# Maria Rius

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**Maria Rius** (1909–c. 1970) was a [Catalan](/source/Catalans) [prisoner support](/source/Prisoner_support) [activist](/source/Activist) and [anarchist](/source/Anarchism) [militant](/source/Militant). She organised numerous prison escapes during the time of the [dictatorship of Primo de Rivera](/source/Dictatorship_of_Primo_de_Rivera). After the proclamation of the [Second Spanish Republic](/source/Second_Spanish_Republic), she stormed a women's prison in [Barcelona](/source/Barcelona) and agitated for [amnesty](/source/Amnesty) for [political prisoners](/source/Political_prisoner). She fought on the [Aragon front](/source/Aragon_front) during the [Spanish Civil War](/source/Spanish_Civil_War), before fleeing into exile in France.

## Biography

Maria Rius was born in the [Catalan](/source/Catalonia) village of [Arbeca](/source/Arbeca) in 1909.[1] She was raised by working-class parents, who could not afford to pay for her education.[2] She herself entered the workforce at the age of nine, beginning with an [apprenticeship](/source/Apprenticeship) as a [shirtwaist](/source/Waist_(clothing)) maker. She and her family later moved to Barcelona, where she joined the growing [anarchist movement](/source/Anarchism_in_Spain). At the age of 18, she joined the [National Confederation of Labour](/source/Confederaci%C3%B3n_Nacional_del_Trabajo) (CNT), becoming the first member of its [dressmakers](/source/Dressmakers)' union. She was also active in [prisoner support](/source/Prisoner_support), provided refuge for anarchist fugitives and organised [prison escapes](/source/Prison_escape).[1]

Rius also joined the anarchist militant group *[Los Solidarios](/source/Los_Solidarios)*.[3] In 1924, police found explosives and firearms in her home;[2] she was arrested and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.[1] Rius continued organising escapes from prison, until she was identified by the authorities.[2] She herself then escaped and fled to France.[4] Following the fall of the [dictatorship of Primo de Rivera](/source/Dictatorship_of_Primo_de_Rivera), she returned to prisoner support activism in Barcelona, agitating for [amnesty](/source/Amnesty) for imprisoned women. Following the proclamation of the [Second Spanish Republic](/source/Second_Spanish_Republic), on 14 April 1931, she led the storming of the [Queen Amalia Prison](/source/Queen_Amalia_Prison).[4] She freed many imprisoned women and burned the prison's records, before leading the liberated women to the Republican demonstration on the [Plaça Sant Jaume](/source/Pla%C3%A7a_Sant_Jaume).[2] She then participated in a commission which appealed to Catalan President [Francesc Macià](/source/Francesc_Maci%C3%A0) for all politics prisoners in [Figueres](/source/Figueres) and Barcelona to be released.[5]

With the outbreak of the [Spanish Civil War](/source/Spanish_Civil_War), Rius became a [militiawoman](/source/Milicianas_in_the_Spanish_Civil_War) and participated in the streetfighting against the [July 1936 military uprising in Barcelona](/source/July_1936_military_uprising_in_Barcelona).[2] She then went to the [Aragon front](/source/Aragon_front), where she joined up with the [Hilario-Zamora Column](/source/Hilario-Zamora_Column) in [Sástago](/source/S%C3%A1stago). In March 1937, she took part in the capture of [Quinto](/source/Quinto,_Aragon).[6] She later joined the [116th Mixed Brigade](/source/116th_Mixed_Brigade) of the [Spanish Republican Army](/source/Spanish_Republican_Army).[7] With the victory of the [Nationalists](/source/Nationalist_faction_(Spanish_Civil_War))' [Catalonia Offensive](/source/Catalonia_Offensive) in 1939, Rius fled to France.[6] She retired from [activism](/source/Activism) and, for the rest of her life, she focused on her family.[8] She died in French exile, c. 1970.[2]

## References

1. Íñiguez 2001, p. 515; Marin Silvestre 2010.

1. Marin Silvestre 2010.

1. Christie 2008, p. 20n12; Íñiguez 2001, p. 516.

1. Íñiguez 2001, pp. 515–516; Marin Silvestre 2010.

1. Íñiguez 2001, pp. 515–516.

1. Íñiguez 2001, p. 516; Marin Silvestre 2010.

1. Ruíz Casero 2019, p. 161.

1. Íñiguez 2001, p. 516.

## Bibliography

- Christie, Stuart (2008). *We, the Anarchists: A Study of the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI)*. [AK Press](/source/AK_Press). ISBN 9781904859758. LCCN 2007939202. [OCLC 260209091](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/260209091)
- Íñiguez, Miguel (2001). "Rius, María" (in Spanish). *Esbozo de una enciclopedia histórica del anarquismo español*. [Madrid](/source/Madrid): Fundación de Estudios Libertarios Anselmo Lorenzo. pp. 515–516. ISBN 9788486864453. [OCLC 807322760](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/807322760)
- Marin Silvestre, Dolors (2010-10-05). ["Maria Rius"](https://dbd.vives.org/fitxa_biografies.php?id=4066) (in Catalan). *[Diccionari Biogràfic de Dones](/source/Diccionari_Biogr%C3%A0fic_de_Dones)*
- Ruíz Casero, Luis Antonio (2019). "La participación de la mujer en primera línea en el Ejército Popular de la República (1936-1939)". *Mujeres en la Guerra Civil y la Posguerra: Memoria y Educación* (in Spanish). Torija, Alicia & Morín, Jorge (eds.). Audema. pp. 139–178. ISBN 978-84-16450-49-7.

## Further reading

- Dupuy, Rolf (2025-01-07 [2024-01-22]). ["RIU BERENGUE, Maria de « Maria RIUS »"](https://militants-anarchistes.info/spip.php?article17636) (in French). *Dictionnaire des militants anarchistes*
- García Francés, Kike (June 2017). ["Justicieras, Solidarias y Nosotras: Las mujeres en los grupos de acción anarquistas"](https://rojoynegro.info/articulo/justicieras-solidarias-y-nosotras-las-mujeres-en-los-grupos-de-accion-anarquistas/) (in Spanish). *Rojo y Negro*. No. 313. [ISSN 1138-1019](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1138-1019). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211203233624/https://rojoynegro.info/articulo/justicieras-solidarias-y-nosotras-las-mujeres-en-los-grupos-de-accion-anarquistas/) 2021-12-03 at the Wayback Machine.
- Iturbe, Lola (1974). *La mujer en la lucha social. La guerra civil de España* (in Spanish). México: Editores Mexicanos Unidos.
- Gallart Fernández, Felip; Lladonosa Giró, Vicent; García Castilla, Diego (2020). [*Maria de Riu Berengué, lluitadora i miliciana anarcosindicalista, dins Mosaic*](https://bibliotecamariarius.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2019-RevistaMosaic-MariadeRiu.pdf) (in Catalan). Trobada d'Estudiosos de les Garrigues. Vol. XII. Els Torms: Centre d'Estudis de les Garrigues. pp. 247–259. ISBN 978-8409-23716-6.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Maria Rius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Rius) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Rius?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.