From charity and philanthropy to State social protection: school holiday camps in Spain (1887-1936)

School holiday camps, which started in Switzerland in 1886, would start to function in Spain under the institutionalist and director of the then called Museo de Instrucción Primaria de Madrid (Museum of Primary Instruction), Manuel B. Cossío, in 1887. The paper analyses briefly the social, hygienic and educational context in which international movement of summer camps made their appearance and with special reference to Spain. The paper focuses on the beginnings and the scope of these camps in Spain and on the influence of public policies on these processes. These policies shifted from initial government inhibition and the call to the forces of the country to charity and patriotism, to a progressive promotion and to State protection for the summer camps.