Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Bustarviejo penal labour camp
Repression & memory site
The story
After the war the regime used political prisoners as forced labour on public works under the 'redemption of sentences through work' scheme. At Bustarviejo, prisoners built the Madrid–Burgos railway between 1944 and 1952, living in a camp that has been studied by archaeologists of the CSIC and the Comunidad de Madrid. It is one of the few such camps in Spain whose remains can be seen, and complements Cuelgamuros as evidence of prison labour.
What you can see today
Foundations of three compounds, guard posts, a punishment cell and nearby railway cuttings and tunnels.
Plan your visit
Signposted path outside the village; free, open access. Allow an hour.
Sources
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bustarviejo
- viajaporlibre.com/espana/madrid/restos-de-la-guerra-civil-en-la-comunidad-de-madrid
Nearby sites
- Frente del Agua, Paredes de Buitrago · 21 km
- La Granja offensive – the battlefield above La Granja (Cabeza Grande, Matabueyes) · 27 km
- Paracuellos de Jarama cemetery · 39 km
- Alto del León (south side), Guadarrama · 41 km
- Posición Jaca bunker, El Capricho park · 44 km
- Ciudad Universitaria front · 44 km
All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →
The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.
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