Although approximately 7,300 km apart, Gibraltar and Jamaica share a common history. Both were Spanish before becoming British colonies: Jamaica in 1655 and Gibraltar in 1713. Both were subsequently subjected to repeated Spanish attempts to recapture them. Both Gibraltar and Jamaica became hubs of international maritime trade, connecting continents and islands to this day. In 1940, around 1,100 Gibraltarian civilians (women, children, and men) were evacuated to Jamaica because the British government feared an attack on Gibraltar by Hitler and Mussolini. The evacuated Gibraltarians spent about five years in an internment camp (Gibraltar Camp) on the Mona sugar plantation northeast of Kingston, together with approximately 1,000 enemy aliens. Repatriation of the evacuees began in 1944. The last inmates of the camp left Jamaica in 1948.
Our applied history project explores historical sites in Jamaica. Lectures will be given on Jamaican history, the history of the Second World War, and the history of Camp Gibraltar in particular. For more information, please contact: ccwik@icahgibraltar.org
This applied history project will be directed by Prof. Dr. Christian Cwik and Prof. Dr. Michael Zeuske.