Description
Spanish Exile Cultures Behind Barbed Wire
Book Summary
This work offers a profound analysis of the cultural production that Spanish Republicans developed within concentration camps in France following the Civil War. The reader will discover how, despite confinement, literature and art became tools of resistance and identity reconstruction. The book examines the symbolic role of these spaces in the collective memory of the exile and how writers and artists transformed the barbed wire into a stage for political struggle and cultural renewal, granting legitimacy to an uprooted community.
What is it about?
The study focuses on the period between 1939 and 1945, when Republican refugees were interned in French camps. The author analyzes how the concentration camp experience was portrayed by figures such as Andújar, Aub, Bartolí, Bartra, Ferrer, Herrera Petere, Kent, Ione Robinson, and Remedios Varo. These creations not only document the suffering, but also reveal a complex process of cultural reconstruction that began within the enclosures themselves. The book investigates the discursive function of the camps in the national imaginary of the exile, showing how these spaces became a commemorative site within collective memory and a subversive ground for political contestation and cultural renewal.
Main themes
- Cultural production in French concentration camps for Republican refugees.
- Literature and art as tools of resistance and identity reconstruction.
- Symbolic function of the camps in the collective memory of the Spanish exile.
- Legitimacy and moral authority of an uprooted political community.
- Representation of the concentration camp space as a political and cultural battlefield.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at historians, specialists in cultural and literary studies, as well as readers interested in the history of Spain, the Republican exile, and historical memory. It will also be of great value to those who study the relationship between art, literature, and contexts of oppression, as well as to those seeking to understand how displaced communities reconstruct their cultural identity under extreme conditions.
What this book contributes
- A detailed analysis of the cultural production that emerged in French concentration camps, offering a unique perspective on the creative resistance of the exiles.
- A deep understanding of how literature and art served to forge a collective memory and a national identity in exile.
- The study of key figures of the Spanish exile, providing context and analysis of their concentration camp works.
- A reflection on the political and moral function of confinement spaces in the construction of an uprooted national imaginary.
- A rigorous academic contribution that connects the history, culture, and politics of the Spanish Republican exile.
Technical specifications
- Author: CATE-ARRIES, FRANCIE
- Publisher: ANTHROPOS EDITORIAL
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: HISTORY OF SPAIN, MIGRATION, IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION
- Collection: HISTORICA
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: March 2012
- Number of pages: 464
- Weight: 530 g
Editorial review
This work is presented as an essential contribution to understanding the complexity of the Spanish Republican exile from a cultural perspective. Its focus on artistic and literary production within concentration camps offers an underexplored vision that transcends mere historical testimony to delve into the processes of resistance and identity reconstruction. The rigorous analysis of key figures and the reflection on collective memory make this book an essential read for scholars and readers interested in the cultural history of Spain and the dynamics of displaced communities.