The event, open to the public, included speeches from various authorities and project initiators. Speakers included the mayor, Jan Pomés; the Director General of Democratic Memory of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Xavier Menéndez; historian Jordi Oliva, who spearheaded the grave's recovery; Juli Lago, a Cervera councilor who promoted the dignification in 2008; and Rosa Papell, representing the families.
Musical performances by students from the Conservatori and poetry readings by relatives of the victims were interspersed between the speeches.
The dignification of the common grave at Cervera cemetery, initiated in 2008 by the Memorial Democràtic de Catalunya and the Paeria, is a state-level benchmark for historical memory recovery. The work of historian Jordi Oliva has identified the individuals buried there, including Civil War victims from both sides, prisoners, refugees, and those from the Francoist concentration camp in Cervera. A file with 417 records of the buried individuals is kept at the cemetery.
As a result of this initiative, the book “Desenterrar l’oblit. Memòries més enllà de la dignificació de la fossa comuna de Cervera” (Editorial Fonoll, 2020) has been published. The project was proposed by Paquita Buron (Cerdanyola del Vallès, 1938-2021), daughter of one of the victims, and coordinated by Josep “Pepón” Miret (Cervera,1962 – Vic, 2020), Jordi Oliva (Sedó, 1965), and Rosa Papell (Taradell, 1963).
