In the small town of Castellbisbal in Catalonia, an ordinary school project unexpectedly became the start of a real historical investigation. Students at Les Vinyes school, while studying the events of the Civil War, uncovered facts that changed their understanding of the past and of their own roots.
One of the participants, Alexia, until recently knew almost nothing about the tragedies her family had endured. While working on the project, she learned that her great-grandfather, who came from Extremadura, was executed and is likely buried in one of two mass graves at the local cemetery. This discovery was a shock for her and prompted her to see history from a new perspective.
Launched back in 2018, the project was not just about studying textbooks but also about finding personal stories. The students collected family testimonies, researched archives, and later turned the gathered material into theater performances. For many, it was a revelation: even those who thought they had no connection to Spanish history found out that their families, too, had been affected by the war and repression. For example, one student from Paraguay unexpectedly discovered that his ancestors had to flee to Argentina because of political persecution.
Throughout the project, the students not only learned about their relatives’ fates, but also came to see history not just as dry facts, but as real human dramas. Thanks to digital archives, they managed to find documents that even adult family members hadn’t known about. This allowed them to see the past in a new light and understand that personal memory is a part of the country’s collective history.
Searching for and Restoring Memory
During their research, the students discovered a map of mass graves across Spain and found out that there were two such graves in their hometown. They tracked down a study dedicated to these sites and reached out to its author. It turned out that a family from the neighboring town of Cardedeu had been bringing flowers to one of the graves for many years, but eventually lost track of the exact burial spot.
Inspired by this, the students organized a memorial event at the cemetery, inviting the relatives of the deceased. For the Torruella family, it was a significant moment: they were once again able to honor the memory of their grandfather, who died in the battles of 1939, as well as other family members lost during the bombing.
The ceremony brought together several generations of the family, along with students who read aloud their own writings dedicated to the war victims. For everyone present, it was an emotional moment when personal stories took on public meaning. But the work did not stop there: the school has already begun the process of officially opening the graves, with the goal of restoring the names of the victims and giving them proper remembrance.
Education Against Oblivion and Hate
The story of the Les Vinyes project has become part of a broader initiative in Catalonia. The regional authorities have launched a special educational program aimed at combating historical distortion, the rise of hate, and distrust of democratic institutions. As part of this initiative, schools receive new materials about the republic, civil war, and the dictatorship, while teachers undergo additional training.
In the coming years, hundreds of educational institutions are expected to join the project, so that the younger generation will not only learn the facts but also be able to critically reflect on the past. This approach helps not only to preserve memory, but also to foster a responsible attitude toward history and society.
