Disciplines
Anthropology | History
Mentor
Jason Crouthamel
Abstract
In this essay, I analyze the events of the Spanish Civil War and their ramifications through the lens of cultural memory and historiography. I argue that ideas of memory are crucial to how societies and individuals understand history and that the Spanish Civil War had a tremendous impact on the Spanish people and significantly affected the memory not only of witnesses of the conflict, but to their descendants. This essay utilizes primary and secondary sources to understand the function of memory and varied responses to the Spanish Civil War. The essay begins with a brief historical overview of the conflict and then analyzes various memoirs created by participants and witnesses to the Spanish Civil War. Afterwards, an examination of a variety of cultural productions that reflect on the conflict both during and after the war are scrutinized through the lens of cultural memory and historiography. Finally, a conclusion on how the tensions between memory occur in contemporary Spain and some ideas are presented on how to improve Spanish Civil War historiography and how to address the controversies that arise out of a plurality of understandings of the Spanish Civil War are discussed.
ScholarWorks Citation
Rios, Adrian, "One Peninsula, Many Spains: An Inquiry on Memory, Historiography, and the Legacy of The Spanish Civil War from 1930 to the Present" (2018). Honors Projects. 692.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/692
