From Plaza Mayor to Washington Square: Spanish Republican Exiles at NYU

In these round table discussions, María Dueñas (visiting author) James D. Fernández (NYU, FAS), Juan José Herrera de la Muela (Consulate General of Spain in New York), Alexander Nagel (NYU, IFA), Edward Sullivan (NYU, IFA) and Marisol Tellería discuss the legacy of Spanish Republican exiles in the U.S.

Eighty years ago almost to the day (April 1, 1939), the Spanish Civil War was officially declared over. One of its many tragic outcomes was the exile of as many as 500,000 people. Some of those fleeing would die during the exodus, or shortly after like Antonio Machado. Others, like Jorge Semprún, would survive only to be sent later on to Nazi concentration camps. Many others did their best to start new lives in France, North Africa or the Americas, almost always dreaming of someday returning to a free Spain.

In places like Chile, Mexico, Cuba or Argentina, the contributions made by these Spanish Republican exiles to the eventual defeat of fascism, and to the cultures and economies of their adopted countries, are relatively well known. Fewer people are aware, however, of the remarkable legacy left by the Spanish Republican exiles in the United States.

In these two roundtable discussions, the participants will talk about this legacy, focusing on the impact that the exiles had on the intellectual life of New York University and, more specifically, on how they influenced the study of Spanish art, culture and history at the university.