Five hundred was roughly the number of «active supporters» of the Residencia de Estudiantes and its cultural activities, developed in conjunction with the Sociedad de Cursos y Conferencias, and the Residencia periodical. Surely this number could be expanded if one considers the extraordinary scope of Revista de Occidente, founded in 1923 by José Ortega y Gasset. In any case, these individuals and institutions formed the nucleus of the cultural structure in 1927 and 1928. They were essential for the dissemination of the new intellectual, artistic, and scientific currents coming from Europe and the rest of the world. They were proselytes who did not withhold their knowledge as a sign of elitist distinction, but rather sought to spread it among as many people as possible. Less than ten years had passed since birth of this movement when the Civil War nipped it in the bud.