An explosion near the University hospital and the Faculty of Medicine (November 1936)

During November 1936 the University of Madrid was the scenario of one of the most violent urban battles of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The Nationalist generals that were trying to overthrow the Republic tried to conquer the capital with a massive assault from the south, starting on November 8. The University of Madrid was one of the areas to be conquered during the initial assault. The Nationalists mobilized 20,000 soldiers, mostly colonial troops, supported by Italian and German tanks and bombers, against the Republican defences of the city. The offensive, however, met outstanding resistance: for several weeks, brutal combats room to room took place at the University and many buildings, some of them still under construction, suffered irreversible damage. A month after the battle had started, it became obvious that the Nationalist would not be able to capture Madrid easily. The front stabilized: trenches, shelters and pillboxes started to be built. The campus remained in the middle of the frontline for the rest of the war.

Partial map of the trenches dug around the University buildings by 1939

Exactly 72 years later, from November 6 to December 5, 2008, we will be surveying the remains of the battle at the University of Madrid. The idea is to document (and in some cases excavate) the extant traces of war in the campus. Trenches, bomb craters and bullet holes are still visible in some places, but they have passed unnoticed for the university community. The aims of this project are manifold: we want to understand life in the trenches and the nature of urban warfare during the Spanish Civil War by looking at the archaeological record; we want this to be a didactic experience for university students, also, who will have the opportunity to learn conventional archaeological techniques in an unconventional setting; and, finally, we want to see in practice how things from the past can become arenas for discussion (the Latourian "thing as a gathering"). If something in Spain now is "the issue that brings people together because it divides them", these are the remains of the Spanish Civil War. What happens when these remains appear under your own feet?

This project is partially funded by the Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Check our blog: http://guerraenlauniversidad.blogspot.com/