Stories, Lives and Vestiges of the Civil War, Exile and Dictatorship

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Spaces for reflection and remembrance of the war

On this day 87 years ago, one day after the Nationalist forces had triumphantly entered Barcelona, on 27 January 1939 the brutal aerial attacks by fascist aviation on Girona began. These were carried out by German Heinkel He-111 aircraft of the Condor Legion and Italian Savoia–Marchetti SM79 Sparviero planes of the Aviazione Legionaria, and continued on the 28th and 29th of January and on 1 February. The city was in chaos, the end of the war was very near, and lines of people were fleeing toward the French border.

This year marks 90 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), a conflict that ushered in a new and terrible form of warfare: so-called total war, with systematic aerial bombardment of the civilian population in the rear, which became a military target. Its aim was to spread terror through destruction and casualties, undermine civilian morale, and weaken the enemy.

During the last week of January 1939, Girona suffered several bombings. On 27 January 1939, bombs fell on Carrer del Carme and its surroundings. The following day and throughout that week, the bombings affected the Mercadal district, the Old Town with the Cathedral, and the communication routes to the south of the city. On 1 February, German air attacks on a population fleeing in retreat toward the border struck Plaça del Carril and Carrer de Barcelona, causing several deaths and extensive destruction.

During this week, and within the framework of the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace (DENIP) on Friday, 30 January, the Girona History Museum works with students from the Sarrià de Ter Secondary School and the Jaume Vicens Vives and Narcís Xifra secondary schools in Girona, as well as with children from the Vista Alegre Scout and Guide Group of Girona and young people from Girojam, to denounce fascism, all wars, and violence against the civilian population in the rear, highlighting the brutality of aerial bombings against civilians.
The Museum also launches the cycle Stories, Lives and Vestiges of the Civil War, Exile and Dictatorship – 90 Years Since the Outbreak of the Civil War, which offers guided activities through Civil War vestiges and spaces for reflection and remembrance of the war.

For the Girona History Museum, the city’s history related to the war and the recovery of vestiges and memory of the victims is a key task in restoring democratic memory. Educational work is organized to promote peace and human rights, highlighting the passive defense spaces scattered throughout Girona’s underground, accompanied by a specific program on historical memory aimed at children and young people.

Many thanks to the teaching staff, the pedagogical coordination teams, and all the students for their collaboration and commitment in making this possible.