Historical Reenactment CANDAMO 36-37

This video presents a summary of the 2002 version of the Candamo 36-37 Historical Reenactment of the pre-war and the Spanish Civil War in Asturias. 

The Nalón Front Association has been organizing this key educational event in the town of Grullos, located in the county of Candamo since 2012. This event takes place over a weekend in September and involves hundreds of individuals and groups from across Spain and from other countries presenting scenes from the Second Republic and the Civil War in Asturias. Attendees are provided a guided tour of this “living museum”. Rather than viewing objects in a case, as in a traditional museum, the visitors, who numbered more than 2,000 in 2023, can hear a speech from the 1930s being delivered or watch an attack on a trench. 

The atmosphere of the period, from the mundane activities of daily life to the battles and political meetings, are reconstructed as accurately as possible, with a guide providing key historical context. It begins in the streets of the town, which are decorated to recall the turbulent years of the Second Republic, where the origins and motivations of the various political actors and the social tensions of the time are explained. Visitors then move to a reconstruction of a battlefield, where they learn about the technical aspects of the fortifications and the harsh experiences of the ordinary soldier. The day ends at dusk with “The Night”, a theatrical event inspired in the 1920s and 1930s that includes plays, music, dance, and even comedians and magicians. 

The goal is neither to provide entertainment nor to commemorate events, but rather to transmit knowledge to the general public that would otherwise remain within the academy. There is a three-stage process of preparation. First, is documentation, which is carried out in the same way as  a professional historian. Second is reconstruction: making the clothes and equipment on one hand, and internalizing the ideas, language, and mannerism of the various political groups of the time on the other. Finally, there is dissemination, the explanations provided by the guides so that the visitors can contextualize and understand what the historical significance of what they are seeing. 

Working with academic historians and educators and prioritizing rigour and effective communication, this is a very different type of historical exhibit.