En Navalcán, como en otros pueblos de la Campana de Oropesa, como en muchos pueblos de España, lo vivido en la guerra civil sigue siendo un tema tabú.
Mucho tiempo ha pasado desde el inicio de la Guerra Civil, y nuestros familiares han permanecido sepultados bajo la tierra todo este tiempo de forma indigna, muchos de ellos en fosas excavadas por sus propios hijos, padres, hermanos...
Durante la dictadura el miedo impedía reclamar los cuerpos, pero en más de 30 años de democracia ningún gobierno, fuera del color que fuera, promovió iniciativas a favor de que los restos de nuestros familiares fueran localizados y enterrados en un camposanto, no pudimos tener una lápida de mármol que llenar de flores. Algunas familias de Navalcán lo intentaron, hablando con los sucesivos párrocos y alcaldes de la localidad, sin ningún éxito.
Hace unos años, en el año 2000, se excavó la primera fosa común de víctimas de la guerra civil española con técnicas arqueológicas y forenses, por iniciativa de un nieto de un desaparecido. La repercusión mediática de este hecho hizo que muchos nos diéramos cuenta de que era factible, que podíamos, y debíamos, recuperar los cuerpos y la memoria de todos aquellos que fueron asesinados en una guerra sin sentido.
El camino hasta la búsqueda y exhumación es muy largo. La administración carece de decisión y de medios para ayudar a los familiares a llevar estas iniciativas a cabo, por lo que diversas asociaciones como la Asociación por la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, Foro por la Memoria, u otras muchas, son los únicos medios con los que contamos para canalizar nuestras demandas, y si hay suerte, algunos Ayuntamientos se olvidan de la impopularidad que puedan tener sus disposiciones para ayudarnos.
En agosto de 2006 se pudieron llevar a cabo las primeras exhumaciones en Navalcán y el vecino pueblo de Parrilas, continuando la búsqueda en 2008, con ayuda de asociaciones y voluntarios, y con el apoyo del Ayuntamiento de Navalcán; nunca tuvimos ninguna sunvencíón. Algunos encontraron a sus familiares, otros no tuvieron esa suerte, otros encontramos el lugar y ningún resto, pero supimos que estuvieron allí… a pesar de todo fue un ÉXITO. Al menos lo habíamos intentado, y lo más importante: demostramos que esos hechos habían sucedido y que aún no habíamos borrado de nuestra memoria a nuestros familiares asesinados.
En 2010 pudimos realizar un acto homenaje en el que se entregaron los restos encontrados a los familiares. La búsqueda sigue para aquellos que no han podio encontrar a los suyos.
Este proceso no termina al depositar los restos en un lugar digno: todos tenemos una labor de recuerdo y divulgación: la Guerra Civil Española no fue una lucha entre dos bandos, fue una guerra entre hermanos y debemos evitar que se repita. Evitemos buscar culpables e intentemos que la memoria de nuestros mayores, aquellos que vivieron la verdadera Guerra Civil de hambruna, orfandad y limitaciones, no se pierda.
Sigamos “desenterrando la memoria”.
Why do we do this blog?
In this blog we’ll not discuss about policy, we’ll not awake old resentments, not look for culprits.
In Navalcan, as other villages in “Campana de Oropesa”, as many villages of Spain, civil war is still unmentionable. Long time has passed since the Civil War started, and our relatives have remained buried under the ground in a shameful way all this time, many of them in graves dug by their own children, parents, brothers...
During Franco’s dictatorship, fear prevented to claim the bodies, but in more than 30 years of democracy any Government, whatever their colour or creed, supported initiatives to locate remains of our relatives and buried in a cemetery, we never could have a gravestone filled with flowers. Some families of Navalcan tried, speaking with the successive priests and mayors of the town, with no success.
Few years ago, in 2000, the first mass grave of victims of the Spanish Civil War was excavated with archaeological and forensic techniques, thanks to the initiative of a grandchild of a missing person. The media coverage of this fact made many us realize that was feasible, that we could, and we should, recover the bodies and the memory of all those who were murdered in a senseless war.
The road to search and exhumation is long. Public Administration lacks decision and funds to help families to carry out these initiatives, so several associations such as the Asociación por la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica (Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory), Foro por la Memoria (Forum for Memory), or many others, are the only ones we have to focus our demands, and if we are lucky, some local councils forget the unpopularity that its regulations may have to help us.
In August 2006 the first exhumations in Navalcan and the neighbouring village of Parrillas were carried out, the search continued in 2008, with the help of associations and volunteers, and with the support of Navalcan’s City Council; we never were subsidized. Some found their relatives, others had no such luck, others find the place and no remains, but we knew that they were there... after all, it was a success. We had at least tried, and most importantly: showed that these events had happened and that still we hadn’t erased of our memory our murdered relatives.
In 2010 we performed a tribute on which the remains found were given to their relatives. The search still continues for those who still have not found their loved ones. This process does not end at depositing bones in a decent place: we all have a work of remembrance and disclosure: the Spanish Civil War was not only a struggle between two wings, was a war between brothers, and we must avoid repeating. Rather than apportioning blame, let’s try that the memory of our ancestors, those who lived through the real Civil War of shortage, orphanhood and limitations, is not lost. Let's keep "digging up the memory".
Why do we do this blog?
In this blog we’ll not discuss about policy, we’ll not awake old resentments, not look for culprits.
In Navalcan, as other villages in “Campana de Oropesa”, as many villages of Spain, civil war is still unmentionable. Long time has passed since the Civil War started, and our relatives have remained buried under the ground in a shameful way all this time, many of them in graves dug by their own children, parents, brothers...
During Franco’s dictatorship, fear prevented to claim the bodies, but in more than 30 years of democracy any Government, whatever their colour or creed, supported initiatives to locate remains of our relatives and buried in a cemetery, we never could have a gravestone filled with flowers. Some families of Navalcan tried, speaking with the successive priests and mayors of the town, with no success.
Few years ago, in 2000, the first mass grave of victims of the Spanish Civil War was excavated with archaeological and forensic techniques, thanks to the initiative of a grandchild of a missing person. The media coverage of this fact made many us realize that was feasible, that we could, and we should, recover the bodies and the memory of all those who were murdered in a senseless war.
The road to search and exhumation is long. Public Administration lacks decision and funds to help families to carry out these initiatives, so several associations such as the Asociación por la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica (Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory), Foro por la Memoria (Forum for Memory), or many others, are the only ones we have to focus our demands, and if we are lucky, some local councils forget the unpopularity that its regulations may have to help us.
In August 2006 the first exhumations in Navalcan and the neighbouring village of Parrillas were carried out, the search continued in 2008, with the help of associations and volunteers, and with the support of Navalcan’s City Council; we never were subsidized. Some found their relatives, others had no such luck, others find the place and no remains, but we knew that they were there... after all, it was a success. We had at least tried, and most importantly: showed that these events had happened and that still we hadn’t erased of our memory our murdered relatives.
In 2010 we performed a tribute on which the remains found were given to their relatives. The search still continues for those who still have not found their loved ones. This process does not end at depositing bones in a decent place: we all have a work of remembrance and disclosure: the Spanish Civil War was not only a struggle between two wings, was a war between brothers, and we must avoid repeating. Rather than apportioning blame, let’s try that the memory of our ancestors, those who lived through the real Civil War of shortage, orphanhood and limitations, is not lost. Let's keep "digging up the memory".
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