Gernika The bombing of
The lies and truths of the event Gernika Peace Museum (2021)
Index
Acknowledgements: To all the colleagues from the Gernika Peace Museum who have contributed to the creation and improvement of the work.
Foru Plaza, 1 48300 Gernika-Lumo (Bizkaia) Tel. +34 94 627 0213 www.museodelapaz.org E-mail: hezkuntza.museoa@gernika-lumo.net Gernika-Lumo, 2021
Introduction to the Civil War
Chronicle by George L. Steer in Spanish
Introduction to the bombing of Gernika
Chronicle by George L. Steer in English
Luis Iriondo, a witness of the bombing
Herbert Southworth, historian and writer
Letter from the President of Germany
Civil War posters
George L. Steer, a war correspondent
Webography
2
This magazine is a complement to the game-research on the Bombing of Gernika that we have created at the Gernika Peace Museum. "The bombing of Gernika" gameresearch: https://view.genial.ly/6166b45727f2b50 dcae15967/game-breakout-thebombing-of-gernika-research
"The bombing of Gernika" research-game
It consists of the following materials: The bombing of Gernika (Teaching guide) The bombing of Gernika magazine (teachers) The bombing of Gernika magazine (students)
Duration 10 h Modality Online Language Spanish Euskara English Link Research-game https://view.genial.ly/6166b4572 7f2b50dcae15967/gamebreakout-the-bombing-ofgernika-research
3
The Spanish Civil War ravaged Spain between the 17th of July 1936 and the 1st of April 1939. By the time the Second Republic was proclaimed on the 14th of April 1931, the country was already quite polarised. The situation worsened during the period of 1931-1936, leading to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The war, which broke out as a result of the uprising of the army (under the command of General Francisco Franco)
INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIL WAR
against the government of the Second Republic, ended in 1939 with the victory of the rebels. The victory of the rebels
Francisco Franco in a winter cloak, 1930.
led to the establishment of a dictatorial regime (Francoism) that lasted more than 35 years. .
3
"Today, civilians are the main victims of war. Only 80 years ago
The Spanish Civil War
such news would have been unbelievable: the human tragedy of war only affected young soldiers on the battle eld, far from the cities". © Gernika Peace Museum, "Memoritour: Anti-aircraft shelters".
Gernika, the symbol
The Spanish Civil War. © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=warwnmiZDuU
June 17-20, 1936. Chaos ensued in just four days. Spain was at war, divided into friendly and hostile territories. Eating, working, thinking, interacting with others and with one's surroundings were no longer commonplace. Suddenly peace disappeared and with it, life itself. © Gernika Peace Museum.
4 Gernika, the symbol. © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VRIpfMSfYA
Church of San Juan and surroundings after the bombing © The Documentation Centre on the Bombing of Gernika
The bombing of Gernika 1/2
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOMBING OF GERNIKA The people of Gernika experienced the stages of the war from the very beginning, although during the rst months the war campaign did not
drastically
alter
the
atmosphere in the town. As the front approached, the direct effects of the war increased.
The bombing (1) © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ibfhbStESk
On 31st March 1937, Franco's
Gernika, the nerve centre of
army bombed Durango and
the region, held an important
fear began to spread among
agricultural
the population.
market every Monday. It was
The local authorities ordered
also known for its industrial
the construction of several
activity (from the end of the
anti-aircraft shelters. And so
19th and beginning of the 20th
the 26th of April 1937 arrived.
century) with a large number
It was Monday. Market day.
and
livestock
5
The bombing of Gernika 2/2
Victims and responsability of the bombing of …
The bombing (2) © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9QB_NFZ-Fo
Victims and responsibility © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFvsPe7rUiU
of weapon factories, jewellery
The air raid began at around 4
The
Gernika,
Gernika was practically razed
and silverware factories...
p.m. when the bells of Santa
which was carried out in three
to the ground and went down
María
phases
in history as the rst rehearsal
In
1937,
Gernika
had
a
church
tolled
three
destruction (the
of
dropping
of
population of 5,630 inhabitants
times to warn of the arrival of
bomblets, incendiary bombs and
of total war.
in addition to some 2,000
planes.
the
The
refugees and the large number
This was the beginning of the
population) was the work of the
recorded
of people who came to the
systematic
of
German Condor Legion and the
fatalities.
market. It is estimated that on
Gernika, which lasted for more
Italian air force acting under
26 April there were between
than three hours.
Franco's orders.
10,000 and 12,000 people.
bombing
stra ng
of
the
civilian
Basque
Government
1,654
direct
+info www.museodelapaz.org
6
Reconstruction and Reconciliation of …
Seminario Bombardeos en Euskadi… Euskadi…
Reconstruction and reconciliation © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.c om/watch? v=VcNDo9CIZ4w
X. Irujo in Seminar: Bombings in the Basque Country © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=x8xUHGy3Fio
Gernika, the story © IDEM https://www.yo utube.com/wat ch? v=Zd5qr_chPSU
GERNIKA THE STORY . Documentary …
Photograph from the air a few days after the bombing of Gernika. © The Documentation Centre on the bombing of Gernika
7
Luis Iriondo, a witness of the bombing Speech on the 60th anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika The Mark of Man © Gernika Gogoratuz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cf7CPGIqnc&t=7s
Gernika, the 27th of April
see us as we were. Because they
Perhaps from their height they
sleep in our bed. We no longer
1997 "Sixty years ago, we had
were at the top and we were at the
saw us like ants desperately
had a home. We had no home.
an
in
bottom. If they had been at our
eeing. And we could not speak
Gernika. Many of us were still
level, all of us at the bottom, they
to each other. Men and ants
kids and some men came to us
would have seen that we were just
cannot talk to each other. And
from other lands, who did not
like the kids in their country, in
they poured down on us a rain of
know us and whom we did not
their village, like their children or
know.
their little brothers and sisters.
And they destroyed our village.
They didn't even hate us
And that the women were like their
And that night we could no
because we had done nothing
women. But they didn't see us like
longer dine in our house or
against them, but they didn't
that.
unexpected
visitor
(...)” +info
http://www.bombardeo degernika.org/descargas /luis_iriondo.pdf
re, shrapnel and death.
8 Novel by Luis Iriondo
The mark of men. Passages from the documentary of Gerni… Gerni…
I offer you, who still carry the wounds of the past in your hearts, my open hand in a plea for reconciliation. http://www.bombardeodegernika.org/descargas/luis_iriondo.pdf
+info
The Mark of Man © Gernika Gogoratuz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cf7CPGIqnc&t=7s
Letter from the President of the Federal Republic of Germany 60th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika
9 Letter from the German President to the people of Gernika © Gernika Gogoratuz http://www.bombardeodegernika.org/descargas/luis_iriondo.pdf (pag. 14-15)
Bust of George Steer in Gernika © Gernika Peace Museum
George L. Steer War correspondent http://www.sbhac.net/Republica/Prensa/Cor responsales/Extranjeros/Extranjeros.htm
Gernika, the story © IDEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd5qr_chPSU
75 Aniversario Bombardeo de Gernika: famosa crónica de Steer
http://www.sbhac.net/Republica/Prensa/Corresponsales/Extra njeros/Steer/Steer.htm Busto de George Steer en Gernika ©Museo de la Paz de Gernika
Lectura de la crónica del bombardeo escrita por George L. Steer y publica en el prestigioso periódico The... Eitb
https://www.eitb.eus/es/videos/detalle/858759/cronica-bombardeo-escritasteer--gernika-75-aniversario/
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THE TRAGEDY OF GUERNICA TOWN DESTROYED IN AIR ATTACK
Article from The Times in which George Steer's article on the bombing of Gernika was published. © Documentation Centre on the bombing of Gernika https://issuu.com/museodelapazdegernika/docs/times28_april_37_p17-18
unloading on the town bombs weighing
from
1,000lb.
downwards and, it is calculated,
EYE-WITNESS’S ACCOUNT From Our Special Correspondent BILBAO, April 27 1937
more than 3,000 two-pounder
Guernica, the most ancient town
low from above the centre of the
of the Basques and the centre of
town to machine- gun those of
their
the civilian population who had
cultural
tradition,
was
aluminium incendiary projectiles. The ghters, meanwhile, plunged
completely destroyed yesterday
taken refuge in the elds.
afternoon by insurgent air raiders.
The whole of Guernica was soon
The bombardment of this open
in ames except the historic Casa
town
lines
de Jontas with its rich archives of
occupied precisely three hours
the Basque race, where the
and a quarter, during which a
ancient Basque Parliament used
powerful
to
far
behind
eet
of
the
aeroplanes
sit.
The
famous
oak
of
consisting of three German types,
Guernica, the dried old stump of
Junkers and Heinkel bombers and
600 years and the young new
Heinkel ghters, did not cease
shoots of this century, was also
13
untouched. Here the kings of Spain
long heaps of red impenetrable
motorized
used to take the oath to respect
debris.
personal direction of the Minister
the democratic rights (fueros) of Vizcaya and in return received a promise of allegiance as suzerains with the democratic title of Señor, not Rey Vizcaya. The noble parish, church of Santa Maria was also undamaged
except
for
the
beautiful chapter house, which was struck by an incendiary bomb.
police
under
the
of the Interior, Señor Monzon, and Many of the civilian survivors took the long trek from Guernica to
Bilbao
in
antique
solid-
wheeled Basque farmcarts drawn
his wife continued rescue work till dawn. (...)
+info
http://poieinkaiprattein.org/kidsguernica/picasso-s-guernica/news-report-bygeorge-steer-for-the-times-about-guernica-1937/
Books on the bombing of Gernika https://issuu.com/museodelapazdegernika/docs/hoja_vitrina
by oxen. Carts piled high with such household possessions as could
be
saved
from
the
con agration clogged the roads all night. Other survivors were
At 2 am today when I visited the
evacuated in Government lorries,
town the whole of it was a horrible
but many were forced to remain
sight, aming from end to end. The
round the burning town lying on
re ection of the
mattresses or looking for lost
ames could be
seen in the clouds of smoke above
relatives
the mountains from 10 miles away.
units of the re brigades and the
Throughout the night houses were
Basque
falling until the streets became
and
children,
while
14
foreign
Conferencia Angel Viñas 3/3
correspondents
and
Spanish representatives of the foreign press in Bilbao on the night of 26-27 April 1937, the Gernika event would not have appeared as we know it today. The
newspaper
articles
Presentation by Angel Viñas of the new edition of The Destruction of Guernica by Herbert Southworth © Gernika Peace Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhBMegCrbX
"From the earliest stages of its development, the story of the
Herbert R. Southworth Writer, journalist and historian who specialises in the Spanish Civil War
destruction of the Basque town of Gernika is rst and foremost a matter of press dispatches, all due
to
the
initiative
of
correspondents. It can be said that without the presence of
Gernika
story
can
of
the
prior
publication of the news concerning the bombing by the foreign press. (...) -The
messages
of
the
foreign
journalists who visited Gernika after
that
in uenced the development of the
consequence
be
classi ed into three groups: -Journalistic reports sent by correspondents from Bilbao or
the nationalists took the town on 29 April. (...)" SOUTHWORTH, Herbert R.: The Destruction of Guernica: Journalism, Diplomacy, Propaganda and History, Ed. Ruedo Ibérico, 1977, p. 27.
+info https://dedona.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/tapaprologo.pdf
from listening posts on the Basque border in France. (...) -The reports, communiqués and speeches published
rst by the
Spanish national press, and then by other countries, as a
Photo of the cover of the book Herbert R. Southworth, Bizitza eta Lana/Life and Work @Gernika Peace Museum https://issuu.com/museodelapazdegernika/docs/i._h erbert_r._southworth__bizitza_eta_lana
15
Enrique Moradiellos habla de Tánger
Guernica! Guernica! A Study of Journalism,
Diplomacy, Propaganda and History Herbert R. Southworth https://books.google.es/books? id=1R304lcSa4kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+destruction+of+Guernica+H+South worth&hl=es&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20destruction%20of%20Guer nica%20H%20Southworth&f=false
https://www.museodelapaz.org/docu_fondos.php https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlbgisIWlY
The Febus Agency interviews Enrique
Bibliography of Herbert R. Southworth https://issuu.com/museodelapazdegernika/ docs/bibliografia_southworth
Moradiellos, writer and historian, about Tangier and Herbert R. Southworth, writer and president of Radio Tangier International. Southworth
Fund
at
the
Documentation Centre on the Bombing of Gernika https://www.museodelapaz. org/docu_buscador.php
https://www.museodelapaz.org/docu_fondos.php
16
Carteles de la Guerra. 1936 - 1939
ideological
weapon
can
be
phagocytised by the events of
found in the 1917 revolution.
1936-1939, remain anonymous.
Art and War (Posters of the Spanish Civil War) claims the art
"Art and war. Posters of the Spanish Civil War": an exhibition at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
of the poster in wartime, as well as its authors, some of whom,
+info
https://www.museunacional.cat/es/guia-tematicaarte-y-guerra-carteles-de-la-guerra-civil-espanola
Civil War poster (1936-1939) https://historiana.eu War posters. 1936 - 1939 © UNED Documents
Civil War posters Propaganda during the Civil War (1936-1939)
The popular and ephemeral art of the poster in times of war has mainly a propagandistic function: it aims to mobilise the masses, to convey a political message, to provoke a social reaction without renouncing
the
aesthetic
component. The main precedent for the use of poster art as an
17
Article 1
Article 4
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
What questions do these
POSTER (some traces between
posters from the Civil War
the Belle époque and today)".
evoke? (Historiana)
https://www.unizar.es/artigrama/pdf/30/2monogra co/03.pdf
https://www.brandeis.edu/library/archives /spotlights/specialcollections/2010/spanish-civil-warposters.html
Article 5
Article 2
Spanish Civil War in Poster
Art of the Spanish Civil War:
Collection (Brandeis University)
Political Propaganda and the
https://historiana.eu/collection/spanish-civil-warposters
Modernist Avant-Garde https://elrincondeschlosser.blogspot.com/2018/01/ propaganda-en-espana-los-carteles-de-la_19.html
Article 6
Article 3
"Art and war. Posters of the Spanish Civil War" Museu
The other Spanish Civil War (El You will not pass! July 1936, We shall pass! https://www.europeana.eu
País)
http://algargoshistoriaspain.blogspot.com/2014/09/ la-guerra-civil-espanola-carteles-y.html
Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Combating illiteracy https://historiana.eu
https://www.museunacional.cat/es/guiatematica-arte-y-guerra-carteles-de-la-guerracivil-espanola
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WEBOGRAPHY
PODCAST TO LISTEN TO
TO READ
1. The Spanish civil war 1.1. BBC Radio 4 In Our Time: The Spanish Civil War https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00548wn
1.2. History Extra Podcast: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Spanish Civil War, but were afraid to ask https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-spanishcivil/id256580326?i=1000488275023
2. Bombing of Gernika 2.1. Irish History Podcast: The Bombing of Guernica & the War in the North (Partisans VII) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bombing-of-guernica-the-war-in-the-north-partisans-vii/id363368392? i=1000474930606
2.2. This is democracy: Episode 49: Guernica and the Bombing of Civilians https://podcasts.la.utexas.edu/this-is-democracy/podcast/ep-49-guernica-and-the-bombing-of-civilians/
2.3. The Spanish History Podcast: Episode 13- Gernika: The Massacre in Context https://historiaspodcast.org/2018/07/05/episode-13-gernika-the-massacre-in-context/
1. The essential books on the bombing of Gernika according to the Gernika Peace Museum
https://issuu.com/museodelapazdegernika/docs/bonbardaketako_derrigorrezko_liburuak_1
2. The best books on the Spanish Civil War
https://www.deguerra.org/guerra-civil-espanola-libros/
3. Bibliography on the Civil War https://www.artehistoria.com/es/contexto/bibliograf%C3%ADa-sobre-la-guerra-civil
4. Gernika, University of Nevada (Reno) https://library.unr.edu/gernika
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WEBOGRAPHY
TO WATCH
Youtube 2.1. Gernika the Story. Documentary Film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX3hk0bcc9M
2.2. Ten Minute History - The Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco (Short Documentary) (History Matters) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw-OxbtF1iY
2.3. Feature History - Spanish Civil War
Twitter 1.1. TheSpanishCivilWar @civil_spanish 1.2. Spain's Memory Wars @SpainMemoryWars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05_tghbhlfM
2.4. The Spanish Civil War - 6 episodes (BBC Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ms3UVVn-WzQZrIyhmBYwKls1B7v6Yhj
RESEARCH BY THE DOCUMENTATION CENTRE ON THE BOMBING OF GERNIKA (CDBG)
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WEBOGRAPHY Publications and audiovisuals produced by the Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Centre.
Gernika, 80 years after the bombing April 2017 https://www.gorkalejarcegi.com/bombardeo-gernika-80/#
Books 1.1. Gernika y Alemania
https://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/eu/portfolio-item/gernika-alemania-historia-reconciliacion/
1.2. Ikusmen ahotsa / La voz visual
https://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/eu/portfolio-item/ikusmen-ahotsa-la-voz-visual-die-sichtbare-stimme/
1.3. Memoria colectiva del bombardeo
https://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/eu/portfolio-item/memoria-colectiva-del-bombardeo-de-gernika/
1.4. Pedagogía de paz
https://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/portfolio-item/pedagogia-de-la-memoria/
Videos 2.1. The mark of men. Passages from the documentary of Gernika Gogoratuz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyLH2Jh18VI&list=PLySH1KoUt73BUgVF9aaNZ9SF8kw_sFoEG
2.2. Gernika Gogoratuz. Diálogos 80 (Deutsch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHWJmvJVa5g&list=PLySH1KoUt73BUgVF9aaNZ9SF8kw_sFoEG&index=4
2.3. Argazki Marrazki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlP-iBkQBp0&list=PLySH1KoUt73BUgVF9aaNZ9SF8kw_sFoEG&index=5
2.4. La voz visual (fragmentos Anna Leon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtQx4qRxZSc
21
TEACHING MATERIAL
ASSOCIATIONS GERNIKAZARRA Historia Taldea was born in 1985 as a result of the re ection of a group of people sensitised by history and fundamentally by the history of Gernika-Lumo, a municipality which, as is well known, lost its personal, written and graphic memory on the tragic 26th April 1937. GERNIKAZARRA H. T., its members, set themselves the goal of reconstructing the memory, that is to say, the history, of Gernika-Lumo in several of its aspects.
OROIMENAREN HARRA Historical memory brought to school https://oroimenarenharra.koldomitxelena.ne t/orri-nagusia
The Oroimenaren harra project was born in the Koldo Mitxelena secondary school in VitoriaGasteiz. In the last few years, there has been a notable
https://gernikazarra.blogspot.com/
rise in concern about this subject among Lobak is a space for the promotion and joint action of young people's creative projects. "We are the nephews and nieces of those who suffered the bombing of Gernika. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary we want to launch a small cultural initiative. We want to bring together young people who work and want to work in different creative
elds on the historical event of the
bombing." https://es-es.facebook.com/pg/lobak.ekimena/about/
Guernica Gernikara During the year 2017, different groups and associations working in the elds of Memory, Culture and Human Rights in Gernika-Lumo came together for the Anniversary of the Bombing of Gernika. The aim was to achieve a minimum of coordination in the activities of local groups, to collaborate together and to also promote common initiatives. https://guernicagernikara.eus/
teachers, as pupils know increasingly less about what our previous generations had to live through during the 1936 war and Franco's dictatorship.
We
therefore
thought
it
appropriate to group together in a single workspace the countless works that have been carried out in the Basque Country, in order to make it easier for those of us who work in education to bring historical memory to the school. The aim of this website is that through education, by means of the educational community, the new generations can learn and seek the truth about what was silenced and hidden in the past. In short, to do justice inmemory of those who suffered repression. https://oroimenarenharra.koldomitxelena.net/unitate-didaktikoak
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https://www.youtube.com/museodelapaz https://twitter.com/museodelaPaz https://www.facebook.com/MuseodelaPazdeGernika https://www.instagram.com/museodelapazdegernika/
https://www.museodelapaz.org