From the Beginning
1854 – 1866: The Demolishing of the Walls of Barcelona
The origins of the walls of Barcelona can be traced back to the start of the 18th century with the War of the Spanish Succession. The two sides of the war were the Bourbons, who trended towards strong centralism, and the Habsburgs, with whom the Catalans – those who live in the Catalonia region who consider themselves separate from Spain – in Barcelona sided with. The Bourbons won the war, and Philip V became the new ruler of Spain in 1714. Philip V created many changes to Barcelona in an effort to suppress the Catalonia nationalism, including bans on Catalonia publications, and a severe tax system, but most importantly, he created the walls of Barcelona. The walls completely surrounded the city, essentially turning the city into an enormous fort. [1]
The walls prevented any further civic development and industrial development in Barcelona. The physical restrictions are obvious; the city could not develop beyond the wall. In addition to these physical restrictions are legal ones. Construction in the city could not take place in a designated firing range – a series of overlapping semicircles with centers at different points around the city. This limitation covered almost 61% of the territory within the city limits. [1]
As a result of the walls, in the 18th century, the population density of Barcelona was the highest in Spain and one of the highest in Europe with 856 inhabitants per hectare. Any attempt at urban planning around the walls was inherently a political statement, therefore many town-planning ideas did not come to fruition. Barcelona suffered from extremely high density, a bad water supply, and a poor sewer system. [1] In 1854, the walls of Barcelona were finally ordered to be removed, an effort that would take twelve years to finish. The demolishing of the walls of Barcelona opened it once again to urban expansion and planning.
The origins of the walls of Barcelona can be traced back to the start of the 18th century with the War of the Spanish Succession. The two sides of the war were the Bourbons, who trended towards strong centralism, and the Habsburgs, with whom the Catalans – those who live in the Catalonia region who consider themselves separate from Spain – in Barcelona sided with. The Bourbons won the war, and Philip V became the new ruler of Spain in 1714. Philip V created many changes to Barcelona in an effort to suppress the Catalonia nationalism, including bans on Catalonia publications, and a severe tax system, but most importantly, he created the walls of Barcelona. The walls completely surrounded the city, essentially turning the city into an enormous fort. [1]
The walls prevented any further civic development and industrial development in Barcelona. The physical restrictions are obvious; the city could not develop beyond the wall. In addition to these physical restrictions are legal ones. Construction in the city could not take place in a designated firing range – a series of overlapping semicircles with centers at different points around the city. This limitation covered almost 61% of the territory within the city limits. [1]
As a result of the walls, in the 18th century, the population density of Barcelona was the highest in Spain and one of the highest in Europe with 856 inhabitants per hectare. Any attempt at urban planning around the walls was inherently a political statement, therefore many town-planning ideas did not come to fruition. Barcelona suffered from extremely high density, a bad water supply, and a poor sewer system. [1] In 1854, the walls of Barcelona were finally ordered to be removed, an effort that would take twelve years to finish. The demolishing of the walls of Barcelona opened it once again to urban expansion and planning.
1909: The Tragic Week
Although the working class of Barcelona has never had a say in the planning of the extension, numerous strikes and revolts revealed their interpretation of it. The working class of Barcelona in the 19th and 20th century had a history of being denied economic and quality of life improvements such as increased focus on working hours, education, and access to necessities, and as such they viewed the extension of Barcelona as an attempt to build an exclusive upper class residential area for the bourgeois. Particularly, the wide avenues of the extension were seen as a direct attack on the proletarian’s ability to form barricades in protests. [1]
The construction of the Via Laietana in particular was seen as a direct attack on the working class, as it divided a densely populated area of the old city. Two years after the construction of the Via Laietana began, the working class revolted in what was later known as the Tragic Week. The Tragic Week came about as a reaction to the redrafting of reservist soldiers in Barcelona who had already done their military services for Morocco. These soldiers could not afford to go back to war when in many cases they were the main source of income for their families. The working class revolted: paving stones were used to build barricades throughout the city; churches, convents, and official buildings were burned down, and as a whole the urban system shut down for a week. At the end of the week, 33 convents, 33 church schools, and 20 churches were burned down. [1]
The working class continued to struggle with gaining a voice in the planning process through the 20th century; however, they still managed to impact the built form of the city. Their burning of churches and official buildings had a direct impact on the buildings present in the old city while their use of barricades perhaps delayed the construction of Cerdà’s two other wide avenues. [1]
Although the working class of Barcelona has never had a say in the planning of the extension, numerous strikes and revolts revealed their interpretation of it. The working class of Barcelona in the 19th and 20th century had a history of being denied economic and quality of life improvements such as increased focus on working hours, education, and access to necessities, and as such they viewed the extension of Barcelona as an attempt to build an exclusive upper class residential area for the bourgeois. Particularly, the wide avenues of the extension were seen as a direct attack on the proletarian’s ability to form barricades in protests. [1]
The construction of the Via Laietana in particular was seen as a direct attack on the working class, as it divided a densely populated area of the old city. Two years after the construction of the Via Laietana began, the working class revolted in what was later known as the Tragic Week. The Tragic Week came about as a reaction to the redrafting of reservist soldiers in Barcelona who had already done their military services for Morocco. These soldiers could not afford to go back to war when in many cases they were the main source of income for their families. The working class revolted: paving stones were used to build barricades throughout the city; churches, convents, and official buildings were burned down, and as a whole the urban system shut down for a week. At the end of the week, 33 convents, 33 church schools, and 20 churches were burned down. [1]
The working class continued to struggle with gaining a voice in the planning process through the 20th century; however, they still managed to impact the built form of the city. Their burning of churches and official buildings had a direct impact on the buildings present in the old city while their use of barricades perhaps delayed the construction of Cerdà’s two other wide avenues. [1]
Second Republic
With the fall of the First Republic in 1874, the Second Republic (1931-1939) held promises or urban redevelopment by reorganizing the city through two general plans that had been approved, Regional Planning in 1932 and Plan Macia (developed by GATCPAC) in 1934. While Regional Planning was implemented to assist in the development of Catalan territory, both plans had hopes of redesigning and correcting the urban growth that had taken place in the previously. [2][3]
With the fall of the First Republic in 1874, the Second Republic (1931-1939) held promises or urban redevelopment by reorganizing the city through two general plans that had been approved, Regional Planning in 1932 and Plan Macia (developed by GATCPAC) in 1934. While Regional Planning was implemented to assist in the development of Catalan territory, both plans had hopes of redesigning and correcting the urban growth that had taken place in the previously. [2][3]
Civil War (1936-1939)
The Civil War brought great devastation to the infrastructure of Barcelona and were unfortunately unable to rebuild until the 1950s. Franco’s concept of liberating the city through self-sufficiency turned into an economic disaster that would halt the investment of urban development on its damaged infrastructure and public buildings. Withdrawing Barcelona from the foreign imports market he hand selected domestic businesses but based these decisions off a political standing and not an economic one. These selected businesses were offered special incentives and and were given preferred treatment. Unfortunately, the economic policy that Franco has set into place did little to recovered their GDP levels and only worsened labor markets, which would through Barcelona into a fifteen year economic depression. [2]
The Civil War brought great devastation to the infrastructure of Barcelona and were unfortunately unable to rebuild until the 1950s. Franco’s concept of liberating the city through self-sufficiency turned into an economic disaster that would halt the investment of urban development on its damaged infrastructure and public buildings. Withdrawing Barcelona from the foreign imports market he hand selected domestic businesses but based these decisions off a political standing and not an economic one. These selected businesses were offered special incentives and and were given preferred treatment. Unfortunately, the economic policy that Franco has set into place did little to recovered their GDP levels and only worsened labor markets, which would through Barcelona into a fifteen year economic depression. [2]
References
[1] Aibar, E., & Bijker, W. (2010). Constructing a City: The Cerda Plan for the Extension Barcelona. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.uoc.edu/webs/eaibar/_resources/documents/Aibar-Bijker.pdf
[2] Casellas, A. (2009). Barcelona’s Urban Landscape: The Historical Making of a Tourist Product. Journal of Urban History,35(6), 815-832. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://juh.sagepub.com/content/35/6/815.full.pdf
[3] Wynn, M. (1979). Barcelona: Planning and Change 1854-1977. The Town Planning Review,50(2), 185-203. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40103366
Media
[1] The Walls of Barcelona. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
http://www.anycerda.org/web/itineraris-urbans/Noves-visions-a-l-entorn-de-la-muralla
[2] Barricades during the Tragic Week of 1909. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
https://libcom.org/files/imagecache/article/images/history/speciale11%5B1%5D.jpg
[3] Looking back at the Spanish Civil War, 75 years on. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/07/13/7074776-looking-back-at-the-spanish-civil-war-75-years-on?lite
[4] Franco-fascism on the march in Spain: Is the government doing enough? - CSMonitor.com. (2013, October 20). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://slinkingtowardretirement.com/?p=170024
[5] Afiches de propaganda anarquista de la guerra civil española 1936-1939. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://defharo.com/carteles-anarquistas-spain/
[1] Aibar, E., & Bijker, W. (2010). Constructing a City: The Cerda Plan for the Extension Barcelona. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.uoc.edu/webs/eaibar/_resources/documents/Aibar-Bijker.pdf
[2] Casellas, A. (2009). Barcelona’s Urban Landscape: The Historical Making of a Tourist Product. Journal of Urban History,35(6), 815-832. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://juh.sagepub.com/content/35/6/815.full.pdf
[3] Wynn, M. (1979). Barcelona: Planning and Change 1854-1977. The Town Planning Review,50(2), 185-203. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40103366
Media
[1] The Walls of Barcelona. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
http://www.anycerda.org/web/itineraris-urbans/Noves-visions-a-l-entorn-de-la-muralla
[2] Barricades during the Tragic Week of 1909. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
https://libcom.org/files/imagecache/article/images/history/speciale11%5B1%5D.jpg
[3] Looking back at the Spanish Civil War, 75 years on. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/07/13/7074776-looking-back-at-the-spanish-civil-war-75-years-on?lite
[4] Franco-fascism on the march in Spain: Is the government doing enough? - CSMonitor.com. (2013, October 20). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://slinkingtowardretirement.com/?p=170024
[5] Afiches de propaganda anarquista de la guerra civil española 1936-1939. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://defharo.com/carteles-anarquistas-spain/