1936–1939
The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War fractured Andalucía into violently opposed zones of control, turning streets and olive groves into battlegrounds that altered the region forever. The physical remnants and deep emotional scars of those three years remain firmly inscribed upon the landscape and memory of the south.
The Spanish Civil War fractured Andalucía into violently opposed zones of control, turning streets and olive groves into battlegrounds that altered the region forever. The physical remnants and deep emotional scars of those three years remain firmly inscribed upon the landscape and memory of the south.
5 chapters in this era
Historical Memory and Exhumations in Andalucía: Unearthing the Past
For decades, the earth of southern Spain held the silent victims of systematic repression. Today, meticulous forensic exhumations are restoring names and dignity to thousands who lay forgotten in unmarked mass graves.
7 min read
Lorca and the Repression in Granada
The assassination of Spain's most celebrated poet was just one part of a systematic campaign of terror. Today, the ravines of Víznar and Alfacar hold the stories of thousands whose voices were silenced.
7 min read
The Shadow War: Guerrilla Resistance and the Postwar Years in Andalucía
For over a decade after the official cessation of hostilities, the rugged mountains of southern Spain echoed with a clandestine war. Here, fugitive fighters known as the maquis defied the new regime, surviving in the limestone crevices of the sierras.
8 min read
Málaga and the Carretera de Almería: The Tragedy of La Desbandá
In February 1937, tens of thousands of civilians fled Málaga along a narrow coastal road to escape advancing troops. The ensuing bombardment from sea and air created one of the deadliest civilian tragedies in modern European history.
8 min read
July 1936 in Andalucía: The Coup and the Fall of Sevilla
On 18 July 1936, General Gonzalo Queipo de Llano used bluff, intimidation, and brutal swiftness to seize Sevilla. His actions ignited a conflict that rapidly tore the region apart.
7 min read