Neus Català i Pallejà (1915–2019) was a Spanish activist and writer known for her involvement in the anti-fascist resistance during World War II, particularly in France. She was born in Spain and grew up in the Catalan town of Els Guiamets. During the Spanish Civil War, she joined the Unified Socialist Youth (Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas) and later the anti-fascist guerrilla group Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya) after the defeat of the Spanish Republic.
In 1940, after the fall of France to Nazi Germany, Català fled to France to escape persecution by Francoist forces. In France, she joined the French Resistance and became a member of the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP), a communist resistance group. She participated in various clandestine activities, including aiding downed Allied pilots, distributing propaganda, and sabotaging German military operations.
In 1943, Neus Català was arrested by the Gestapo and deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, located in Germany. She endured the horrors of the concentration camp for two years, where she witnessed and experienced extreme suffering, starvation, and brutality. Despite the hardships, Català survived the camp and was liberated by Soviet forces in 1945.
After the war, Català returned to France and continued her activism, advocating for the rights of survivors and working to preserve the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and fascist regimes. In her later years, she became a prominent voice in discussions about memory, resistance, and human rights, sharing her experiences through lectures, interviews, and her memoir “De n’hi ha prou” (Enough is Enough).
Neus Català’s life and bravery serve as a testament to the resilience of those who fought against oppression and tyranny during some of the darkest periods of modern history.