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Madrid in the Spanish Civil War Group Tour in Madrid
Between 1936 and 1939, a terrible war divided Spain. The legitimate Republican government was challenged by a group of fascist officers in the Armed Forces and the fight for control of the capital resulted in a civil war lasting 3 years. In this walk we explore how Madrid defended itself until it fell in 1939, ushering in Franco’s 36-year dictatorship.
This specialist tour is led by Dr. Almudena Cros, a researcher on the subject whose family was directly involved in the war. Dr. Cros has been working for over a decade as a consultant, interviewer, and interpreter in numerous projects, books and documentaries related to the Spanish Civil War and has lectured on the subject. Her first-hand knowledge and her ample experience interviewing war veterans and survivors brings to life the realities of the conflict and its aftermath in an unparalleled manner.
During the first half of the tour, we discuss the chronology of the war and the recovery of historical memory as we reconstruct what the city centre looked like in the war with the help of photographs from that period. Dr. Cros will share with you her family’s wartime story in her native Madrid, illustrated by their photographs and documents of the time. The use of authentic materials recovered from battlefields and military memorabilia will give you an exceptional insight into the Spanish Civil War.
The story of the International Brigades (the volunteers who came to help the Republic from all over the world), and their contribution to the defense of Madrid is an essential element of this unique learning experience. Dr. Cros has personally met the last surviving veterans from the International Brigades and is deeply involved in organizing and attending commemorative trips, events and ceremonies related to the International Brigades in Spain and other countries as well as helping relatives of the volunteers trace the steps of their family members during the Spanish Civil War.
*Minimum 2 people needed for the tour... Read more