A new historical investigation has documented 47 previously unrecorded mass graves in Catalonia, offering fresh evidence of the violence that affected the Pyrenean region of Cerdanya during the Spanish Civil War.

The research increased the number of documented graves in Cerdanya from nine to 56 sites. Together, they are linked to the deaths and burials of more than 400 soldiers, civilians, and refugees.

The Generalitat de Catalunya commissioned the investigation through its Directorate-General for Democratic Memory. Historian Marc Pont conducted the study.

Importantly, the findings challenge the traditional image of Cerdanya as primarily a rear-area territory during the conflict.

47 New Mass Graves Documented in Cerdanya

The investigation identified 47 graves that had not previously been documented. As a result, researchers now recognize 56 burial sites across the comarca.

Cerdanya sits in the Pyrenees along the French border and spans areas of the provinces of Girona and Lleida.

According to the study, Republican soldiers represent around 41% of the victims buried in the documented graves. Meanwhile, 19% of the graves are linked to wartime Francoist repression, while another 16% relate to combat deaths.

Many victims came from other parts of Catalonia. Therefore, they had few connections with local communities, which contributed to the burial sites disappearing from collective memory.

Investigation Reconstructs Puigcerdà Executions

One of the most significant findings concerns events in Puigcerdà in February 1939.

Researchers reconstructed the execution of between 20 and 50 Republican soldiers on the outskirts of the town. Francoist troops had arrived as the Civil War approached its final months.

The incident had largely disappeared from public memory.

According to the investigation, bodies from the execution were buried in a grave at Puigcerdà cemetery. The site could be one of the largest burial locations documented in Cerdanya.

Puigcerdà contains 16 of the 56 documented graves, making it one of the main locations identified by the research.

Civilians, Soldiers and Refugees Among Victims

The graves do not contain only Republican soldiers.

Researchers also documented civilians, refugees, displaced people, and other individuals who died as the conflict transformed Cerdanya.

The region became an important logistical point during the war. Moreover, its proximity to France made it an important route for people trying to escape the fighting.

The direct railway connection between Barcelona and Puigcerdà also helped bring large numbers of displaced people into the region.

Other graves have been documented around Lles de Cerdanya, Montellà i Martinet, Alp and Prullans. Several sites were associated with military hospitals and border crossings.

1938 Bombing Killed 34 People

The investigation also examined an air raid against Puigcerdà’s railway station.

In April 1938, an attack involving Francoist forces and their German and Italian allies struck the station. The bombing killed 34 people, according to the research.

Those victims were subsequently buried in another of the large graves identified in the area.

Therefore, the newly documented burial sites reflect several forms of wartime violence. They include executions, combat deaths, bombings, and deaths connected with displacement.

Study Also Documents Violence Before Francoist Arrival

However, the investigation does not attribute every grave to Francoist repression.

Researchers also reconstructed episodes of violence that occurred before Francoist troops entered the region.

These cases included internal confrontations and executions involving members of the clergy, people associated with political groups sympathetic to the rebel side, anarchist militants, and deaths in Republican labor camps.

At least six graves are associated with these episodes, according to the study.

This distinction provides important historical context. The investigation therefore documents different forms of violence while highlighting previously overlooked Francoist repression in the region.

Only Seven Graves Fully Exhumed

Despite the expanded documentation, most of the burial sites have not undergone complete archaeological excavation.

Of the 56 documented graves, only seven have been fully exhumed. Three others have been marked, while one has undergone a formal memorialization process.

One potential candidate for future excavation is the grave at Prat del Màrtir in Prullans.

Researchers believe the site could contain up to 20 people who were executed after attempting to prevent Francoist forces from entering the region. Family requests and the grave’s location outside a cemetery could increase the possibility of future work there.

However, Catalonia’s Justice Department has not yet announced a timetable for the next exhumations.

Meanwhile, Puigcerdà’s municipal government plans to install a commemorative plaque.

Findings Reshape Cerdanya’s Wartime History

The discovery of the 47 previously undocumented mass graves provides historians with a broader picture of what happened in Cerdanya during the Spanish Civil War.

Although the area spent much of the conflict behind the front lines, the investigation shows that this did not protect residents, soldiers, and refugees from violence.

The research has now documented more than 400 victims across 56 burial sites. Furthermore, it has recovered information about episodes that had largely disappeared from local memory.

For researchers and relatives of victims, the next challenge involves determining which graves can be excavated and whether unidentified remains can eventually be recovered.