In a recent discovery, the remains of six individuals believed to be victims of the Franco regime have been unearthed in the Orduña cemetery, located in Bizkaia.
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Hey there! Let's dive into some grim yet significant history that recently unfolded in the Basque Country.
The Institute of Memory, Coexistence, and Human Rights (Gogora) has unearthed the remains of six victims who perished during the Civil War and Francoist era from the Orduna cemetery in Biscay. The families of four victims have now received their loved ones' remains, hoping to find closure after all these years.
With these latest identifications, a total of 17 remains out of 93 have been identified. Tragically, records indicate that 225 people lost their lives in the concentration camp established by rebels in the town back in 1937. The camp functioned as a Francoist prison until 1941.
Gogora is now on the hunt for more families of prisoners formerly interned in the concentration camp of Orduna to continue the identification process.
Family Reunions and Tributes
The latest identified individuals include José Gómez Narváez, Aquilino Flores Bautista, Manuel Vivas Fernández, José Pozo García (all hailing from Badajoz), Zollo Villar Toledo (Ciudad Real), and Antonio Bootello Negrete (Málaga). The remains of these individuals were exhumed in 2022 and 2024. The identification was carried out by the University of the Basque Country as part of the Gogora Search and Identification Program for People Disappeared in the Civil War.
On Wednesday, Maria Jesús San Jose, the Basque Country's Minister of Justice and Human Rights, and Alberto Alonso, the director of Gogora, handed over José Gómez Narváez's remains to his family, accompanied by an act of tribute in Badajoz's cemetery organized by the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Extremadura (ARMHEX). The deliveries of Manuel Vivas Fernández and José Pozo García were made in private to their families in Aceuchal and Villagonzalo, respectively. The remains of Antonio Bootello Negrete will be delivered in Pizarra, Málaga, on Thursday.
Tragic Deaths Across Spain
Between 1937 and 1939, a concentration camp for Republican prisoners operated at the Jesuit Fathers of Orduna College. Inhuman conditions and forced labor were commonplace for those imprisoned. The camp eventually became a Francoist prison until it closed in 1941.
victims from all corners of Spain were taken to this Vizcayan town. Out of the 225 victims who perished, 127 hailed from Extremadura, primarily from Badajoz, with others from Cáceres. The remaining deaths were spread across Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia, Cantabria, Asturias, Zaragoza, and Segovia. The deceased were buried in the local cemetery, with 93 bodies having been exhumed so far.
Gogora has appealed to the families of potential victims to provide DNA samples for identification purposes. For more information, check out their resources here. A Dignity Columbarium has been established in Orduna's cemetery as a memorial space for families to inter remains if they wish.
Stay informed on these updates, as the continuing efforts to identify and reunite victims with their families represents a crucial step in addressing historical injustices and providing closure to the affected families.
- The average number of victims from different regions of Spain who died in the concentration camp of Orduna during the Civil War and Francoist era is generally high, with 127 victims hailing from Extremadura, particularly Badajoz, followed by others from various places such as Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia, Cantabria, Asturias, Zaragoza, and Segovia.
- The ongoing identification process by Gogora of victims who were interned and died in the concentration camp of Orduna, a significant part of war-and-conflicts history, is a critical aspect of politics and crime-and-justice, as it aims to bring closure to families and address historical injustices through general-news updates.
