“Can you imagine a school named after a courageous woman? A woman who fought for her beliefs even in the face of death?”
Welcome to the Institut d’Educació Secundària Aurora Picornell. This school isn’t just a place of learning. It’s a monument to Aurora Picornell a remarkable woman whose life embodies strength and resilience.
Aurora Picornell Femenies was born in Palma de Mallorca in 1912. She wasn’t just a seamstress. She was a communist a feminist and a syndicalist. She co-founded the Seamstresses’ Union and became a prominent leader of the Spanish Communist Party in the Balearic Islands. She was also a member of the Secular League. Aurora’s activism extended to Menorca and Ibiza. Her commitment to women’s rights was unwavering. In 1936 she organized a massive Women’s Day rally in Palma. Thousands attended this meeting at the Casa del Pueblo. This was a truly remarkable event for the time.
The Spanish Civil War tragically altered her life. After the fall of Mallorca Aurora was imprisoned. She was tortured in the Convent of Montuïri. Then she was executed with her comrades on January 5 1937. They were known as the “Red Women of Molinar”. Her execution was a symbol of the brutal repression under Franco. Her defiant words to her executioners are chilling “You can kill men women children like mine who has not yet been born But what about ideas With what bullets will you kill ideas?”
For decades her story remained largely unknown. But in October 2022 her remains were identified. They were exhumed from a mass grave. This allowed the complete story of her sacrifice to finally be told.
Today her name graces this school a testament to her legacy. This institute stands as a symbol of hope and a tribute to the courageous woman whose spirit lives on. Her story reminds us of the importance of fighting for justice equality and freedom. Remember her name. Remember her sacrifice. Remember Aurora Picornell.