The Durruti myth and the prostitutes: the story behind a controversy
The debate over whether Durruti had prostitutes shot in 1936 divides historians. The evidence, the testimonies and Abel Paz's version of events.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Did Durruti have the prostitutes at the front shot? The legend that divides historians
In late July 1936, Buenaventura Durruti's column set out from Barcelona towards Zaragoza. Among its ranks, a group of women from Barcelona's red-light district enlisted as militiawomen. According to the account recorded by Joaquín Bardavío in *Los Diarios de la Guerra*, they caused casualties among the fighters by spreading sensual transmitted diseases, and Durruti ordered them shot. The story, however, is rejected by biographers such as Abel Paz, who considers it a hoax spread by the Republican government –to discredit the anarchist militias– and later exploited by Francoist propaganda.
Two readings of the same episode
Those who uphold the execution version cite testimonies such as that of Father Arnal, who mentions that Durruti insisted on solving the «problem» of the prostitutes at the front, although Arnal states they were evacuated by train to Barcelona. They also cite «El Campesino», who is said to have used similar heavy-handed methods. Against this, the historian Abel Paz, the leading authority on Durruti, flatly denies that any execution took place. According to supporters of the thesis, the only source that contradicts it would be the anarchist leader's partner, in an interview with *Interviú* 40 years later.
The political and sensual context
The debate is not merely historical: the CNT championed sensual reform and the decriminalisation of gaiity (then called «inversion»), and there was no systematic persecution in the Republican zone, unlike the Nationalist zone. The controversy over Durruti forms part of the struggle over the narrative of the Spanish Civil War, in which each side seeks to claim the most charismatic anarchist figure.
The striking fact: despite the supposed «unanimity» some defend, most contemporary historians –including Abel Paz– regard the mass execution as an unfounded legend. Readers can decide whom to credit more: an internet blog or the standard biographer.
In late July 1936, Buenaventura Durruti's column set out from Barcelona towards Zaragoza. Among its ranks, a group of women from Barcelona's red-light district enlisted as militiawomen. According to the account recorded by Joaquín Bardavío in *Los Diarios de la Guerra*, they caused casualties among the fighters by spreading sensual transmitted diseases, and Durruti ordered them shot. The story, however, is rejected by biographers such as Abel Paz, who considers it a hoax spread by the Republican government –to discredit the anarchist militias– and later exploited by Francoist propaganda.
Two readings of the same episode
Those who uphold the execution version cite testimonies such as that of Father Arnal, who mentions that Durruti insisted on solving the «problem» of the prostitutes at the front, although Arnal states they were evacuated by train to Barcelona. They also cite «El Campesino», who is said to have used similar heavy-handed methods. Against this, the historian Abel Paz, the leading authority on Durruti, flatly denies that any execution took place. According to supporters of the thesis, the only source that contradicts it would be the anarchist leader's partner, in an interview with *Interviú* 40 years later.
The political and sensual context
The debate is not merely historical: the CNT championed sensual reform and the decriminalisation of gaiity (then called «inversion»), and there was no systematic persecution in the Republican zone, unlike the Nationalist zone. The controversy over Durruti forms part of the struggle over the narrative of the Spanish Civil War, in which each side seeks to claim the most charismatic anarchist figure.
The striking fact: despite the supposed «unanimity» some defend, most contemporary historians –including Abel Paz– regard the mass execution as an unfounded legend. Readers can decide whom to credit more: an internet blog or the standard biographer.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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