OVERVIEW
The one who sows wind, reaps storms.
Validity of the Damnatio
memoriae
Fernando Hernández Holgado
Univeristy Complutense of
Madrid
A historical note
M
adrid was one of the main scenarios of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), which
led to one of the longest-running dictatorships of the 20th century (1936-
1975), only comparable to that of the Portuguese Salazarist regime (1933-1974).
Although the latter lasted even longer, the distinguishing characteristic of the Franco
dictatorship is its military character -under the absolute leadership of a General, Francisco
Franco - as victors of a war that left a deep mark on the collective popular memory, which
still today continues to generate repercussions and a wide impact considerably conflictive.
During the three years and a half that lasted the Spanish Civil War, Madrid presented its
own peculiarities: it was the capital of both the front line and of the rear-guard. The city
endured the siege of Franco’s troops from November 1936 till the end of March 1939, with
an extensive battlefront surrounding the Manzanares River and the University City on the
north, west and south sides of the capital. Literally, some streets in Madrid ended up in
front trenches under the effect of continuous bombings. Madrid was the first European
capital city to suffer aerial bombings - already in the summer of 1936 - as an experiment
part of the classic “total war” during the 20th century put into practice during the Second
World War. The land bombings carried out from the nearby artillery positions of the rebels
caused, in addition to a high mortality rate still to be properly quantified, the systematic
demolition of its streets and buildings. There were other consequences brought by the war
and etched in the memory of the people of Madrid: hunger, hardship, ration books, etc.
shattered lives, in short, and the trace of horror and scarcity in the popular memory.
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Observing Memories
ISSUE 2