Anarchism and the City

This is a study of social protest and repression in one of the twentieth century’s most important revolutionary hotspots. It explains why Barcelona became the undisputed capital of theEuropean anarchist movement and explores the sources of anarchist power in the city. It alsoplaces Barcelona at the center of Spain’s economic, social, cultural and political life between1898 and 1937.During this period, a range of social groups, movements and institutions competed with oneanother to impose their own political and urban projects on the city: the central authorities struggled to retain control of Spain’s most unruly city; nationalist groups hoped to create the capitalof Catalonia; local industrialists attempted to erect a modern industrial city; the urban middleclasses planned to democratize the city; and meanwhile, the anarchists sought to liberate thecity’s workers from oppression and exploitation. This resulted in a myriad of frequently violentconflicts for control [...]of the city, both before and during the civil war.This is a work of great importance in the field of contemporary Spanish history and fills asignificant gap in the current literature.Chris Ealham is Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, Lancaster University. He is co-editor of The Splintering of Spain: Historical Perspectives on the Spanish Civil War. His workfocuses on labour and social protest in Spain, and he is currently working on a history of urbanconflict in 1930s Spain. For my parents, Annie and Jack (in memoriam) and for Bea (for the future)La calle no es de nadie aún. Vamos a ver quién la conquista. The street still belongs to no-one.We’ll see who conquers it.Ramón Sender, Siete domingos rojos