Bombing of Republican cities

 

Although Baghdad, Kabul and elsewhere had been bombed from the air by the colonial powers before, the cities of Spain, together with the attacks on Chinese cities by Japanese planes, were the first to be targeted systematically over a sustained period, ushering in the 20th (and 21st) century’s murderous affair with the mass bombardment of civilians.

Barcelona was attacked almost 200 times until its fall in January 1939. Between 2,500 and 3,000 Barcelona residents were killed and thousands more were injured.

Visiting bomb shelters

  • Bomb shelter: Poble Sec Refugi 307 Sun mornings only. In English at 1030: 93 256 21 00. C/- Nou de la Rambla, 169. Metro Paral.lel. email: museuhistoria@bcn.cat. See Art below for the painting Guernica.
  • Turó de Rovira bomb defences and free museum to the bombing of Barcelona (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) Web (English).
  • Cartagena bomb shelter and Civil War museum

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