Anna Oakes, Author at Public Seminar

Feature

Finding Franco’s Victims

Felipa Peinado, 89, is still searching for her murdered family

March 18, 2019 • by Anna Oakes

On a cold October morning last year, I stood in Casillas, a village in the forested hills outside of Madrid, and watched a truck methodically excavate a dirt footpath extending out from the road. A dozen people stood beside me, all of us gathered due to the efforts of one ...

Hispanidad and Spain’s Black Legend

Prejudiced myths impact Spain much like they do in the U.S.

December 12, 2018 • by Anna Oakes

“Hispanidad is the most important landmark of humanity, in my opinion only comparable with Rome. It is probably the most brilliant era, not of Spain, but of Man, together with the Roman Empire.” -Pablo Casado It may be a small, dark comfort to know that the United States is not alone in ...

A Letter from the Valley of the Fallen

Spain wrestles with its Franquista past

September 25, 2018 • by Anna Oakes

In June, the center-left administration of Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s newly appointed prime minister, announced the government’s intention to exhume Francisco Franco’s body and move it to an as-yet-undecided location. Since the announcement, a renewed national debate has broken out in Spain over Franco’s legacy. The Franco family have made clear their intentions ...