Podcast Summary: Acontece que no es poco | Memoria democrática (y escolar): 85 años del asesinato del gran científico Juan Peset Aleixandre

Podcast: Todo Concostrina – SER Podcast
Host: Nieves Concostrina (with Carlas Francino)
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode centers on commemorating the 85th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Juan Peset Aleixandre—an eminent Valencian scientist, physician, university rector, and progressive politician. The host, Nieves Concostrina, uses the occasion not only to recount Peset’s life and contributions but also to reflect on the present-day importance of democratic memory, with special focus on the active role of educational communities in preserving that history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remembering a Forgotten Figure

• Introduction to Juan Peset Aleixandre:

  • Peset was the most-voted deputy in Valencia in the 1936 Republican elections, but above all, he was a top scientist, epidemiologist, and rector at the University of Valencia (02:09).
  • Despite his major scientific and medical contributions, his life and tragic end are largely overlooked in the mainstream Spanish historical narrative.

  “En muchos archivos aparece que la profesión de Juan Peset Alexandre era político. No, incorrecto. La política fue un mero. Solo un accidente.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [01:38]

2. The Weight of Memory in Schools

• Reflection on how Spanish schools and families (sometimes through apathy, sometimes for convenience) contribute to erasing historical memory, particularly concerning the repression following the Spanish Civil War (04:16–05:48).

• Nieves notably praises the IES Doctor Peset Aleixandre in Paterna (Valencia), highlighting their active efforts to teach about both the scientific legacy and the fate of Peset—fulfilling their role as educators in supporting “memoria democrática”.

  “Cuando se da el caso contrario y te encuentras a todo un centro educativo trabajando por la memoria democrática... creo que no sólo hay que compartirlo, creo que también hay que felicitarlos por cumplir con su obligación docente.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [05:22]

3. Why Juan Peset Was Executed

• Peset was “el más votado,” a symbol of progress, education, and science—a profile targeted by the new Franco regime.

• The official allegation, as for so many: "adhesión o auxilio a la rebelión"—a deep irony, since it was the coup plotters themselves who had rebelled against democracy (08:41).

  “Aquí reside la bárbara esencia de los franquistas, los mismos rebeldes que dieron el golpe... acusaban de rebeldes a los que defendían la democracia.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [08:54]

• He was originally sentenced to death, commuted to 30 years’ prison, then retried and executed by firing squad on May 24, 1941, in the notorious walls of the Paterna cemetery, along with over 2,200 others. Peset was 54.

4. Personal and Collective Acts of Memory

• Details about the fate of Peset’s remains: thanks to the cemetery’s gravedigger, Leoncio Badía—famous for secretly preserving identifiers for families—Peset’s family was able to retrieve his body and bury him under a false name until democracy returned (10:51–11:40).

• The episode juxtaposes this “restitution” of memory with continued injustices, citing schools still carrying names of prominent Francoists—pointing to a Lorca school named “Ibáñez Martín” as a case where memory work still remains undone (11:53).

5. Literary and Personal Testimonies

• Poetic tributes are interwoven, such as the poem by Vicente Andrés Estellés:

  “Tú, el hombre bueno, tú el hombre inteligente, tú la razón de todo un pueblo, caes.”
  — Recited by Carlas Francino [13:26]

• Profound moment: Peset’s own farewell letter from before his execution:

  “Confío seguro en Dios, que algún día mi patria os devuelva mi nombre como el de un ciudadano que jamás hizo más que servirla cumpliendo sus deberes legales.”
  — Juan Peset Alexandre, as quoted by Carlas Francino [13:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “El Dr. Juan Peset Alexandre fue uno de los que perdieron la guerra. Y con él perdió la guerra el progreso, la ciencia y la educación.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [02:45]
• “El delito era adhesión o auxilio a la rebelión… los culpables condenando a los inocentes.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [08:41]
• “Yo doy por hecho que el 99 de los que nos están escuchando deben andar muy bien. Todo eso está muy bien. Pero bueno, ¿A qué viene el tal Juan Peset? Porque como él hay muchos, y respondo que no, que como él hay muy poquitos.”
  — Nieves Concostrina [02:09]
• “Es para estarlo y para contarlo. Y para recordarlo, joder.”
  — Carlas Francino [14:19]

Key Segments with Timestamps

• [00:41] Introduction to Peset’s case, setting the historical context.
• [02:09] Personal and professional biography of Juan Peset.
• [04:16] Discussion of educational responsibility and memory in schools.
• [05:50] Felicitation to IES Dr. Peset for their work on democratic memory.
• [08:41] Explanation of the “crimes” for which Peset and others were executed.
• [10:51] Details on Peset’s remains and how his family reclaimed them.
• [11:53] Critique on other schools who retain Francoist names.
• [13:26] Tribute: Poem by Vicente Andrés Estellés.
• [13:43] Reading of Peset’s last letter to his family.

Tone and Style

Throughout, Nieves Concostrina maintains her trademark directness, irony, and commitment to historical truth, often interspersing sharp criticism with emotional appeal. The episode moves fluidly from rigorous historical account to deeply personal reflection and passionate advocacy.

Conclusion

This episode is both a tribute and a call to action—it restores the name and story of Juan Peset Aleixandre to public memory, underscores the continuing battle for historical truth in Spain, and highlights how schools and society can (and should) engage in meaningful commemoration. Through storytelling, commentary, and powerful literary interludes, Concostrina urges us: "Es para estarlo y para contarlo. Y para recordarlo, joder." (14:19)