Catalunya Barcelona: The Catalan Story of Barcelona

- Season 1

(2019)

In the 18th century, the War of Spanish Succession resulted in all of Spain falling under the rule of a single crown, the Bourbon royal family. The country, as it is known today, was born. Tear Down the WALL focuses mainly on the 19th century industrial expansion of Barcelona, the plight of the city's workers, and the rise of the city's Bourgeoisie. Significant events include the imposition of martial law over Barcelona, the destruction of a medieval wall corseting the city, the end of the Spanish colonial empire, the emergence of seminal Catalan and Republican ...

Barcelona, at the start of the 20th century, owing to its reputation as the Catalan Manchester, is experiencing unprecedented growth, annexing neighboring villages, building more factories, and inspiring a wave of immigration from within Spain. As Catalan politicians and factory owners strive to exert more control over the city and region, a new labor union, the CNT, forms to fight for workers' rights. Significant events include Tragic Week, the rise of anarcho-syndicalism, the creation of a Commonwealth of Catalunya, state-sanctioned assassinations under the moniker ...

The 2nd Spanish Republic begins with great hope, in Barcelona and across Spain. For the first time in anyone's memory, the three pillars of power -- the crown, the clergy, and the aristocracy -- are shaken loose. Working and lower classes are now to have a voice, and the opportunity for a brighter future. But the social reforms and political maneuvering required to bring such dreams to life are towering, and patience, among the proletariat, is not without limits. Significant events include the enactment of Catalunya's 1st Statute of Autonomy, the building of thousands...

By the summer of 1936, the democratic experiment known as the 2nd Spanish Republic is in free fall, as a cadre of military generals launch a coup, seeking a return to a more traditional Spain. In Barcelona, the coup is repelled, with the help of armed workers and anarchists. The war, pitting the Nationalist Rebels against the Republicans, will rage for three years, tearing the peninsula apart, and resulting in a death toll that is, to this day, unknown, with estimates ranging from 250,000 to 2 million. Significant events include a workers revolution in Barcelona, the ...

Post-war Barcelona is a dark, ominous place. Famine is rampant. Jails are filled to capacity. The Catalan language, flags and cultural symbols have been banned. Even the city's soccer team, Barça, is forced to change its name. Members of the losing side of the Civil War, the Republicans, are now considered enemies of the state, and face a gauntlet of reprisals under the new regime. Significant events include the execution of Lluís Companys, World War II, a tram boycott in Barcelona, the rise of the Technocrats, and the return to a Spain steeped in Catholicism. ...

The second half of the Franco era earned the nickname "Dictablanda" because it was perceived as more bland, less harsh than the first 20 years of the dictatorship. However, as the 1960s begin, Barcelona, and indeed, all of Spain, seems frozen in time, little different from the previous 20 years. Franco remains dictator. Political pluralism and the Catalan language are still outlawed. Yet, the people of Barcelona are growing restless. Resistance movements are beginning to make noise, and as the dictator's health begins to wane, an end of the dictatorship, and the ...

Francisco Franco is dead, but his long reign allowed him more than enough time to ensure the regime he created outlived him. However, the road ahead is paved with uncertainty. For many, across Spain, and in commercial hubs like Barcelona, in particular, democracy seems all but inevitable. Key events include the return of historic socialist and communist parties, the signing of a new Spanish Constitution, passage of the Statute of Autonomy for Catalunya, a massive anarchist gathering on Montjuïc, the Atocha Massacre, the Scala Case, and the first open elections since ...

The transition to democracy, by all accounts, was a success, and Spain is, once again, entering a period of democratic rule and political pluralism. However, the members of the former Franco regime were never removed from positions of power. Little surprise that Democracy opens with the staging of another military coup. Significant events include the legalization of the Catalan language, ritual celebrations and festival calendar, the passage of the Law of Linguistic Normalization, the emergence of "Café Para Todos," the terrorist bombing of the Hipercor shopping ...

"Thanks to the towering success of the 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona has reached the world stage. Gains in tourism, industry, and real estate are keying unprecedented prosperity for the region. Yet, there exists a burning desire to exert more control over its future, and the city remains a hotbed of political action and social discontent. Significant events include the Take the Square movement, the passage of a statewide gag law, the rejection of a revised Statute of Catalan Autonomy, and the holding of a referendum on self-determination. Introducing major figures ...

Owing to a corruption scandal, the president of Catalunya, Artur Mas, has been ousted, replaced by Carles Puigdemont. The new regional head has made his mission clear from the moment he took office: hold a referendum on Catalan independence. Significant events include the terrorist attack on August 17th, the October 1st referendum, the suspension of Catalan autonomy, and the arrests of government leaders. Introducing major figures, King Felip VI, Oriol Junqueras and Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, 2017, and the entire Catalunya Barcelona series, concludes with uncertainty...