Witness: Witness Archive 2017

In October 1940, the elected Catalan leader, Lluis Companys, was executed by a Spanish fascist firing squad in Barcelona. His death made Companys a hero to generations of Catalan nationalists, although his legacy is debated to this day. Simon Watts tells his story using accounts from the time. PHOTO: A Catalan nationalist marking the 50th anniversary of Companys' death in 2010 (Getty Images)