Cultural Narratives of Charles V and Spanish Imaginaries in West Germany during the Franco Dictatorship

ABSTRACT: This article aims to contribute to research on the international relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Spain after World War II, when the Franco dictatorship experienced a process of rehabilitation. In order to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, we need to complement existing studies on the history of diplomatic relations with approaches to the sphere of cultural imaginaries. This article, intended as a particular case study, analyzes the resignification of Francoism in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) via the heritage and tourist narratives associated with one historical figure shared by both nations: Charles V.