Genaro Hernández, American boxer, died from cancer he was , 45.

 Genaro Hernández was a Mexican-American boxer from South Central Los Angeles. Hernández is the former WBA and WBC Super Featherweight Champion died from cancer he was , 45.. Genaro even worked as a compubox technician for HBO Boxing and a boxing instructor in Southern California. During his days as a world champion Hernández was a staple of the major cable television boxing shows with most of his fights broadcast on HBO Boxing.In the course of his career Genaro held several World Championships.

(May 10, 1966 – June 7, 2011)

Pro career

Hernández, a Mexican-American, enjoyed a distinguished career as a professional boxer. His debut as a paid fighter came on September 27, 1984, when he beat Dino Ramirez by a decision in four rounds at Inglewood.^[10] He racked up a record of 13-0 with 6 knockouts and a solid reputation as a future champion around Southern California, when he met former Julio César Chávez world title challenger Refugio Rojas on November 22, 1988. He beat Rojas, who had lasted seven rounds against Chávez, by a knockout in round six. This enabled Hernández to enter the WBA Jr. Lightweight rankings.^[11] Hernandez went on to win seven more fights, four by knockout, including one over former world title challenger Felipe Orozco, and another, in his first professional fight abroad: a three round knockout over Leon Collins in Tokyo, Japan.^[12]

WBA Super Featherweight Championship

Exactly two years after his win over Rojas, Hernández got his first world title try, against Daniel Londas, on November 22, 1991 at Épernay, France. Hernández did not disappoint those who had predicted him to be a future world champion as he knocked out world champion Londas in nine rounds in front of Londas' hometown crowd, becoming World Junior Lightweight champion.^[13] In 1992, he defended his crown twice, knocking out Omar Catari in six rounds and, travelling to Japan once more, defeating challengers Masuaki Takeda and Yuji Watanabe, Takeda by decision and Watanabe by knockout in six.^[14]
His next fight proved historic, albeit for the wrong reasons. Defending on April 26, 1993, once again at Inglewood against former world Featherweight champion Raúl Pérez, Hernández had to settle for a first round technical draw. This was the first, and so far only, world title fight in which no punches were landed. Right after the initial bell, Perez headbutted Hernández, and Perez bled profusely from an arteric vein on his forehead. The referee summoned the ring doctor, who decided the fight should be stopped as Perez required immediate surgery.^[15] In the June 28th rematch later that year, Hernández retained the world title by a knockout in round eight. Hernandez then closed the year by defeating Harold Warren by decision to once again keep his title. In 1994, Hernandez retained the title twice, including a victory over Jimmy Garcia, (who would sadly die later after a fight with Gabriel Ruelas). By the end of 1994, Hernández was clamoring for a world title fight against crosstown rival and WBO world Lightweight champion Oscar De La Hoya.^[16]
After eight successful title defenses, Hernández vacated his WBA super featherweight title in order to face De La Hoya in the upcoming year. Hernández began 1995 by beating another Mexican boxing legend, Jorge Maromero Páez, by a knockout in eight rounds at Inglewood. The Hernández-Páez fight was overshadowed by another news that rattled the Hispanic world that day: The death of famed Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla.^[17]

WBO Lightweight Championship

On September 9, the highly anticipated encounter between Hernández and de la Hoya took place in Las Vegas. Hernández lost for the first time in his career as he was knocked out in six rounds by the younger, heavier De La Hoya.^[18] Up until the fight's end, the judges had de la Hoya holding a lead on all three scorecards. After the loss Hernández took some brief time off but by 1996 he was back inside the ring, winning two bouts that year.^[19]

WBC Super Featherweight Championship

In 1997, he fought what almost turned into another controversial fight when he challenged Azumah Nelson for the WBC world Jr. Lightweight title, in Corpus Christi, Texas.^[20] Ahead on all scorecards at the end of round seven, he was hit in his throat by a Nelson punch after the bell. He needed some time to recuperate from the illegal late hit, and WBC President José Sulaiman came to his corner and informed him that if he could not continue he would be declared winner by disqualification.^[21] Hernández told Sulaiman something along the lines of I want to win it like real champions do, and he went back to the fight at the beginning of round eight. The fight ended after twelve rounds and Hernández finally won the World Jr. Lightweight title for a second time by defeating Nelson with a split decision victory.^[22]
Hernández went on to defend his crown against such capable challengers as future Super Featherweight champion Anatoly Alexandrov, Carlos Gerena and another future world champion Carlos Famoso Hernandez, a gym-mate and personal friend who would later become El Salvador's first world boxing champion in history.^[23]

Retirement

In what would turn out to be his last fight, on October 3 of 1998 he lost the crown to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by an 8th round retirement.^[24] In December of that year, after he was diagnosed with a blood clot and a torn cartilage muscle, he announced his retirement with a record of 38 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, with 17 of those wins coming by knockout. He had intended to challenge WBC world Lightweight champion César Bazán before the diagnosis.^[25]

Professional record

Result	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Floyd Mayweather Jr.	RTD	8	1998-10-03	Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Lost WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	Carlos Gerena	UD	12	1998-05-16	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	Carlos Hernandez	UD	12	1997-11-20	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	Anatoly Alexandrov	SD	12	1997-06-14	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	Azumah Nelson	SD	12	1997-03-22	Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States	Won WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	Antonio Hernandez	UD	10	1996-09-28	Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Win	Javier Pichardo	TKO	5	1996-05-08	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States
Loss	Oscar De La Hoya	RTD	6	1995-09-09	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	WBO Lightweight title on the line.
Win	Jorge Paez	TKO	8	1995-03-31	Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, United States
Win	Jimmy Garcia	UD	12	1994-11-12	Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Jorge Ramirez	TKO	8	1994-01-31	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Harold Warren	UD	12	1993-10-11	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Raul Perez	KO	8	1993-06-28	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Draw	Raul Perez	TD	1	1993-04-26	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	WBA World Super Featherweight title on the line.
Win	Yuji Watanabe	TKO	6	1992-11-20	Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo, Japan	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Masuaki Takeda	UD	12	1992-07-15	International Center, Fukuoka, Japan	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Omar Catari	UD	12	1992-02-24	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Daniel Londas	TKO	9	1991-11-22	Complex Sport le COMEP, Épernay, Marne, France	Won vacant WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win	Pedro Arroyo	DQ	10	1991-02-11	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Rodolfo Gomez	KO	5	1990-12-06	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Ben Lopez	TKO	6	1990-09-22	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Richard Abila	KO	3	1990-08-27	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Leon Collins	KO	3	1990-05-10	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Win	Felipe Orozco	UD	10	1989-07-31	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Ed Pollard	UD	10	1989-05-15	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	Refugio Rojas	KO	6	1988-11-22	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Won USA California State Super Featherweight title.
Win	Jose Mosqueda	UD	10	1988-07-25	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Juan Manuel Vega	TKO	9	1988-04-25	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Kenny Wyatt	UD	10	1987-08-31	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	J L Ivey	UD	10	1986-12-12	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	Lupe Miranda	UD	10	1986-09-12	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	Terry Baldwin	TKO	7	1986-07-21	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Jorge Valdez	TKO	3	1986-04-28	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Larry Villarreal	UD	6	1986-03-31	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Terry Baldwin	KO	2	1986-02-24	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Pablo Montano	TKO	2	1986-02-17	Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win	Jose Maytorena	KO	1	1985-12-12	Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, California, United States
Win	Randy Archuleta	UD	6	1985-10-29	Stockton, California, United States
Win	Dino Ramirez	UD	6	1985-06-24	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States
Win	Martin Escobar	UD	4	1984-11-17	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	Dino Ramirez	UD	4	1984-09-27	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Genaro's professional debut.

Life after boxing

After retiring from boxing Hernández was diagnosed with fourth-stage cancer of the head and neck, a very rare form of cancer, and one which Hernández' insurance would not cover for treatment. Although Hernández has collected several large purses in his career, including $600,000 for his final fight against Mayweather,^[26] he was not able to afford his expensive treatments and benefits were held to assist in paying what insurance would not cover. In mid 2009 it was reported that Hernández' cancer was in remission ^[27] but in early 2010 the cancer had returned and Hernández was undergoing treatment.^[28] On June 3rd, 2011, it was announced that Hernández would stop chemotherapy treatment.^[29]
Hernández worked as a boxing instructor at the LA Boxing Gym in Lake Forest, California until early 2011. He helped out in a broadcast of a boxing match in Maywood after that.^[30]

Death

Hernández died from cancer on June 7, 2011 at the age of 45.^[31]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Liam Kelly, Irish republican and politician died he was , 88.

Liam Kelly  was an Irish republican, who was elected both to House of Commons of Northern Ireland (1953–1958) (as an abstentionist) and as a member of Seanad Éireann (1954–1957) (which he did attend) died he was , 88.. He was also a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and after his expulsion from that organisation in 1951 of a splinter group Saor Uladh.

(29 September 1922 – 7 June 2011)

Expulsion from IRA and founding of Saor Uladh

Kelly was a prominent member of the IRA from which he was expelled for insubordination in 1951, having carried out military activity with volunteers from east Tyrone without IRA Army Council approval. He then founded a splinter paramilitary group, Saor Uladh ("Free Ulster") whose activities were largely confined to Kelly's home area in east Tyrone. The Easter following the formation of Saor Uladh, members of the organisation took control of Kellys home village of Pomeroy and held their own 1916 Rising commemoration; there were major confrontations between the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), B-Specials and republicans. In 1953 he made a famous speech in neighbouring Carrickmore which subsequently led to his arrest by the RUC and conviction for sedition; I will not give allegiance to the foreign queen of a bastard nation. Do I believe in force? The answer is yes. The more the better, the sooner the better..^[2][3]

Prison sentence and election

While in jail, Kelly was elected, on an Anti-Partition ticket, as an abstentionist candidate for the Stormont constituency of Mid Tyrone at the 1953 Northern Ireland general election. Upon being released from jail he returned to his hometown of Pomeroy were a crowd of 10,000 had gathered to welcome him home.^[4]
Kelly held this seat until the following general election, though - as an abstentionist - he never attended Stormont.

Fianna Uladh

Fianna Uladh was founded in 1953, as the political wing of Saor Uladh. Fianna Uladh's basic ideology - which placed it closer to Clann na Poblachta than to the Sinn Féin of that era - was summed up by Kelly in a speech made in Seanad Éireann in 1954:
We in Fianna Uladh recognise the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland under which this State operates and we are prepared to work within its framework to extend its operation to the whole of Ireland. Recognising only the Constitution and the sovereignty of the Irish people, we naturally reject the claim of Britain and of any of her institutions to exercise sovereignty in any portion of Ireland. We decline to prostitute our nationality and our consciences by taking the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown as a condition of parliamentary representation. 44 Seanad Debates col 346 (25 November 1954).
The element of rejecting British sovereignty in Ireland which was left unstated on that occasion was Saor Uladh's and Kelly's own personal involvement in acts of violence in Northern Ireland. Fianna Uladh's foundation - and its policy of abstentionism - helped to precipitate the break-up of the Anti-Partition of Ireland League in March 1954.

Seanad election

It was Kelly's association with Clann na Poblachta led to his nomination to the Seanad. In return for the Clann's support for the Second Inter-party Government (1954–1957), Taoiseach John A. Costello ensured that the votes of Fine Gael councillors elected Kelly to the Seanad (Labour Panel).^[5]
Kelly spoke as a Senator, in support of a motion that all elected parliamentary representatives of the people of "the six occupied counties of Ireland" should be given a right of audience in the Dáil or in the Seanad ^[6]
Although later overshadowed by the IRA's Border Campaign (1956–1962) incidents such as Saor Uladh's attack on the RUC barracks in Rosslea, County Fermanagh, in which Volunteer Connie Green was killed, contributed to the fall of the Government and the 1957 general election. Costello's Government, although it decided against the re-introduction of internment, responded to the activities of Saor Uladh and the mainstream IRA by stepping up security measures against these groups, leading to the arrest of prominent republicans. In response to this and to a deterioration in the state of the economy, Clann na Poblachta withdrew its support and Costello was left with no choice other than to call an election.

Emigration to the United States

In 1959, Kelly moved to the United States, and by the 1970s he was the chair of the Republican Clubs organisation there.^[7]
His death notice described him as a "a retired assistant Chief Superintendant of M.A.B.S.T.A.".^[1]

Personal life

Kelly was an uncle of the IRA volunteer Patrick Kelly, a member of the East Tyrone Brigade, who was shot dead by British forces at Loughgall in 1987.

Death

Kelly died aged 88 in New York. His death notice said he would be buried in Pomeroy, County Tyrone.^[1]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

José Pagán, Puerto Rican baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates), died he had Alzheimer's disease he was , 76.

José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player died he had Alzheimer's disease he was , 76..

(May 5, 1935 – June 7, 201)

Baseball career

Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, 1959. He played for the Giants until 1965 and then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1973, he played his final career games with the Philadelphia Phillies. Pagán played for a total of 15 years before retiring.
His best full season, statistically, came with the Giants in 1962, when he hit .259 and drove in a career high 57 runs. He had 73 runs scored that year, which was also a career high, while collecting 150 hits for the first and only time in his career. Despite playing part-time for the Pirates from 1966–1970, Pagán batted in the .260s twice and the .280s twice out of those five years, only hitting under .264 in 1968 when he only had 163 at bats. During that time, instead of short stop, he played mostly third base and left field, but was used as a key spare part for the team, playing games at every position in the infield; even one at catcher in 1967 for one inning.
Pagán appeared in two world series in his career; first at the age of 27 with the Giants, when he was on the losing side of the 1962 World Series against the New York Yankees. Despite the loss, he hit .368 with a home run in the seven-game series. With the Pirates in 1971, after losing the NLCS in 1970, he won his only world series and became a hero of the deciding game. In game seven of the 1971 World Series between the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles, in the top of the 8th inning, Pagán hit a double which scored Willie Stargell. This proved to be the game's winning run.
After his playing career ended, Pagán was a Pittsburgh Pirates coach from 1974 to 1978. He also managed teams in the Puerto Rican Winter League for several seasons, and lived in Puerto Rico before moving his family to Florida in 1999.

Death

Pagán died June 7, 2011, at his home in Sebring, Florida, a victim of Alzheimer's disease.^[2] He was 76, and was survived by his wife and two sons.^[3] He was held in such esteem by the Pittsburgh organization that a moment of silence was observed before the Pirates game with the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park that night.

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Mietek Pemper, Polish-born German Holocaust survivor, compiled and typed Oskar Schindler's list died he was , 91

Mieczysław "Mietek" Pemper was a Polish-born German Holocaust survivor died he was , 91. Pemper helped compile and type Oskar Schindler's now-famous list, which saved 1,200 people from being killed in the Holocaust during World War II.



(March 24, 1920 – June 7, 2011)

Biography

Early life

Pemper was born into a Jewish family in Kraków, Poland near the Vistula river on March 24, 1920.^[2] Pemper's immediate family consisted of himself, his parents, Jakub and Regina Pemper, along with his younger brother, Stefan Pemper. In Polish, "Mietek" is short for "Mieczysław", and his family and closest friends referred to him as such. From early childhood, Pemper was bilingual in Polish and German.^[3] He studied law at Jagiellonian University and business administration at the Academy of Economics simultaneously.^[3] Jewish students were made to sit on separate seats and benches while Pemper was a student at Jagiellonian.^[3]

Płaszów and Oskar Schindler

Pemper was 19 years old when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939.^[1] All Jews in Kraków, including Pemper and his family, were required to wear Star of David yellow badges by the Nazis.^[1] Pemper stayed at home as much as possible in protest against the badges, and it was at home that he learned to be a stenographer.^[1] He and his family were soon confined to the Kraków Ghetto, and Pemper was appointed by Nazi officials as a clerk for the Judenrat, the Kraków Ghetto's Jewish administration.^[3] Pemper also acted as a German-Polish interpreter for the Kraków Ghetto residents and typed up radio broadcasts from the BBC.^[3]
The Kraków Ghetto had started deportations by the end of 1942, and between March 13 through March 15 it was fully liquidated. Pemper was deported from the ghetto to Płaszów concentration camp.^[1] He was assigned as the personal secretary and stenographer to Amon Göth, Płaszów's notorious commandant, due to his previous work at the Kraków Ghetto's Judenrat.^[1][2] Pemper's position as Göth's assistant gave him rare access to documents sent to Göth from Nazi authorities.^[1] By working in Göth's office, Pemper also became an acquaintance of Oskar Schindler, an ethnic German businessman and industrialist with ties to the black market.^[2] At first, Schindler wanted to profit from the German invasion of Poland and ensuing war. Schindler had opened an enamelware factory in Kraków using Jewish labor.^[1] Itzhak Stern, an accountant and Pemper's closest friend in Göth's office, persuaded Pemper that Schindler could be trusted.^[3]
Pemper typed his first letter to Oskar Schindler in March 1943, without the knowledge that Schindler had sympathies for his Jewish workers.^[3] Through his work in the office, Pemper discovered in 1944 that the Nazis intended to close all factories not directly tied to the war effort, including Schindler's enamelware facility.^[1] The closures would likely mean that Płaszów's Jewish inmates would be deported to Auschwitz. Pemper personally alerted Schindler to the plans and persuaded him to switch production from enamelware to anti-tank grenades to save Schindler's workers.^[1][3] Pemper provided Schindler with as little information as possible, so Schindler could not be implicated in the sharing of classified Nazi secrets if Pemper was caught.^[3]
Pemper helped collaborate the famous "Schindler's List" to save as many Jewish workers as possible.^[1] Pemper, in collaboration with Schindler along with the help from other inmates in the Płaszów concentration camp, compiled and typed the list of 1,200 Jewish inmates deemed "decisive for the Nazi war effort" – 1,000 of Schindler's workers and 200 additional Jewish inmates.^[1][3] Those on the list, including Pemper himself, were transferred to Schindler's new grenade factory located in Bruennlitz, Czechoslovakia, in October 1944.^[1] This transfer ended up saving the lives of those who were put on the list. Schindler also included Pemper's father, mother and brother on the list. Pemper's mother Regina didn't make it to the new factory in Bruennlitz, because of her illness; she was left behind in Auschwitz and later liberated when the war had ended. At the end of the war, Oskar Schindler presented a speech to his Jewish factory workers stating: "Don’t thank me for your survival...Thank your valiant Stern and Pemper, who stared death in the face constantly."^[3]
Pemper testified against Amon Göth at his September 1946 trial in Kraków, Poland, following the end of the war.^[1]

Later life

Pemper moved to the city of Augsburg, Bavaria, in 1958 and became a German citizen.^[2][3] He worked as a management consultant and an intercultural activist, specifically focusing on Jewish-Christian relations and reconciliation.^[2] He kept some contact with Oskar Schindler until his death in 1974.^[1]
He served as a consultant for Steven Spielberg's 1993 film, Schindler's List.^[1][2] The movie minimized Pemper's role in collaborating with Schindler during the war.^[1] Spielberg sought to simplify the film's storyline by creating a composite character, portrayed by actor Ben Kingsley, based on both Mietek Pemper and Itzhak Stern.^[3] However, Pemper dismissed his diminished role in the film saying his accomplishment was not the list that was compiled and typed, but "the multifarious acts of resistance that, like tiny stones being placed into a mosaic one by one, had made the whole process possible," according to The Daily Telegraph.^[1] Spielberg paid tribute to both Pemper and Stern outside of the film, calling them heroes.^[3] Pemper was portrayed by actor Grzegorz Kwas in the film.
Pemper's adopted city of Augsburg awarded him a civic medal in 2003.^[2] They further named him as an honorary citizen in 2007.^[2]
Mietek Pemper died in Augsburg, Germany, on June 7, 2011, at the age of 91.^[2] He never married and left no close survivors.^[3] He was buried in Augsburg's Jewish cemetery and municipal flags were lowered to half-staff in his honor.^[2] In tribute to Pemper, Augsburg's Mayor Kurt Gribl said, "With Mietek Pemper, the city has lost an important builder of bridges between the Jewish and Christian religions and a contributor to reconciliation."^[2]

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here

Jorge Semprún, Spanish writer and politician died he was , 87..

Jorge Semprún Maura  was a Spanish writer and politician who lived in France most of his life and wrote primarily in French. From 1953 to 1962, during the era of Francisco Franco, Semprún lived clandestinely in Spain working as an organizer for the exiled Communist Party of Spain, but was expelled from the party in 1964. After the death of Franco and change to a democratic government, he served as Culture Minister of Spain from 1988 to 1991. He was a screenwriter for two successive films by the Greek director Costa-Gavras, Z (1969) and The Confession (1970), which dealt with the theme of persecution by governments. For his work on Z, Semprun was nominated for an Oscar. In 1996, he became the first non-French author elected to the Académie Goncourt, which awards an annual literary prize.


(10 December 1923 – 7 June 2011)

Early life and education

Jorge Semprún Maura was born in 1923 in Madrid. His mother was Susana Maura Gamazo, a daughter of Antonio Maura, who served several times as prime minister of Spain. His father José María Semprún Gurrea (1893–1966) was a liberal politician and governor in the Republic of Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

Émigrés and World War II

In the wake of Republican defeat in the Civil War, the Semprun family moved to France, and then to The Hague. His father was a diplomat in the mission of the "Spanish Republic in the Netherlands" up to the beginning of 1939. After the Netherlands officially recognized the Franco government, the family returned to France as refugees. Jorge Semprún enrolled at the Lycée Henri IV and later the Sorbonne.
During the Nazi occupation of France, as a young man Semprún joined the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans – Main-d'Œuvre Immigrée (FTP-MOI), a Resistance organization made up mostly of immigrants. After joining the Spanish Communist Party in 1942 in France, Semprun was reassigned to the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP), the Communist armed Resistance.^[2] In 1943 he was arrested by the Gestapo and deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp for his role in the Resistance.^[2]
In 1945 Semprun returned to France and became an active member of the exiled Communist Party of Spain (PCE). From 1953 to 1962, he was an important organizer of the PCE's clandestine activities in Spain, using the pseudonym of Federico Sánchez.^[3] He entered the party's executive committee in 1956. In 1964 he was expelled from the party because of "differences regarding the party line," and from then on he concentrated on his writing career.
Semprun has written many novels, plays, and screenplays, for which he received several awards, including an Oscar in 1970 and the 1997 Jerusalem Prize. He was a screenwriter for two successive films by the Greek director Costa-Gavras, dealing with the theme of persecution by governments, Z (1969) and The Confession (1970). For his work on Z, he was nominated for the Oscar for the best screenplay adaptation but did not win.^[4]
He was a member of the jury at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.^[5] After the change of governments in Spain, Semprun served from 1988 to 1991 as the appointed Minister of Culture.
In 1996, Semprún became the first non-French author to be elected to the Académie Goncourt, which awards an annual prize for literature written in French. In 2002, he was awarded the inaugural Ovid Prize in recognition of his entire body of work, which focuses on "tolerance and freedom of expression."^[6]
Jorge Semprún served as the honorary chairman of the Spanish branch of Action Against Hunger.^[7] He lived in Paris.

Marriage and family

Semprun married Loleh Bellon in 1949. Their son, Jaime Semprun (1947–2010), was also a writer.^[8] Then, Semprun married Colette Leloup in 1958, their sons: Dominique, Ricardo, Lourdes, Juan and Pablo.

Style and themes

Semprún wrote primarily in French and alludes to French authors as much as to Spanish ones. Most of his books are fictionalized accounts of his deportation to Buchenwald. His writing is non-linear and achronological. The narrative setting shifts back and forth in time, exploring the past and future of key events. With each recounting, events take on different meanings. Semprún's works are self-reflexive. His narrators explore how events live on in memory and means of communicating the events of the concentration camp to readers who cannot fathom that experience. His recent work in this vein also includes reflections on the meaning of Europe and of being European, as informed by this period of history, including how Buchenwald was reopened by Soviet forces and then largely razed and planted over to hide the mass graves from this second dark episod.^[9]
Semprún's writing in Spanish deals with Spanish subject matter, and includes two volumes of memoirs: Autobiografía de Federico Sánchez, about his clandestine work in and later exclusion from the Spanish Communist Party (1953–1964), and Federico Sánchez se despide de ustedes, which deals with his term of service as Minister of Culture in the second Socialist government of Felipe Gonzalez (1988–1991). A novel in Spanish, Veinte años y un día, is set in 1956 and deals with recent history in Spain.

Selected works

Semprún's first book, Le grand voyage (The Long Voyage in English, recently republished as The Cattle Truck), was published in 1963 by Gallimard. It recounts Semprún's deportation and incarceration in Buchenwald in fictionalized form. A feature of the novel, and with Semprún's work in general, is its fractured chronology. The work recounts his train journey and arrival at the concentration camp. During the long trip, the narrator provides the reader with flashbacks to his experiences in the French Resistance and flash-forwards to life in the camp and after liberation. The novel won two literary prizes, the Prix Formentor and Prix littéraire de la Résistance ("Literary Prize of the Resistance").
In 1977, his Autobiografía de Federico Sánchez (Autobiography of Federico Sánchez) won the Premio Planeta, the most highly remunerated literary prize in Spain. In spite of the pseudonymous title, the work is Semprún's least fictionalized volume of autobiography,^[10] recounting his life as a member of the central committee of the Spanish Communist Party (PCE), and his undercover activities in Spain between 1953 and 1964. The book shows a stark view of Communist organizations during the Cold War, and presents a very critical portrait of leading figures of the PCE, including Santiago Carrillo and Dolores Ibárruri.
What a Beautiful Sunday (Quel beau dimanche !), his novel of life in Buchenwald and after liberation was published by Grasset in 1980. It purports to tell what it was like to live one day, hour by hour, in the concentration camp, but like Semprún's other novels, the narrator recounts events that precede and follow that day. In part, Semprún was inspired by A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and the work contains a criticism of Stalinism as well as fascism.
Literature or Life was published by Gallimard in 1994. The French title, L'Ecriture ou la vie, might be better translated as "Writing or Life". Semprún explores themes related to deportation, but the focus is on living with the memory of the experience and how to write about it. Semprún revisits scenes from previous works and gives rationales for his literary choices.

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here