Jay Cinq Mars '10
An Expedition into Spain's History & Culture
Immediately after finishing my spring semester, I journeyed across the Atlantic to conduct archival research in Spain. Sponsored by a Provost Undergraduate Research Grant, I traveled to half a dozen of the country's most beautiful cities in as many weeks, including Madrid, Salamanca, Cordoba and Sevilla. My itinerary, which changed unexpectedly on site, revolved around a three week stay in Salamanca, home of the Archivo General de la Guerra Civil Espanola. There, I studied documents pertaining to Soviet espionage operations of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, specifically those of the KGB's Spanish army, the Servicio de Investigacion Militar, created at the behest of a Soviet master spy. The endeavor proved immensely fruitful, and indescribably exciting, as I not only copied over 5,000 pages of relevant material but developed incredible friendships that have made a return trip in the near future a virtual certainty.
My adventures began on Thursday, 26 April, a long day that involved nine hours of flight time, a three hour train ride and a hard lesson in riding Madrid's modern metro system, the third largest in the world, in between in all a distance of some 4,000 miles traveled from my home in Warwick, Rhode Island. Two semesters' worth of preparation paid off that day, easing the transition considerably. Professors Jeffrey Burds, of the History Department, and Stephen Sadow, of Modern Languages, each kindly offered opportunities for directed studies during the two semesters prior to my trip. They guided me through mountains of material, helping to bring both my language and research abilities to the levels necessary to do proper investigations overseas. Dr. Maureen Kelleher in the Honors Department also supported that truly joint effort.
Fortunately, everything proceeded smoothly that day and I arrived at the archives on time to meet Dr. William Chase, professor of history at the University of Pittsburg. Professor Chase, conducting his own research, introduced me to the staff and guided me through all the bureaucratic idiosyncrasies. Weeks before, Dr. Burds had ensured our meeting took place, supplying me with his former colleague's contact information. I spent the rest of day acquainting myself with the material and with Salamanca generally. The next days passed as if hours, and before I knew it my initial, brief stay in Salamanca ended. I excitedly headed south by train to Cordoba to meet with an old friend, Ismael, then studying translation at the city's renowned university. Though I was anxiously anticipating my return, I never came to regret leaving, as I learned more with him in the weeks that followed than I could ever have imagined.
The remainder of my journey, about forty days in all, flashed by me in an instant. I moved from plaza to plaza, city to city as if guided by fate. Ismael, his friends and I explored not only every corner of Cordoba, but Seville, Spain's cultural capital, and also Gerena, his hometown to the northwest. I experienced every facet of southern Spanish rather, Andalusian culture, from local cuisines and soccer rivalries (Sevilla F.C., hasta la muerte!), to provincial politics and of course, the region's famous nightlife. Two weeks later, I returned to Salamanca and energetically completed the work I had set out to, receiving a lesson in the unpredictability of archival research during my finals days. Seventy two hours, before leaving this city, I came across a treasure trove of invaluable material documenting various key battles and joint Soviet-Spanish espionage operations. The find ultimately led to great deal of frustration, and even unnecessarily extending the trip, but it all proved worthwhile it in the end.
The most exciting moment? Midway through my stay in Salamanca, I met and befriended David Ruiz Miguel, a 25 year-old university student. David, along with a dozen friends, had traveled to the city from his hometown of Fuenlabrada in Madrid for a weekend of relaxation and fun. We got to know each other so well that he invited me to return with him and stay with his family. I gratefully accepted and spent my final days in Spain exploring the nation's bustling capital city. It turned out to be fate. Luis, David's father, serves as policemen in Spain Policia National, whose original members comprised the Servicio de Investigacion Militar during the Civil War. In a series of interviews, he explained the history of every corps of the Spanish police force, from the conflict to the present day. Our friendship grew even more, and his family in many ways became mine. Before I left, Luis told me that, if ever I am in Spain again, I must return to his home. I most certainly intend to.
