The Climate Action Commission (CAC) of the Parliament of Catalonia urges the Government to create an interpretation center and Cold War Memorial at Ràdio Liberty. The Resolution Proposal, which was presented on 11/16/2022 to the CAC, went ahead with the positive vote of all the parties, except VOX, and aims to recover the historical heritage of the site and Radio Liberty, in a privileged natural environment.
"It is obvious to say that the administrations should have done much more to avoid reaching the state of neglect we find ourselves in today. The past, however, is the past and our goal is that between all the administrations, and with the participation of the entities of the territory, we make a solvent project, advanced in sustainability and that treats the memory of our country as it should" explained Sílvia Paneque, the deputy from Girona proposing the motion.
The Resolution proposal demand for the preservation of the heritage value from any demolition archaeological site Radio Liberty, and that the various administrations agree during the coming months on a negotiated draft plan for the recovery of the fishing village of Pals and Radio Liberty as a Cold War Memorial, well-integrated into the natural environment, with the utmost respect for the unique habitats present in this area located within a Natural Park, which are the last vestiges of the Girona coast before urbanisation. Yesterday's session of the Climate Action Commission was attended by various representatives of local organisations that have fought for many years for the preservation of the historical and natural values of Radio Liberty, Save Pals Beach and the Catalan Circle of History.
In the words of the president of Salvem la Platja de Pals, Pau Bosch:
“Let us celebrate that Parliament has finally taken this step forward, but we now call for the Government and the Generalitat to allocate a budget for the recovery of protected habitats and buildings within Radio Liberty for the creation of an interpretation centre., Cold War Memorial, recently declared by the County Council as Local Heritage Asset (BCIL), together with the Pals Town Council and local organisations, and which furthermore boasts an important deposit of Seaside village of Pals, the only one in all of Catalonia which, many years ago, was declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest (BCIN), remaining largely unexplored and unprotected even now, we also call for its surveillance, especially during the summer.
The president of the Cercle Català d’Història, Joaquim Ullan, highlights:
“The work carried out by the entity, with the pivotal discovery in 2011, when the discovery was made in the fishing village of Pals - adjacent to Torre Mora - inside Ràdio Liberty, which, in addition to the role of the station itself, has served to make the territory understand the extraordinary environmental, memorialist and archaeological from a zone that must not be missed, as it is the memory of the people and their inhabitants. We ask that the project also has access to European funds.”
In this same sense, Ullan recalls:
«It should be remembered that all heritage elements are located within the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, accredited with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST).»
In recent years, the fight for Save Radio Liberty, people, researchers, scientists and organisations have been adding their support:el Cercle Català d’Història, Salvem la Platja de Pals, Gent del Ter with a long history and fight also for the preservation of the Loran de l'Estartit Base, the federation SOS Costa Brava, the Commission for Dignity, the Friends of Unesco in Girona, the Radio Liberty Virtual Museum and theTown Hall, which have been organising a multitude of activities and guided routes to disseminate and defend the Historical values in the naturals of this area, often in coordination with different Universities.
The long trajectory for the preservation of Ràdio Liberty is represented especially by the work of the councilwoman Marisol Perea, who leads the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) in the Pals town hall , and who has always defended the historical and natural values of Pals beach, such as those of Ràdio Liberty against their destruction:
“I celebrate that after so many years it has been achieved that the political groups have agreed on a common position in order to move forward with a project that is worthy and representative of the territory, the region and Catalonia. The historical importance of Ràdio Liberty, even more so today, is what has motivated, since the announcement of the station's closure, the project drafted by Raimon Martinez Fraile (councillor in Barcelona City Council under Mayor Pasqual Maragall and Secretary General of Tourism in the Madrid Government), and which he deposited in my hands... a project which, together with the archaeological site de la Torre Mora and the preservation of the land, has been the connecting knot of the project in its entirety.»
the chronicler Narcís Subirana, who currently leads the party Compromís amb Pals, along with the sadly missing Maria Lluïsa Farràs they have also led the fight for the preservation and dissemination of Radio Liberty for many years.
33 hectares
In this regard, Narcís Subirana, who has written over 300 articles on the historical and architectural heritage of Pals, of which more than 120 have already been published in various magazines, many dedicated to Radio Liberty, declares:
“We are pleased with Parliament's decision and will continue to fight for the implementation of the Cold War Museum and the preservation of the archaeological remains. We also call for urgent control and surveillance, as well as the repair of the fence that protected the buildings, which is the second security fence of only one hectare inside the perimeter fence of the 33-hectare site. The remains should form a single complex, which is currently divided between Torre Mora outside the fence and the fishing village. They should be protected by signage prohibiting people from walking on the site, as many walls are made of clay and the walls of the medieval constructions deteriorate more each year.
Subirana warns that:
«The pine trees growing inside the buildings can be removed and once this is done‘Archaeological expedition There should be access control to the site and it should be possible to visit it.”
The industrial engineer and vocal of Salvem la Playa de Pals, Lluís Sanz reminds you that:
“Beyond the key role of the transmitter, which has already been mentioned, it will be a good time to remember the value of industrial heritage that made the Radio Liberty antenna field the second-largest free-standing structure in the world after the Eiffel Tower. It represented one of the key elements of telecommunications, not only during the Cold War but also in emergency situations such as the initial aftermath of the Chernobyl accident in the affected Ukrainian and Russian villages, or enabling the monitoring of the failed coup d'état against Gorbachev's perestroika, who stated that he followed the news through radio broadcasts arriving from Pals. The former rector of the UdG, Joan Batlle, wanted to link the Cold War and telecommunications by requesting the preservation of one of its antennas. This will not be possible, but we have the opportunity to explain it through virtual technology, which we should not miss.”
Original Radio Liberty model
Nicolás Albéndiz, is responsible for Spanish Radio and Television Historical Museum RTVE a Sant Cugat del Vallés. Since 2016, it has been collecting objects from various collections on the audiovisual history of our country. He has told us that the museum and archive has an original piece from Radio Liberty:
«RTVE has the original master copy of Radio Liberty that was located in the central office building, which I preserve with great dedication.»
Toni Bernabé, ex-employee of Radio Liberty with an impressive private collection of items from the station, who has created the magnificent Radio Liberty Virtual Museum, manifesting that once the station was closed, there was never any political consensus on the fate of these lands until now, because in reality they wanted to be developed:
«Regrettably, the municipal rulers before 2003 only wished for the radio station's closure so they could build.
In this sense, Bernabé recalls the years after its closure:
«While there was talk of closure, it was clear to all of us workers that Radio Liberty was hated, basically because it was established during the dictatorship. Among some colleagues, we joked that the flats that would be built here would be called Liberty. We accepted that everything that had a beginning had an end, and the station's was near.Those who were supposed to rule us had 5 years to decide the future of Ràdio Liberty, and those of us who worked here would have liked it to have been made into a museum of the Cold War and Radio Liberty, as in 2006 the buildings were in impeccable condition. There was room for anything, from a museum to a centre for the study of nature, wildlife and dunes, including a 33-hectare enclosed area for nature camps. Since the second zero on 25 May 2001, nature made its appearance with vultures circling the area.»
Before 2003, urban speculation and political interest in vandalising the natural, historical and archaeological heritage at Radio Liberty was evident, according to Bernabé:
«Before June 2001, the municipal plans already showed "Golf Course" on the transmitter site, and on 18 August of the same year, Convergència i Unió (CiU), which was in charge of the council, intended to develop 10% of the land by refusing to include it in the protected area of the Begur PEIN. This is how they have allowed it to be vandalised, presumably to have the perfect excuse to justify its demolition on account of the poor state they themselves have permitted. Fortunately, thanks to the mobilisation of many people and organisations, it has been possible to prevent the demolition of what remains."«
WATER
From 13 May 2010, with the inclusion of the Radio Liberty grounds within the Natural Park, intentional abandonment continued, with the aim of demolishing the buildings to make way for the pharaonic project. Aqvam project, promoted by the Mar Private Foundation.
This project aimed to expand the buildings to receive over 250,000 visitors annually. Ultimately, when Parliament resolved to discard this project, the abandonment continued due to a lack of political consensus and little interest from the administrations.
Therefore, this is now a unique opportunity for political consensus. An agreement between the three administrations is necessary to initiate the project of restoring the buildings and natural habitats, which are currently in a state of abandonment. They require urgent action in order to publicise and protect the historical, archaeological and natural values of Radio Liberty.
The State, which owns it, through the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the Generalitat, which currently has its management ceded, through the Natural Park and the Pal Town Halls.
THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE PROTECTED COASTAL
The SOS Costa Brava federation has also supported the fight for the preservation of the natural and historical values of Radio Liberty.
Its president, Sergi Nuss, warns:
«The Spanish Government should carry out a complete inventory of all land and facilities that are currently out of use, especially those located on the coast, within a PEIN or a Park, and prevent them from ending up being privatised.
This has recently happened with the auction of the Punta Milà battery and the Loran Base in L'Estartit (Torroella de Montgrí), «and that the Generalitat elaborates a Urban Planning Master Plan in which the uses are defined and which constructions are of historical and cultural interest to be preserved and which are to be demolished.».
Disused military heritage
According to Pau Bosch:
«Only on the Costa Brava do we find a multitude of abandoned military facilities owned by the Ministry of Defence, which are in danger of being auctioned off and privatised. All of them are located within protected natural interest areas or Natural Parks, such as Montgrí, Cap de Creus, or the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà.»
Among others, from south to north, the coastal battery of S'Estufador de Llevant and the Fortim (Sant Feliu de Guíxols), the battery in Parc del Puig, in Molí del Vent (Palamós), the bateria de costa L-5 de Punta Milà and the LORAN radio navigation base in L'Estartit recently auctioned (Torroella de Montgrí).
Furthermore, the bunkers of Sant Martí d'Empúries and the coastal batteries L-6 of la Clota till Cala Montgó partially at auction (L'Escala), the bunkers of Sant Pere Pescador, the Lighthouse of Roses in Puig Rom, the coastal battery L-7 of Sant Antoni and L-8 Punta Falconera (Roses), the L-9 battery of Cap de Bol at the Lighthouse of Punta S'Arenella (Port de la Selva), a part of the Puig del Pení air base (Cadaqués) which is currently partially disused, the battery L-10 of Puig Claper Cholera and Portbou.
Further inland, the abandoned military fortifications of thelinea Gutierrez a Darnius, Pont de Molins, Peralada, Garriguella, or Llançà.
Military Heritage in Catalonia
We also find a multitude of abandoned equipment in the rest of the Catalan coast within protected natural areas such as Malgrat de Mar, Montgat, the Bellavista battery in Montjuic (Barcelona), Vilanova i la Geltrú, Calafell, Roda de Barà, Tamarit, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Monars, Salou, Coll de Balaguer, l'Hospitalet de l'Infant, Ametlla de Mar, l'Ampolla, les Cases d'Alcanar, Ulldecona, Amposta, etc. According to the president of Salvem la Platja de Pals, Pau Bosch,
According to Bosch, «we cannot allow the Ministry of Defence to continue auctioning off and privatising all these areas of historical and natural interest; we are losing our collective memory and a unique opportunity for these areas to now be managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral.».
AGREEMENTS ON THE TABLE
The Resolution Proposal presented yesterday to the Climate Action Committee was approved with the following two points of agreement:
To preserve, in collaboration with the Government of Spain, with the City Council of Pals and with the other administrations, the environmental, historical and cultural value of the surroundings of the old facilities of Ràdio Liberty, in Pals , developing a project to create and launch a Cold War memorial, which, without adding new impact factors on the natural values of the environment, is compatible with the preservation of the aforementioned environmental values and with other potential complementary projects related to the nearby archaeological site.
_ _ _
To preserve, in collaboration with the Government of Spain, the City Council of Pals and the other administrations, the old facilities of Ràdio Liberty, in Pals, from deterioration and demolition, until can carry out the corresponding actions to create a Cold War memorial there, as well as to preserve the environmental value of its natural environment. We call on all the administrations to reach an agreement and draw up, as soon as possible, a preliminary project and a maintenance plan, and that it is done at all times in coordination with the territory and the different administrations.
Cold War Memorial
As the Second World War drew to a close, and especially upon its conclusion, the confrontation between the Soviet bloc and the Western bloc gave rise to a historical period known as the Cold War. This period was of such duration and scope that it continues to have a clear and notable impact on current geopolitics. Throughout the decades following the defeat of Nazi-fascism in Europe, and Japanese imperialism on the Asian continent and in the Pacific, the two major powers indirectly clashed on a multiplicity of fronts.
From the arms race to the space race, from Olympic boycotts to the lifting of the Iron Curtain, including, obviously, a long series of wars, many of them in the context of decolonisation, in which the Soviet Union and the United States confronted each other through proxy factions.
Radio Free Europe
In 1959, in Pals, the station called Ràdio Liberty was launched, later merged with Radio Free Europe.
The aim of the radio was to reach potential listeners in the countries of the communist bloc, in the context of the constant struggle between the two superpowers. The installations of Pals were, due to their power and modern technology, the ones that made it more difficult for the emissions to be interfered by the authorities of the communist countries, of enormous importance for the objectives of the Western bloc. Ràdio Liberty's broadcasts, from its premises in Pals, extended between 1959 and 2001, ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The former Radio Liberty facilities are located within the boundaries of the Natural Park, very close to the coastline, and currently form part of the State Heritage. A significant public debate has arisen around their demolition or preservation, and the possibility of enhancing their value through the creation and implementation of a Cold War memorial has also been raised.
Joint initiative
This is an initiative that the various administrations, including the Town Council of Pals, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Spanish Government, could collaborate on to launch a museum that would be unique in its type in our country. It could be useful for explaining a period of great historical significance.
On the other hand, the surroundings of these old Radio Liberty facilities hold significant environmental interest. It is one of the last large undeveloped stretches of seafront on the Costa Brava. It is included within the Natural Park. It forms part of the Natura 2000 Network. It is listed as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) and a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), and is publicly owned.
Fauna and flora
It is entirely included within the maritime-terrestrial public domain, where the dune system of 1,500 metres of coastline, free from occupation, has been preserved, with a Geological, botanical and faunal importance due to having kept the facilities closed and under constant surveillance for more than 50 years.Stachys Maritima or the Kentish Plover.
The area constitutes a unique transitional landscape between the inland forest environment fixed by the dunes and the mobile dunes near the sea. Here you will find the most important collection of psammophilous flora (vegetation adapted to living on sandy substrates) in Catalonia. Archaeological remains from the’old fishing village and port of Pals. In fact, the archaeological site known as "Mora Tower" has been declared a Cultural Property of National Interest.
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Download the press release for this article here.
We recommend that you read the following articles on this blog so that you can expand the details and acquire a better perspective of the impact that this station had on a global scale and especially for the population of Pals and the surrounding areas.
RADIO LIBERTY, AMPLIFYING LIBERTY FROM PALS BEACH
The radio waves that fought the advance of the Soviet Union
THE DARK SIDE OF RADIO LIBERTY
The influence of the Werewolf in the creation of Stay Behind
Article creation date: 11/17/2022.
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