Ricardo Altaba i Planuch, the man of ERC in the Government of Euzkadi when it had its headquarters in Barcelona in 1937

Ricardo Altaba i Planuch, a key figure associated with ERC during the Government of Euzkadi when it was based in Barcelona in 1937, has been brought into focus once again through newly uncovered documents. These materials, donated by Altaba i Planuch before his death in 1994, include photographs and a detailed directory listing personnel who served under the Government of Euzkadi during its time in Barcelona. The revelations coincide with the upcoming 90th anniversary of the autonomous executive body, which was established in October 1936 amid the Spanish Civil War. The Government of Euzkadi relocated to Barcelona in the autumn of 1937 after the Nationalists captured Bilbao and much of the Basque territory. The head of state, José Antonio de Aguirre, along with many of his advisors, fled to France but later returned to Spain to continue their work in Catalonia, still under Republican control. According to historian Ludger Mees, the initial delegation used an apartment on Valencia Street, already occupied by the so-called "Vasco Secretariat," a pre-existing entity. This space had been provided by the Generalitat, which maintained close ties with the new Basque autonomy. As the delegation expanded, it moved to a mansion on Paseo de Pi i Margall, one of Barcelona’s main thoroughfares. However, the government did not relocate entirely to Barcelona. Alfredo Espinosa, a Republican advisor responsible for health matters, had already been executed. Meanwhile, within the coalition, parties such as the PCE, IR, and increasingly the PSOE began to question the dominance of the PNV. A document dated September 1937, just a month before Aguirre's arrival in Barcelona, lists the members of Altaba i Planuch’s delegation. Luis de Areitioaurtena served as the general delegate, earning 2,500 pesetas per month. His secretary was Guillermo Ruiz Alegría. There were also representatives from the Communist Party, José González Maroto, and the Socialist Party, Manuel Enjuto Rubio. Altaba i Planuch himself received 1,250 pesetas monthly. Among the staff was Maritxu Zagala, one of the few women in the delegation. Additional assistants included Rosalía Gumma and Rosario Cuevas Ametller in the Department of Social Assistance, Ramona Tellería and Juana Dañobeitia in the War Department, and Carmen Radua in Finance. Dañobeitia held the lowest salary among all the delegation members, receiving 300 pesetas, while others earned between 450 and 500 pesetas, placing them in the lower end of the pay scale. The Government of Euzkadi remained in Catalonia until February 1939, when Aguirre, alongside Catalan president Lluís Companys, crossed into French territory. Other prominent Republicans, including Manuel Azaña and Juan Negrín, were also preparing to flee but left earlier. Following this, the Basque government moved to Paris, settling in the well-known palace at number 11 on Avenue Marceau, purchased by the PNV through intermediaries. The Filmoteca Española holds films capturing Aguirre’s activities in Catalonia. These films, originally in Catalan, are now part of the RTVE archive. They depict a festival of Catalan and Basque dances in Montjuic, a visit to Montserrat, and a meeting with Basque militias, some wearing the ikurriña on their caps, who continued fighting against the Nationalists during the Civil War.