Description
Josep Cabeza i Coll
Book Summary
This work offers a detailed approach to the figure of Josep Cabeza i Coll, a prominent landowner and agricultural leader in L'Espluga de Francolí during the first third of the 20th century. The reader will discover the trajectory of a key man in the wine cooperative movement of the Conca de Barberà, who held relevant positions in the Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Federation of the region, and who tirelessly defended the union of winegrowers into cooperatives as a path to the sector's progress.
What is it about?
The book traces the biography of Josep Cabeza i Coll, placing him in the context of the elite landowners and leaders of L'Espluga de Francolí in the first third of the 20th century. A trusted associate of Josep M. Rendé, Cabeza developed intense activity at the head of various agricultural entities: he presided over the Agricultural Federation of the Conca de Barberà (1925-1930), was mayor of L'Espluga (1912-1914), and held the presidency and secretariat of the Agricultural Union and Rural Savings Bank of L'Espluga. In addition to his management work, he was an active agricultural promoter, giving lectures and publishing articles in which he defended the need for winegrowers to unite into cooperatives. The work explains how two social conflicts, one at the local level and one at the regional level, ended up undermining his enthusiasm and marking the end of his period of greatest influence.
Main themes
- Biography of a leader of Catalan agricultural cooperativism in the first third of the 20th century.
- History of the wine cooperative movement in the Conca de Barberà.
- The role of local elites in the development of the Agricultural Union and the Agricultural Chamber.
- Agricultural promotion and the defense of the union of winegrowers as a response to the sector's challenges.
- The impact of social conflicts on the leadership and trajectory of a historical figure.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is especially recommended for readers interested in the history of agricultural cooperativism in Catalonia, the biographies of prominent figures in the Catalan rural world, and the evolution of the wine sector in the Conca de Barberà. It will also be of great interest to scholars of the social and economic history of Catalonia in the first third of the 20th century, as well as to anyone linked to the world of agricultural cooperatives.
What this book provides
- A detailed and documented vision of the figure of Josep Cabeza i Coll, little known but fundamental to understanding the agricultural cooperativism of his time.
- Contextualizes the struggles and debates surrounding the union of winegrowers at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Offers a local and regional perspective on the history of the cooperative movement, often treated from a more general point of view.
- Allows us to understand how social conflicts can influence the trajectory of leaders and organizations.
Technical data
- Author: Valles i Marti, Josep Maria
- Publisher: Eumo Editorial SAU
- Language: Catalan
- Subject: Biography: General, Biography: Business and Industry
- Collection: Cooperativistes Cata
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: January 2010
- Number of pages: 96
- Weight: 237 g
Editorial assessment
This is a brief but rigorous work that recovers the memory of a key character in the configuration of agricultural cooperativism in the Conca de Barberà. Its reading is of interest to specialists in the field and to all those who wish to delve into local history and the roots of the Catalan wine cooperative movement, offering a window into a period of changes and tensions in the rural world.