The Spanish Civil War and Cultural Heritage

The Spanish Civil War lasted from July 1936 to April 1939, during which a group of rebel militarists and radical right-wing groups rose up against the democratic government of the Republic. The damage to the cities and cultural heritage was great.

Soon after the start of the war both sides organized technical structures devoted to preserving the cultural heritage, although the lack of means prevented many important works of preservation and conservation from being carried out. One of the most dramatic episodes of the Spanish Civil War was the bombing by the rebel army of the Prado Museum, which forced the evacuation of its works of art to Valencia, Barcelona, and finally to Switzerland.

An important issue was born among the victors after the war: the need to establish an official history of what had happened. The goal was to legitimize what had been done, hide what was not in their interest, and misrepresent what should not even be ambiguous: the role and performance of the Republic and, in contrast, the actions taken by the nationalist leadership.