ESCOFET FREDERIC: (1898-1987) Frederic Escofet i Alsina. Spanish Military under the Second Spanish Republic and Generalitat of Catalonia, before and after the Spanish civil war. An excellent and unedited lengthy personal archive of Escofet including over 450 documents, and over 720 pages, with A.Ls.S., A.Ls, Ls.S., Ds.S., T.Ls, and all sort of printed documents and publications related to Escofet´s life, dating between 1926 and 1986. Most of the autograph documents are addressed to Escofet, some are in his hand, many containing annotations and amendments in his hand, including some of his important speeches. Some of the speeches refer to to the independence struggle, to the civil war, to the last words and time spent with the assassinated President Lluis Companys, etc… The documents include T.Ls.S. by President of the Catalan Government Josep Tarradellas, and by some Catalonia relevant politicians such as Heribert Barrera, Josep Bricall, several Mayors, etc… An archive of very interesting historic content with excellent association considering the actual Catalan independent political situation, involving ERC, the Generalitat and Brussels again, eighty years after. G   £600-900    

 

In 1931, when the Second Republic was proclaimed, Escofet was appointed Chief of the Catalan police, the Mossos d´Esquadra, and shortly after adjutant and close collaborator to the President of the Catalan Government, Francesc Maciá. In 1934, the new President of the Catalan Government, Lluis Companys, appointed Escofet General Commissair of internal affairs. Escofet had to defend the Catalan Government Palace when besieged in 1934, and after surrender was imprisoned and sentenced to death. His sentence would later be changed to life imprisonment, and in 1936 released when the Catalan Government was re-established. He remained close to President Companys until they went into exile.

 

Escofet is also well-remembered because of his love affair with Carmen Trilla, his second wife, a Spanish artist who was known as the “Spanish Garbo´, who decided to leave her husband and children at a time it was legally forbidden, and went into exile with Escofet, abandoning her children and family, success and everything else for love. This love story has recently been published in the book `Despues del Amor´, (`After Love´), by Sonsoles Onega, and awarded with the prestigious Lara literary award. Carmen Trilla would die in Belgium as a result of a German bombing during WWII.

 

Escofet lived for more than 40 years in exile in Brussels where he would act as Minsiter of the Independent Catalan Government in exile.

 

Francesc Maciá i llussá (1859-1933) Spanish Politician and Military. President of the Catalan government 1932-33.

 

Lluis Companys (1882-1940) Spanish Lawyer and Politician. President of the Catalan Government 1933-34. Companys went into exile in France in 1936 after the Republican defeat during Spanish civil war. In 1940 Companys was arrested by the Gestapo and given to the Spanish military authorities. He was sentenced to death and executed.