Metadata: Spanish Embassy in Washington
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- General Archive of the Administration
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivo General de la Administracion
- Postal address:
- Calle Paseo de Aguadores 2. 28871 - Alcala de Henares
- Phone number:
- +34 918 892 950
- Email:
- aga@cultura.gob.es
- Reference number:
- ES.28005.AGA/2.5.1.1.2.42.8
- Title:
- Spanish Embassy in Washington
- Title (official language):
- Embajada de España en Washington
- Creator/accumulator:
- Spanish Embassy in Washington; Spanish Legation in Washington
- Date(s):
- 1778/1981
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- English
- Extent:
- 1,873 boxes; 9 books
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
This collection is made up of documentation produced by the Spanish Embassy in Washington. It is relevant for the study of the independence of the Spanish colonies (especially Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines) in the nineteenth century. Since the establishment of the Spanish Embassy in the United States, one of the goals of the Spanish ambassador, first in Philadelphia and later in Washington, was to be informed about the situation of the Spanish colonies and consequently to communicate it to the Spanish Ministry of State. The correspondence is the most important documentary series of the collection, since it was the means for negotiation. The documentary fonds preserves mainly correspondence between the Spanish Embassy and the Spanish Ministry of State, the Spanish Consulates and Vice-Consulates dependent on the Spanish Embassy in Washington, and the State Secretary of the United States. After the Spanish-American war in 1898, there were many claims presented by Spanish citizens that contain financial information regarding the confiscation of their properties in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
Concerning Jews, the information is chronologically varied. There are documents of diverse content between 1929 and 1955, with the most important topics being World War II and the creation of the State of Israel. During World War II, the Spanish Embassy in Washington had contact with its counterpart in Berlin (1939-1941); there is information about war prisoners and concentration camps (1942-1945); flyers and press clippings about “the Jewish question” (1944); information about the sending of 100,000 USD by The Joint Distribution Committee in support of Jews; legal measures against Germany after the war due to the war crimes committed (1943). Other documents deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict and focus on the protection of Jews in Arab countries (1967-1969).
- Archival history:
- This collection was sent from the Spanish Embassy in Washington to the Spanish General Archive of the Administration in 1977 (no. 198) and 1985 (no. 814).
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Spanish diplomatic representation in the United States was established in 1776, after its independence. Diplomatic representation started as a legation in Philadelphia. The Spanish ambassador was present at the political changes suffered in the overseas Spanish colonies. The information sent by the Embassy to the Spanish Ministry of State was decisive in establishing the policy towards the Spanish colonies. During the Spanish-American War (1898-1899) the legation was closed, and it was reactivated after the Treaty of Paris (1990). At the beginning of the twentieth century, the headquarters of the Spanish Legation were moved to Washington and the legation became an embassy. There was an important cultural exchange between the countries during the 1920s and 1930s. During the Spanish Civil War, donations and humanitarian aid arrived in Spain from the United States, and this country became one of the favoured destinations for Spanish exiles. During World War II, the Spanish Embassy was used as a safe-conduct to send aid to the Allies.
- Access points: locations:
- Cuba
- Germany
- Philippines
- Puerto Rico
- Spain
- USA
- Washington
- Access, restrictions:
- Free access regulated by the current legal environment on access to Spanish historical archives (law 16/1985 of Spanish Historical Patrimony).
- Finding aids:
- Three indexes are available at the archive [(10)026.001; (10)026.002;(10)005.000]. Data on the collection are also available at the website of the Spanish National Archives (PARES).
- Links to finding aids:
- https://pares.culturaydeporte.gob.es/inicio.html
- Yerusha Network member:
- Spanish National Research Council
- Author of the description:
- Marina Girona Berenguer; ILC, CSIC; October 2019