As they trudged over the Pyrenees, the Spanish republicans became one of the most iconoclastic groups of refugees to have sought refuge in twentieth-century France. This book explores the array of opportunities, constraints, choices and motivations that characterised the lives of this exceptional group of people. Using a wide range of empirical material, it presents a compelling case for rethinking exile in relation to refugees’ lived experiences and memory activities.

The Spanish republican exile was not simply a result of General Franco’s victory or the refugees’ preoccupation with the past and returning to Spain. It developed out of the actions of both the refugees and the people and institutions with whom the refugees interacted in France. This study therefore situates the Spanish republicans and their hosts in relation to the major historical events of the period: the evolution of refugees’ rights under the Third Republic and the harrowing experience of the ‘concentration’ camps; the para-military labour formations of the Second World War; the dynamics shaping resistance activities; and the enabling role of memory in the post-war campaign to return to Spain. By additionally exploring how these experiences have shaped both homes and the memorial landscape in France, this book offers an unparalleled insight into the long-term effects of an unexpected and prolonged inter-cultural encounter. The routes to exile will be of interest to students, scholars and general readers alike.