The research conducted by Antonio Vallejo-Nájera during the Spanish Civil War provided pseudo-scientific justifications for the systematic removal of up to 30,000 children from their families. By classifying Marxism as a mental illness and adherents as genetic retards, he shaped the medical and social policies that facilitated institutionalized repression under the Francoist regime.
Early Career and Training
Born in 1889 in Paredes de Nava, Vallejo-Nájera studied medicine at the University of Valladolid. In 1910, he joined the Spanish Military Health Corps. His early professional development included postings in Berlin, where he interacted with figures such as Hans Walter Gruhle, Julius Schwalbe, and Ernst Kretschmer. Following his return to Spain, he practiced at the Ciempozuelos Military Psychiatric Clinic and served as a teacher of psychiatry at the Military Sanitary Academy.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Eugenics and Ideological Framework
Vallejo-Nájera sought to align German racial hygiene theories with Catholic moral doctrine. He advocated for eugamia, a policy focusing on premarital counseling based on the biopsychological assessment of a couple. He believed this approach could preserve the racial qualities of the Spanish population by preventing the propagation of those he deemed mentally and socially inferior.
War Research and Repression
Appointed head of Psychiatric Services for the nationalist army in 1938, he established a network of fourteen clinics, including a research center near the San Pedro de Cardeña concentration camp. He conducted tests on Republican prisoners to identify a so-called red gene. He argued that female revolutionary behavior stemmed from animalistic instincts. These findings were used to justify the seizure of children from leftist parents, who were then transferred to orphanages or nationalist families.
Professional Legacy
Following the Civil War, he served as a professor at the University of Madrid and was a founder of the Spanish Psychological Society. In 1947, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Health and maintained membership in the Royal National Academy of Medicine. He remained a central figure in Spanish psychiatry until his death in 1960.
Fast facts
- Born: 1889, Paredes de Nava
- Died: 1960, Madrid
- Education: University of Valladolid
- Military service: Spanish Military Health Corps
- Academic post: University of Madrid
- Award: Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Health (1947)
- Membership: Royal National Academy of Medicine
Questions readers ask
What was the psychological objective of his research?
He intended to demonstrate the biological roots of Marxism by testing prisoners, attempting to prove that political dissent was a form of mental illness or genetic degradation.
How did his theories influence child welfare policies?
His conclusions led to the removal of thousands of children from families identified as left-wing to prevent them from being raised in democratic or non-nationalist environments.
Achievements
- Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Health — 1947
- Held posts at University of Madrid and Spanish Military Health Corps
.jpg)
