Remains of the Past

This week in my "Mujeres" class (a women's studies class), we watched the video "Las Trece Rosas," or "The 13 Roses."  It is a heart-wrenching  film about 13 women who were arrested after Franco came to power in 1936 because of their leftist political views.  The story of their betrayal, their courage, and the injustice they suffered was thought-proviking and inspirational.  That's all I will say about the plot; if you have time you should check it out! (Be sure to bring a box of Kleenex for the tears, though)

Well, I am embarrassed to admit that I knew very little about Spanish history before arriving in Salamanca last September.  The more time I spend here, the more movies I watch, the more classes I take, and the more people I meet, the more I understand how dramatically Spain has changed in the past few decades.  As I am realizing, it is quite easy to spend a vacation in a country Spain, (or even a year), and not understand the context and history of the country.  After watching this film I want to learn more, hear more stories and read more books about the civil war and decades of dictatorship.  Because the more I learn, the more I understand aspects of this culture.  And that fascinates me, because I come from a country that, in my eyes, has a completely different story and history.

In my various classes this year, we have been taught that over 1 million people died under Franco's regime; that daily life had restrictions; that times were tough economically, especially during the first ten years of the republic when Spain kept its doors shut to the rest of the world.  But to actually SEE it in a film and be able to relate to the characters in the story---that, for some reason, is what really got to me.

And there are still remains of the past: I saw this building in December, but didn't understand the importance until now. It's called Iglesia de San Felipe Neri in Barcelona, a church that had been sprayed with bullets when pro-Franco troops took over the city. 42 people died taking refuge in the church. These are the pictures I took:

This is a monument I have talked about before, of the Franco plaque in the Plaza Mayor, defaced constantly, especially during elections in Spain.  See the purple paint below his image?

And there is this other street sign I pass on my walk home, with the symbol of the Franco regime, an eagle with its wings spread, that is permanently defaced as well.

My point of showing these photos is that we can go forward and live here and party and have a good time, seeing only what we want to see.  But reminders of Spain's past, like these photos I have shown, are evidence of a past that should not be ignored, should not be overlooked, and should not be forgotten.