Geography and History

• Guernica's roots date back to 1366. Founding citizens chose the site for its excellent trade location at major crossroads and river tributaries. Guernica was a Basque town. The Basque sided with the republican forces during the Spanish civil war. Pro-Franco forces focused on Guernica during the conflict in part due to its proximity to the large city of Bilbao.
  
  

Civil War/Attack

• Guernica was unlucky enough to be in a strategically important location. Pro-Franco forces saw Guernica as an essential primary target on their way to capturing Bilbao, a republican forces stronghold.
  
  Guernica had an uneventful history until April 26, 1937, when pro-Franco planes bombed the town. The attack demolished Guernica. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians perished. International outrage erupted over what many deemed a terrorist act. The bombing of Guernica focused world attention on the atrocities of the Spanish civil war and on war in general. Bilbao became a symbol of suffering as well as the redemption of peace.
  
  

Contemporary Reaction

• Journalists brought the story of Guernica to the world. They also exposed the German "Condor Legion" as the attack force. Germany had officially declared itself neutral in the civil war conflict. German insignias from casing fragments found at the bombsite proved Germany's direct involvement in the fighting. The Luftwaffe's "Condor Legion" destroyed 75 percent of all the buildings in the town.
  
  Artists immortalized Guernica's suffering in sculpture and paint. The painter Pablo Picasso depicted the horrors of war on canvas and named the painting after the town. Guernica was a radical work in its time. Critics still consider it an important work of 20th-century contemporary art.
  
  

Commemorations

• In 1987, ceremonies on the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Guernica focused attention on the lasting benefits of peace. Representatives from many previously war-torn nations attended memorial ceremonies. Guernica overcame its tragedy by becoming an international symbol of resilience and hope.
  
  

Guernica Today

• Guernica's symbol of peace, the oak tree.single oak tree on meadow image by Lars Lachmann from Fotolia.com
  
  Guernica is a magnet for art installations. On-site art includes "Gure Aitaren Etxea" by Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida and "Large Figure in a Shelter" by British sculptor Henry Moore. Guernica grew from the ashes of its destruction. Today more than 15,000 people live in the town. It still hosts local government meetings and holds up the Guernica oak as a symbol of its survival.