How did Francisco Franco’s government repress Catalan culture?

Following the victory of the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War in 1939, the government of General Francisco Franco implemented a policy of systematic repression toward Catalan culture and nationalism.12

This repression was characterized by several key actions:

• Loss of Autonomy: The Francoist regime abolished the statute of autonomy for Catalonia that had been established in 1932, effectively stripping the region of its political self-governance.2
• Suppression of Language and Identity: The regime adopted a generally repressive stance toward the Catalan language, creating a political climate that was highly unfavorable to Catalan literary and cultural production.34
• Exile and Censorship: Many Catalan intellectuals and writers were forced to flee abroad, while those who remained faced a restrictive environment where their work was subject to state control and censorship.34

While some writers attempted to cultivate literature of artistic escape, others, such as Salvador Espriu and Pere Quart, began to address social issues through their work in response to the prevailing political realities.34