Counter-Memories of the Spanish Civil War

Archaeological traces of warfare are often complex heritage, with traumatic historical events generating contested political narratives even decades later, or longer. In the context of the Spanish Civil War, the fortified line known as Bilbao’s Iron Belt embodies tensions between different narratives of the war as it affected the Basque Country. These tensions are sometimes materialised through acts of vandalism – graffiti, destruction or deliberate neglect – which counterpose the official narrative with alternative interpretations. This article explores vandalism affecting the heritage of the iconic Iron Belt through a focus on three sectors of the defensive line. Our research shows that vandalism of the Iron Belt is a widespread phenomenon and that, in some cases, it has been a chronic problem. Moreover, in instances where vandalism is clearly ideological, as in the case of political graffiti, such acts are directly related to socio-cultural context. Beyond the intention of such (re)actions to transform archaeological heritage and present alternative political narratives, we wonder if they also seek to promote a process of damnatio memoriae. We also raise the question of whether such graffiti may also be worth preserving as symbols of present-day heritage-related activities.