Texel Is only Now Celebrating 80 Years of Liberation: 'It Was a Strange Time'

Exactly eighty years ago today, the Canadian liberators finally arrived on Texel. In the harbour of Oudeschild, they were welcomed enthusiastically by the Texel people. "They're here, they're here!" While the rest of the Netherlands had already been liberated for more than two weeks in May 1945, the five Wadden Islands were still occupied. The Germans there refused to surrender. Texel was the first island to be liberated on 20 May, Schiermonniko…

Article published in Red and Black no 400, May 2025 César Orquín Serra* was born in València, without knowing the year for sure. Officially, it was in 1917, but that is the date when he was discharged from the Civil Registry. Son of an aristocrat, Leopoldo Trénor and Palavicino, and of a maid, the father did not neglect him. He sought an adoptive father and money to be able to study and supervise what he did. Thus he went to the conservatory and…