In July 1970 Jehovah’s Witnesses were granted legal recognition in Spain and could thus hold assemblies there.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES LEGALIZED IN 1970!

For many years before the Religious Liberty Law was passed in 1967, Jehovah’s Witnesses had been endeavoring to get their organization legalized in Spain. The first attempt was made in 1956, when a petition and copy of the proposed statutes were presented to the Civil Governor of Barcelona for his approval. This attempt did not prosper. Another effort was made in 1965, when Brother Knorr directed a written appeal to the Spanish government, asking what procedure should be followed to get the Society and Jehovah’s Witnesses legalized. Again no practical result was obtained.

On June 28, 1967, after protracted debate in Las Cortes (the Spanish Parliament) and even longer preparation by legal and ecclesiastical experts, the Religious Liberty Law was accepted and passed. Although it was a law permitting religious liberty it also brought about religious control, for the provisions of the law obligate each religion, except the Roman Catholic, to lay itself open to scrutiny by the Ministry of Justice. The law provided for a strict control of members and also a yearly presentation of the accounts, with a clear definition of the source of income and the expenses.

The Protestant sects did not like the law and delayed their request for legalization, so that the government granted an extension for registration until May 1968. However, the Watch Tower Society was probably the first to request the registration and presented its petition on December 12, 1967. The Ministry of Justice directory dated May 31, 1969, revealed that the initial religion to be registered was the Reformed Presbyterian Church, with its one place of worship and one registered minister approved in May 1968. That issue of the directory listed 105 religious groups​—among them Brethren, Christian Science, Mormons, Jews, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists, Adventists, Assembly of God, Evangelical, Moslems—​in fact, practically every religion except the one especially conspicuous by its absence, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their legalization had to wait until July 10, 1970. When that next list of approved religions came out, Jehovah’s Witnesses were No. 131. But at last their legalization had been achieved in Spain!

The latest listing was dated December 15, 1975, with 238 religious groups included. This latest booklet contains a total of 83 pages, in which each religious group is listed by cities and towns, and then also by places of worship. Jehovah’s Witnesses occupy fully 37 percent of all the pages of the directory, making them indisputably the largest religion in Spain after the Catholic Church.

With legalization, plans promptly went ahead to open Kingdom Halls and to obtain a suitable place for the Bethel home. The first Kingdom Hall was inaugurated on December 19, 1970, in the Barrio del Pilar, a new building project in a populous, working-class area of Madrid.

During February 1971, Brother Knorr visited Spain and spoke to public audiences in Madrid and Barcelona, with a total attendance of over 14,000. Even he found it hard to believe that he was actually speaking to such large numbers of Spanish brothers, and in Spain!

Brother Knorr made use of that visit to check over possible buildings for the branch office, and decided on a six-story edifice in Barcelona at Calle Pardo, No. 65, where the branch office and Bethel home are located today. Once the purchase was completed, the work of transforming the place was organized. Volunteers were invited from the Barcelona congregations, and specialist pioneers were called in for the carpentry work, bricklaying, plastering, painting, and so forth. The building was a new structure that had never been used, and, in fact, was originally designed for industrial use. So, there were no dividing walls on any floor and no facilities of any kind. Hence, starting from scratch, the Society’s architect was able to design each floor according to the suggestions that Brother Knorr had left behind. The brothers worked for thirteen months to complete the installations for the new office and home, which provided room for sixteen workers.

On June 2, 1972, Brother Knorr inaugurated the new Spanish branch building, and the following day he gave a special talk to 13,350 brothers in Barcelona’s principal bullring, La Monumental. This visit and the talk in the bullring got good publicity in the press, but also served to sharpen the opposition against Jehovah’s people. Certain elements in “high circles” were not pleased with the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses had been given this permission, and they increased their pressure on the Religious Liberty Commission to have this fledgling religion’s “wings clipped.” Thereafter, we had some problems in obtaining permission for the use of facilities for district and circuit assemblies.

Legalization meant the opening of Kingdom Halls, as already mentioned. From December 1970 through May 1977, 482 Kingdom Halls have been approved by the Ministry of Justice. In large cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia the rents are high, so that most halls are used by more than one congregation in order to share the financial burden. At present there are sixteen Kingdom Halls within the city limits of Barcelona, and these are being used by fifty congregations. Additionally, ninety-two congregations in the province of Barcelona hold their meetings in another seventy-five Kingdom Halls. In Madrid twenty-five halls are used by forty-six congregations. We are thankful to Jehovah for the freedom we now enjoy and for these excellent meeting places.