European Studies 340 - Violence, Art and Memory of the Spanish Civil War

2026 is the ninetieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), a conflict that left scars
on the landscape and psyche of Spain. The war also had a global impact, anticipating the Second World
War, the international rise of fascism and the refugee crises of the twenty-first century. In this course, we will
delve into the discord and violence of the war as well as the anguish and catharsis of the literature,
poetry and film it inspired. Through primary sources and historical accounts, we will understand the
war’s causes. By studying texts and films that track the reverberations of the Spanish Civil War in the
United States, Latin America and Continental Europe, we will trace the war’s effects. In addition, we will
grapple with the diverse ways that lingering memories of the war have affected modern-day politics and
culture, with particular attention to legacies of race, class and gender. This course includes travel to
Spain over Spring Break, where we will learn in community as we travel to battlefronts, museums and
cities where the Spanish Civil War is still in evidence. The course’s travel component will contextualize
the first half of the course and provide students with research materials for the semester’s culminating
project during the second half. This course is conducted in Spanish.

Limited to 12 Amherst College students.

Consent Required (due to the travel component).

Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or consent of the instructor.  Spring semester: Professor Brenneis

How to handle overenrollment: Priority given to Spanish majors

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students will encounter written work, group discussions, close readings and visual analysis. Instruction, written work and discussions are in Spanish; readings and films are in English and Spanish. Assessments include an in-class history quiz, short written response papers, Moodle