Spanish Civil War

[Gardian]

I watched Michael Portillo's programme on the above tonight on BBC4.

Along with the Algerian War of 54-62, there can be no other conflict so close to 'home' which has attracted so little attention or coverage in the UK. It was so poignant and so typical that Portillo's father (the eldest of 4 sons) was the only one to have been aligned to the Republican cause. I make no political point there - simply to underline the family splits which were common.

I studied Spanish to A-level, yet the Civil War was never a topic. Similarly French, and Algeria & it's problems might as well never have existed. Of course, we were applying ourselves purely to the language and literature, but what an omission.  

[Edward Trunk]

Visiting La Jonquera a few weeks ago to top up with cheap Spanish brandy, I came across a museum to those republicans who crossed into France to flee Franco. There are photos of them crowding across the border at nearby Perthus. What really surprised me about the civil war was Franco's subsequent vindictiveness. There was no forgive and forget. He hounded remaining republicans to their deaths.

[Quillan]

I watched the same program, very good I thought as like the OP said I also knew little or nothing about it. It was interesting that there is not much written at the time in the UK and that the UK seemed to 'ignore' what was going on politically. It seems this was a conscious decision in that the UK didn't want to get involved in anything so soon after the Great War. I live just over an hour from the border and there is a very strong Spanish influence (not to be confused with Catalan) round here mainly from those that fled.

[Hoddy]

Unfortunately I didn’t see the programme by Michael Portillo. The museum you mention Edward, sounds fascinating. In August 2008 I attended a the unveiling of a new memorial to four Spanish maquisards who had been shot by the Milice at Veyrines-de-Domme. It seems that the contribution made by fleeing republicans to the resistance is only now being acknowledged. This year a memorial plaque was unveiled to two Spanish resistants who were shot on Cenac bridge and another one to a Spaniard who had been dragged out of his hospital bed at Domme and shot in the street.

There is a fascinating area of study here for someone who has the interest and the time.

Hoddy

[Tony F Dordogne]

Saw something about the new law a few weeks ago and it looks as tho they are finally going to disinter the remains of Federico Garcia Lorca, one of the great modern Spanish poets and writers and if they can identify which of the remains are his, there will be a proper, dignified, probably State funeral for him which some would argue is long overdue.

[Gardian]

Portillo interviewed one of Lorca's descendents at the site of the mass grave where he is just one of hundreds of executed Republicans.  The view was that identifying his remains would prove almost impossible and that it might be better to 'leave well alone', consecrate the area as a mass grave and list the names of the individuals, with Lorca simply being listed in his alphabetical place.

As a teenager, I remember visiting the Valle de los Caidos (a memorial to those who died in the War) and being highly impressed with it as a monument. I would have felt differently had I known what I learned from last night: that it was built with Republican slave labour, many of whom died in the act. They didn't put that on the descriptive plaques!

[bubbles]

That brandy went down a treat, Teddy.

Thanks again.