Description
The Years of the Black Market in the Conca de Barberà (1940-1951)
Book Summary
This book offers a detailed view of the black market in the Conca de Barberà during the postwar period, between 1940 and 1951. The author, Josep Recasens i Llort, analyzes how ordinary people defied current legislation to survive in an era marked by hunger and scarcity. Through testimonies and documents, the reader will discover the experiences of those who, risking confiscations and financial penalties, resorted to the black market as their only means of subsistence. A fundamental work for understanding the difficulties and daily resistance in a key period of local history.
What is it about?
The work focuses on the phenomenon of the black market in the Conca de Barberà region during the early years of the Franco regime. The author explains how, faced with the lack of basic products and the rationing imposed by the State, many people chose to trade illegally in food and other basic necessities. The book details the consequences of these actions, which often ended with the confiscation of goods or financial penalties, but which were seen as an act of survival in a context of extreme poverty. Through specific cases and historical data, the daily life of a community struggling to get by amidst repression and hardship is reconstructed.
Main Topics
- The black market and the underground economy in the Spanish postwar period.
- Survival and resistance strategies of the rural population.
- Economic repression and sanctions during the Franco regime.
- Daily life in the Conca de Barberà between 1940 and 1951.
- The impact of Francoist legislation on the working classes.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is ideal for historians, students, and anyone interested in the local history of Catalonia and the Spanish postwar period. It is also of great interest to those who want to understand the social and economic dynamics of a time of crisis, as well as for readers looking for a personal and human account of daily resistance in the face of adversity.
What this book offers
- A detailed and documented view of the black market in the Conca de Barberà.
- Understanding of the motivations and risks people took to survive.
- Historical contextualization of the difficulties of the postwar period in rural Catalonia.
- A local approach that illustrates general phenomena of the era.
- Reflection on civil resistance and the struggle for survival in times of repression.
Technical Data
- Author: RECASENS I LLORT, JOSEP
- Publisher: Cossetània Edicions
- Language: Catalan
- Subject: History, 20th Century History: c. 1900-c. 2000
- Collection: OTHERS
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication Date: July 2004
- Number of pages: 160
- Weight: 396 g
Editorial Assessment
A rigorous and necessary work for anyone wishing to delve into the history of the Conca de Barberà during one of the darkest periods of the 20th century. The author combines objective data with the personal experiences of the protagonists, offering a human and intimate perspective that enriches the understanding of the black market phenomenon. It is a well-documented book that sheds light on a reality often silenced, and is especially attractive to readers interested in microhistory and historical memory.