By mid May, about a month and a half into our stay at San Pedro de Cardeña, we needed something to build morale and lift our dwindling spirits. We were becoming restless of our daily routine and had now accepted the fact that we wouldn’t be leaving the camp anytime soon. Therefore, we needed to find a way to pass the time as well as make good use of it. We began holding lectures within the barn, taught by whoever was willing to share their knowledge to those eager to learn. English, math, economics, history, philosophy, and a variety of languages were all taught during these lectures. Having so many prisoners of different nationalities and backgrounds meant that there was never a lack of knowledge to be shared. Although we found other forms of entertainment and ways to pass the time, no other activity we engaged in was as important as these classes in resisting the dehumanizing and degrading atmosphere of the concentration camp.
And so although it wasn’t easy, we made the most of our situation and the months slowly passed us by. A long hot summer at San Pedro de Cardeña was soon followed by a brutally cold winter. Staying warm was utterly impossible and by January we wore layers of blankets as part of our wardrobe. The only thing that was able to distract us from the cold and our ever present hunger pains was the hope that we would soon be released. The war was nearly over, and news had reached us that the two major groups of American volunteers had left Spain in mid-December. On January 23rd, just three days before Barcelona would fall to the Fascists, we learned that the remaining British, Canadian, and Swiss volunteers would be released from San Pedro. We were hopeful that we would be next.