represents the philosophy of the Basque club founders and the path that we have taken over the last few years. He kept the original project to translate Agirre’s writings and to create a map of his stay.  Afterwards, the project grew a lot and we had to ask help and support from other entities, and we can say that it was very enriching and complementary.  We are happy in the sense that after the event, the conference proceedings will be published and the documents that we created will stay there, at everyone’s disposition, in German.

-Ainhoa: In 2012, it was impossible to do anything because even though we were able to link Agirre to the Bombing of Gernika, a team as small as ours couldn’t take on that much work.  We have been waiting for an appropriate date, and in December of 2014 we got started.  We have been knee-deep in the organization of the event since fall of 2015.  Unai was in charge and in the spring he gathered some club members to help with the translations and production.  We have had to leave other events behind in order to get it all done.

In the academic realm, what does this conference contribute?

-Unai: We can say that this conference organized by Etxepare, the CBS of the University of Nevada in Reno and the University of Leipzig (The International Legacy of Lehendakari Agirre's government), will be the first step.  It will provide a broad perspective of the Basque Government in exile and figure of Agirre.  Presenters are not only historians, but also journalists like Nicholas Rankin.  Additionally, it is not every day that you have the chance to meet experts like Hilari Raquer i Suñer, Carlos Collado Seidel or Joan Villarroya.  And don’t forget Xabier Irujo who will close the conference.

At the conference on June 2 they will analyze the mark of war on culture, how did you focus on it?

-Ainhoa: The conference on June 2, "Agirre in the Arts,” was organized by the Euskal Etxea with the support of Etxepare and Humboldt and Leipzig Universities.  The goal is to provide a more cultural point of view; beyond studying Agirre or the Basque Government in exile, to analyze how the Civil War and exile was reflected in the arts.

-Unai: There will be six presenters: Mari Jose Olaziregi, Kirmen Uribe and Daniela Bister will talk about literature. Miren Arzalluz will analyze fashion, like the Spanish Civil War and the exile conditioned the life of Balenciaga and Paco Rabanne.  Benjamin Inal will talk about the Bombing of Gernika, but as a symbol.  He won’t only analyze the famous painting by Picasso, but will also talk about how it was portrayed in film, literature and other disciplines in the 20^th century.  And the political use of Gernika all over the world.

The conference will close with Iker Sanchez Silva, an orchestra director that lives in Berlin.  He will talk about the music scene between the two World Wars and afterwards; and Andres Isasi and his German contemporaries.  He will complement his talk with music, accompanied on the piano by Joana Otxoa de Alaiza and mezzo-soprano Paula Iragorri.

On June 2, Kirmen Uribe and Mikel Urdangarin will give a music and poetry performance, “Zaldiak eta beren itzalak.” What binds that to the time of Agirre?

-Ainhoa: During the conference, Kirmen will give a talk “Elegy of a Basque Woman,” where he will talk about the topic and the plan for his new novel, yet to be published, where Agirre appears indirectly.

-Unai: The plan of this event is different, it won’t be as focused on Agirre. It will talk more about exiles and Basque culture, among others, with Urdangarin’s music as well as Kirmen’s poems.  We were able to include it in the program at the Gorki Theater, and it’s not every day that you can har Basque in a theater in Berlin.  We achieved this thanks to the Basques and Germans that work there.

What can today’s society learn from Agirre’s odyssey and political activity?

-Unai: Among other readings, I would say that the Germans would find Agirre most interesting as an exile.  Our contribution to the discussion over the last few years regarding refugees is to teach that Basques have also been in the same situation and in exile and that even the Lehendakari was hidden here. Today our countries are rich, the Basque Country as well as Germany, but who knows, maybe among the Syrian or Iraqi exiles now in Berlin, maybe there is another Agirre?

The Basque Government’s position in exile is also interesting around Europe, and so that is why we will also mention Agirre’s second visit to Berlin, in 1956, at the conference.

-Ainhoa: Even though the European Union is currently in crisis, it is necessary to understand the work the Basques have done.  According to German media, the Basques are all nationalists, and from the German point of view, a nationalist is right-wing, xenophobic and anti-European.

-Unai: In this sense we can do some teaching.  Our association is a cultural one, and our work is to show the Basque culture and history.  That is why we present translations and then everyone can come to their own conclusions from reading the original texts.  In Germany we have a lot to do to let people know about Euskal Herria in German.  Otherwise, others will speak for us.

The Berlin Euskal Etxea was created by Germans, which is unique among the Basque clubs.  When and how did it come about?

-Ainhoa: It was created by the organizers of a symposium on the Bombing of Gernika that was held in Berlin in 1997, on the 60^th anniversary of the bombing.  They invited survivors of the bombing and they also were able to get a letter from the president of Germany asking for forgiveness and that is what created a bridge between the Basques and Germans.  The hope is to continue on this path that the euskal etxea was born on.  It was established in April of 1998.

It is a young center but over the last few years it has organized very powerful events like the Basque film series, Korrika, events surrounding the Bombing of Gernika, and now this.  What dies the Basque club bring to the Basques and the locals?

-Ainhoa: It is a center created by Germans and I think that we have the responsibility to cater to them, that is, to hold activities that can be carried out in German.  Although, over the last few years we have tried to do more ambitious things, and this takes a lot of work and stable resources.  In this sense we aren’t capable or have the infrastructure like, for example the Euskal Etxea in Barcelona, that we aspire to be more like, as do other Basque clubs.

The club has made a mark in the social and cultural life in Berlin.  Where do you see the club in the future?

-Unai: Activities like Zinemaldia and Korrika have been established, but in a city like Berlin, with so much going on, it is difficult to stand out.  We are a small team and we have to work hard to push projects forward. In the club, everyone is involved, nobody is off the hook.

-Ainhoa: Some young people have joined, and they have taken on some projects: Unai himself has been in charge of Agirre over the last few years, but for example, Markel Anasagasti, from Mundaka, is in charge of Zinemaldia since last year; translations and events with writers/translators is the job of Lourdes Izagirre, Danel Agirre, Irati Elorrieta, Garazi Ugalde or Galder Ruiz.  The challenge is to attract more people, and we know, but later these people also need to understand the philosophy of the club and become involved so that these and other projects can be carried out.

Complete conference information here: Agirre in Berlin.

Berlin Euskal Etxea’s website: www.euskaletxea.de