Introduction
You are walking through the narrow streets of Barcelona, when you come across a large building with a beautiful mural on the side. As you get closer, you realize that it is a cooperative, founded in 1901 by 100 workers.
The cooperative flourished in the early years, with a bakery, cafeteria, and tavern. But on January 25, 1939 -just one day before Franco's troops entered Barcelona- the building was destroyed in a bombardment.
In the 1940s, the cooperative was on the verge of dissolving, but managed to stay afloat by renting spaces to Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta and Cors de Clavé. Today, the building is being recovered as a community management center.
The origins of the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX
The Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX was founded by one hundred associates in 1901. Soon after, the oven, the coffee section and the tavern were up and running. On January 25, 1939, one day before Franco's troops entered Barcelona, it was destroyed by bombing. In the forties it was on the verge of disappearing, but it got ahead by renting spaces to the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta and Cors de Clavé. Today the building is claimed as a community management facility.
The impact of Francoism and the bombings of 1939
The impact of the Franco regime and the bombings of 1939 were devastating for the cooperative. Almost all of its members were killed or fled into exile. The building was destroyed and the cooperative was forced to start from scratch. It was a difficult time, but the cooperative managed to survive and eventually rebuild its operations.
The mission of a contemporary cooperative
You may be wondering why the cooperative has been so successful and has managed to survive to this day. The answer is simple: the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX has been fighting for their cause since 1901, when it was founded by a hundred members. Its mission has been to serve as a tool for economic and social development for the citizens of Barcelona, as well as a space for grassroots movements and social action. Today, the cooperative's mission is more important than ever. Defends justice, equity and solidarity with those in need. It serves to empower people and build strong communities by providing them with access to resources, knowledge and opportunities. This is how the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX has endured in times of conflict, crisis and oppression: remaining faithful to its founding principles.
Renting Spaces: Making ends meet
Surely you are wondering how the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX managed to survive in the years after the attacks of 1939. In order to survive, the cooperative began to rent parts of its building. That's right, they rented spaces to the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta and Cors de Clavé in order to continue operating.
These difficult times showed how committed they were to their mission as a cooperative. Despite going through some really difficult times, they refused to give up and kept fighting for their vision of a better world.
A beacon of hope for cooperatives around the world
As you can see, the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX is an incredible story of survival and resistance. Faced with numerous challenges, it has been able to resist and come out stronger. Not only that, but it stands as a beacon of hope for other cooperatives around the world, showing the power of collective action and resilience. It's a reminder that no matter how dire, as long as we stick together, we can get through it all.
Conclusion
At the beginning of the 20th century, one hundred members founded an associated work cooperative in Barcelona (Spain). The cooperative soon began to function with a bakery, a coffee section and a tavern. On January 25, 1939 -one day before Franco's troops entered Barcelona- the cooperative was destroyed by bombing. In the 1940s, the cooperative was about to dissolve, but it saved itself by renting spaces to the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta and Cors de Clavé. Today, the building is claimed as a community management resource. Finally, we can say that the Cooperativa Obrera Popular Segle XX has a history of survival and resistance that has been able to endure over time and inspire more than one person.