Layla Renshaw - Exhuming Loss: Memory, Materiality and Mass Graves of the Spanish Civil War

First published 2011 by Left Coast Press, Inc.

Published 2016 by Routledge
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Copyright 2011 Taylor & Francis

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Renshaw, Layla.

Exhuming loss : memory, materiality, and mass graves of the Spanish Civil War / Layla

Renshaw.

p. cm.(Critical cultural heritage series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61132-041-1 (hardback) ISBN 978-1-61132-042-8 (paperback)

1. SpainHistoryCivil War, 19361939Atrocities. 2. War victimsSpainHistory20th century. 3. Mass burialsSpainHistory20th century. 4. Human remains (Archaeology)Spain. 5. Forensic archaeologySpain. 6. ExhumationSocial aspectsSpain. 7. Collective memorySpain. I. Title.

DP269.5.R46 2011

946.0811dc22

2011006965

ISBN 978-1-61132-042-8 paperback
ISBN 978-1-61132-041-1 hardback

About the Author

I wish to thank my informants in all of the exhumation sites that I visited and worked on in Spain. I would like to thank my friends and informants in the two communities in which I conducted the ethnographies upon which this book is based. Many individuals showed me remarkable kindness, patience, and openness, as well as unstintingly generous hospitality and practical help, particularly those of the Pea Las Cebollas, as well as Jose Ignacio, his family, and his friends in Villavieja. It was a privilege to listen to the accounts of the older generation of residents in my field sites. I also wish to thank the coordinators of ARMH for granting me remarkable access to the operation of their campaign and their exhumations. I would like to thank both Emilio Silva and Jose Maria Pedreo for sharing their perspectives on the Republican memory campaign. Numerous individuals participated as expert practitioners in this campaign and I would like to acknowledge the invaluable help of Francisco Etxeberria Gabilondo, Jimi Jimnez, Luis Ros, Francisco Ferrndiz, Andrea Alonso, Andrs Devesa, Derek Congram, and Inma Lpez Flores among many. Many excavation volunteers were patient with my participant observation while we undertook demanding work. I am forever indebted to Javier Mije for enabling me to overcome problems with translation and transcription of interview material, for his support in undertaking this work, and for the many cultural and political insights he furnished.

I acknowledge the support of a doctoral award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in undertaking this research.

I wish to thank the supervisors of my doctoral thesis, Professor Chris Tilley and Dr. Victor Buchli, for their consistent help and encouragement. I would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers who read an earlier version of this book and gave immensely constructive and detailed feedback.

Finally, I am grateful every day to Patrick and my family for their love, support, and patience.