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The Long Shadow of the Pines: Vegetation in the Birth, Destruction and Reconstruction of Madrid’s University City (1927–1956)

Gorostiza, Santiago LU orcid ; Pérez-Olivares, Alejandro ; Oviedo Silva, Daniel and Sánchez Laforet, José María (2025) In Environment and History
Abstract
At the intersection of environmental histories of war, fascism and urban parks, this article analyses the transformation of the political meaning attached to the green spaces of Madrid’s University City. Conceived in the late 1920s as a ‘university park’ inspired by North American academic campuses, the ‘Ciudad Universitaria’ was heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The subsequent campus’ reconstruction and reforestation project aimed to transform the battlefield into a war memorial made of trees. By the 1950s, this discourse had shifted to a more technocratic vision of trees and their role in monumentalising physical access to the Spanish capital. The project of the ‘university park’ was abandoned when the campus’... (More)
At the intersection of environmental histories of war, fascism and urban parks, this article analyses the transformation of the political meaning attached to the green spaces of Madrid’s University City. Conceived in the late 1920s as a ‘university park’ inspired by North American academic campuses, the ‘Ciudad Universitaria’ was heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The subsequent campus’ reconstruction and reforestation project aimed to transform the battlefield into a war memorial made of trees. By the 1950s, this discourse had shifted to a more technocratic vision of trees and their role in monumentalising physical access to the Spanish capital. The project of the ‘university park’ was abandoned when the campus’ vacant areas began to be developed during the 1960s. By using trees and other vegetation to articulate a narration of the campus’ transformation over forty years, we emphasise the potential of environmental history to contribute to political histories of war and fascism. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Environment and History
publisher
White Horse Press
ISSN
1752-7023
DOI
10.3828/whpeh.63861480327359
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f5a6398d-3731-45e0-a4f6-7fd32e78c909
date added to LUP
2025-11-10 23:55:07
date last changed
2025-11-13 13:42:34
@article{f5a6398d-3731-45e0-a4f6-7fd32e78c909,
  abstract     = {{At the intersection of environmental histories of war, fascism and urban parks, this article analyses the transformation of the political meaning attached to the green spaces of Madrid’s University City. Conceived in the late 1920s as a ‘university park’ inspired by North American academic campuses, the ‘Ciudad Universitaria’ was heavily damaged during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The subsequent campus’ reconstruction and reforestation project aimed to transform the battlefield into a war memorial made of trees. By the 1950s, this discourse had shifted to a more technocratic vision of trees and their role in monumentalising physical access to the Spanish capital. The project of the ‘university park’ was abandoned when the campus’ vacant areas began to be developed during the 1960s. By using trees and other vegetation to articulate a narration of the campus’ transformation over forty years, we emphasise the potential of environmental history to contribute to political histories of war and fascism.}},
  author       = {{Gorostiza, Santiago and Pérez-Olivares, Alejandro and Oviedo Silva, Daniel and Sánchez Laforet, José María}},
  issn         = {{1752-7023}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{White Horse Press}},
  series       = {{Environment and History}},
  title        = {{The Long Shadow of the Pines: Vegetation in the Birth, Destruction and Reconstruction of Madrid’s University City (1927–1956)}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/232661722/gorostiza-et-al-2025-the-long-shadow-of-the-pines-vegetation-in-the-birth-destruction-and-reconstruction-of-madrid-s.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.3828/whpeh.63861480327359}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}