The Madrid window that threw Julián Grimau to his death

A clandestine Communist leader returns to Franco's Spain, survives a suspicious fall from a Madrid window - how do you fall from that high? The Madrid window that threw Julián Grimau to his death In this episode, we follow the life and disappearance of Julián Grimau García, from his upbringing in a police family through civil war roles, exile, clandestine return, and arrest in Madrid. The episode traces the events around the November 1962 window fall and the rapid 1963 tribunal to ask what that fall meant for justice and power. Person: Julián Grimau García Date: Fall from window November 1962; cabinet vote April 20, 1963 Location: Madrid (second-floor window at building now housing the regional government of the Community of Madrid) Period: Spanish Civil War through clandestine activity 1959-1962 and trial 1963 Event: Five-hour tribunal that condemned him to death - Born February 18, 1911 in Madrid to a police inspector and raised in a household shaped by state authority - Served with Republican criminal investigation brigades, later associated with a Barcelona prison where witnesses later alleged torture and killings - Spent fifteen years in exile, was elevated to the PCE Central Committee in 1954, then returned in 1959 to run the party’s clandestine interior wing - Traveled undetected inside Franco’s Spain for three years until two secret police agents boarded a Madrid bus with him in November 1962 - Survived a fall from a second‑floor window in Madrid while in custody, then faced a prosecution and a tribunal lasting less than five hours To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].