From dictatorship to democracy – 50 years after Franco

Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to look back at life in Catalonia under the Franco dictatorship, the transition to democracy that followed, and the challenges that remain today, including uncovering mass graves, ongoing legal battles, and a resurgent far right among young people. Andrew Dowling, Reader in Contemporary Spanish History at Cardiff University, explains how repression was felt in Catalonia during the dictatorship, and how that evolved over the decades of the regime. Catalan photographer Pilar Aymerich, who not only lived through the historic transition to democracy of the late 70s but actively documented it, reflects on that pivotal moment in history. The episode concludes by looking at the challenges that remain today, including ongoing efforts to uncover mass graves, stalled legal cases seeking justice, and the resurgence of the far right among young people.