Cementerio de Getafe

Cementerio de Getafe is the municipal cemetery of Getafe, a town just south of Madrid. The site is closely tied to the history of the Spanish Civil War and remains one of the more significant places of historical memory in the wider Madrid region.

Where does its history begin?

The original municipal cemetery, known as Cementerio de la Concepción, had existed since long before the 20th century — the area was already mentioned in records compiled during the reign of Philip II. Next to it, between 1937 and 1938, an additional burial ground was created, separated from the older section only by a metal fence. It became necessary because the existing cemetery could no longer accommodate the growing number of bodies during the ongoing war.

What happened during the Civil War?

Getafe was the scene of fierce fighting in November 1936, when the town fell on November 4th. As a result, a Military War Cemetery, popularly nicknamed the "Red Cemetery," was established on land adjoining the municipal cemetery. It held 429 graves, believed to contain the remains of around 300 unidentified militia members who had defended the town. Between 1939 and 1945, these graves were joined by the remains of prisoners who had been sentenced and executed, most of them held at the district court prison in Getafe — an estimated 125 or more individuals.

What happened to these graves afterward?

The exhumation of the remaining 409 graves (20 of the original 429 were found empty) was carried out under the supervision of the military court of the 13th Artillery Regiment in Getafe, as part of proceedings recorded as Causa 551/1951. Of those exhumed, 23 bodies were identified, while 386 remained unidentified. In parallel, in the civilian section of the cemetery — specifically courtyard number 5 of the Cementerio Municipal de la Concepción — 713 war-related burials were recorded, of which only 21 individuals were identified and 692 remained anonymous.

When did the cemetery close?

The cemetery remained in use until 1978. Fifteen years later, in 1993, the local government decided to close it permanently. As part of this process, the chapel that stood on the grounds was also demolished — a structure that had witnessed Getafe's history for centuries and had already been referenced in the official surveys ordered by Philip II.

Why does it matter today?

Today, Cementerio de Getafe stands primarily as a site of memory — a testimony to the tragic events of the Civil War and the post-war repression that affected the local community. Organizations dedicated to historical memory, such as the Asociación de Memoria Histórica de Getafe, work to honor the victims buried here and to keep this chapter of the town's history present for future generations. For anyone interested in 20th-century Spanish history and the traces the Civil War left around Madrid, the grounds of the former cemetery represent an important, if rarely visited, point of reference in the region.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cemetery still active? No, the original cemetery ceased operations in 1978 and was formally closed in 1993.

Why was it called the "Red Cemetery"? This was the popular name for the section of the military cemetery where the remains of militia members who defended Getafe during the fighting in November 1936 were buried.

How many graves were found at the military cemetery site? A total of 429 graves were recorded, 20 of which were empty; of the remaining 409, only 23 individuals were identified.