Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca (born June 5, 1898, in Fuente Vaqueros, Andalusia, Spain, and died August 19, 1936, in Víznar, Andalusia, Spain) was a Spanish poet, prose writer, and playwright, also known for his talent in other artistic disciplines. A member of the Generation of ’27 in Spanish literature, he is considered the most popular and influential Spanish writer of the 20th century. As a playwright, he is regarded as one of the key figures of 20th-century Spanish theater, along with Valle-Inclán and Buero Vallejo. He was executed during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) for his support of the Popular Front.

He was born on June 5, 1898, in the municipality of Fuente Vaqueros, in Granada (Spain), into a well-off family, and was baptized with the name Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca. His father was Don Federico García Rodríguez, a landowner, and his mother, Doña Vicenta Lorca, a teacher, who encouraged Federico’s interest in literature.

Lorca’s universe is characterized by a clear systematization: poetry, drama, and prose are nourished by constant obsessions and stylistic keys. The variety of forms and tones never threatens this unity, whose fundamental issue is the frustration of the characters.

Following an anonymous accusation, on August 16, 1936, Lorca was arrested at the home of a friend, the poet Luis Rosales. He obtained from the nationalist authorities the promise that Lorca would be released “if there were no charges against him.” The accusation came from some landowners who disapproved of the progressive ideas of Lorca’s father. The execution order was issued by the civil governor of Granada, José Valdés Guzmán, and at dawn on August 18, 1936, Federico García Lorca was murdered between Víznar and Alfacar; his body still lies in a mass grave.