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| Valencian Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory | |
|---|---|
| Name | Valencian Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory |
| Native name | Asociación Valenciana para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Headquarters | Valencia, Spain |
| Region served | Valencian Community |
Valencian Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory is a Valencian nonprofit civic association dedicated to locating, exhuming, identifying and commemorating victims of the Spanish Civil War and the Francoist dictatorship. The association operates within a network of Spanish and international human rights and forensic anthropology organizations, collaborating with institutions such as the University of Valencia, regional administrations like the Generalitat Valenciana, and national bodies influenced by the Law of Historical Memory (Spain). It has engaged with judicial processes, archival research, and public memorialization amid debates involving parties such as the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and the People's Party (Spain).
The group emerged in the early 2000s against a backdrop of activism by groups like Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory, Federación Estatal de Foros por la Memoria, and international efforts exemplified by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Founders included relatives of disappeared persons, academics from the University of Alicante and the University of Valencia, and local activists influenced by campaigns in Andalusia, Catalonia, and Aragón. Early work drew on methodologies developed by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team and best practices from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, while navigating Spanish judicial precedents such as rulings from the Audiencia Nacional (Spain) and interactions with the Constitutional Court of Spain.
The association's stated mission encompasses humanitarian recovery, historical documentation, and public remembrance. Objectives include locating mass graves linked to events like the Spanish Civil War battles near Teruel, providing forensic identification akin to work by the Scientific Police (Spain), compiling documentation similar to archives at the Archivo General de la Administración, and promoting commemorative practices seen in places such as the Valencian Community municipal councils. The association aligns with transnational norms seen in the United Nations human-rights frameworks and engages legal instruments inspired by the Law of Historical Memory (Spain).
Activities span field exhumations, archival research, genealogical tracing, DNA analysis in partnership with laboratories linked to the Spanish National Research Council, and publication of findings in collaboration with publishers associated with the Complutense University of Madrid. Projects have included surveys of wartime burial sites near Castellón de la Plana, archival rescue at the Archivo Municipal de Valencia, and cooperative efforts with groups in Murcia and Extremadura. The association has participated in conferences alongside organizations such as Memorial Democràtic and networks like the European Federation of Associations of Victims of Nazism and Fascism.
Reported exhumations have taken place in cemeteries and fossa comunes around municipalities like Paterna (Valencia), Algemesí, and rural sites near Xàtiva. Investigations often required coordination with forensic teams following protocols developed by the International Commission on Missing Persons and involved experts formerly linked to the University of Granada and the University of Santiago de Compostela. Casework has intersected with high-profile judicial reviews in the Audiencia Provincial de Valencia and historical inquiries referencing events such as the White Terror (Spain) and reprisals after the Battle of Valencia (1936–1939).
The association has engaged with legislative and judicial processes related to the Law of Historical Memory (Spain) and its successor debates in the Cortes Generales. It has submitted evidence to prosecutors in the Fiscalía General del Estado and collaborated with municipal institutions including the Ajuntament de València. Political interactions have involved alliances and tensions with parties such as Podemos (Spanish political party), Compromís, and conservative groups like the Vox (political party), particularly over exhumation permissions, monument removal, and archival access.
Structured as a volunteer-based association, it combines family-members' collectives with professional staff drawn from the University of Valencia's departments and independent forensic consultants formerly associated with the Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses. Funding sources have included membership fees, donations, local grants from the Generalitat Valenciana, project support from municipal councils, and occasional collaborative financing with foundations like the La Caixa Foundation and European cultural programs administered by the European Commission. The association has also received in-kind support from laboratories at the University of Alicante and legal aid from bar associations such as the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Valencia.
Public outreach emphasizes exhibitions, talks, and educational programs in partnership with cultural institutions like the Museu Valencià d'Etnologia and libraries such as the Biblioteca Valenciana Nicolau Primitiu. It has organized commemorative events on dates recognized by groups such as Amical de Mauthausen and collaborated with media outlets including El País, Levante-EMV, and Cadena SER to raise awareness. Educational efforts target schools and universities, working alongside research centers at the University of Valencia and civic platforms similar to Memorial Democràtic to integrate recovered histories into public memory initiatives.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Spain Category:Valencian Community Category:Historical memory organizations