Ambiguities at Work: Spanish Republican Exiles and the Organisation Todt in Occupied Bordeaux

Abstract

During the Occupation of France, the German Organisation Todt used thousands of Spanish Republican exiles for the construction of military facilities along the Channel and Atlantic coast. So far there has been little research into the dynamics shaping the lives of Spanish OT workers at the local level. This article seeks to contribute to this history with a case study of Bordeaux. As well as highlighting the difficulties in defining the Spanish Republicans' experiences according to the dichotomy of resistance and collaboration, this article suggests that the dynamics shaping work practices in and around Bordeaux provided exiles with certain, if limited, opportunities over other OT centres. The ambiguities of working for the German authorities in this port city explain the significance of a story that continues to circulate in contemporary Bordeaux regarding the deaths of a number of OT workers.